Goodbye Flat Biology: ex vivo to in vivo models of cancer 2025

Irina Agarkova obtained her PhD degree in Cell Biology from ETH Zurich. She was appointed as Ober-assistant at ETH Zurich where she led basic research group and investigated the molecular mechanisms of cardiac development and pathology. At InSphero, Irina shifted her focus to oncology, leading the development of physiologically relevant 3D tumor models and high-content in vitro assays designed to evaluate the novel therapeutic approaches. Her goal is to accelerate translation of creative ideas from bench to bedside and to help patients beat the cancer.

Dr. Bärbel Ulmer, Director of Business Development for Europe at InSphero, Zürich, strives to blend scientific innovation in the field of 3D culture and stem cell research with commercial applications in drug discovery and toxicology. In her previous role as the Head of Tissue Engineering at DiNAQOR AG, she fast-tracked gene therapy solutions through human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and engineered heart tissue platforms. Her academic journey includes a PhD in Developmental Biology from the University of Hohenheim and Hebrew University, a postdoc at Cornell University and a lecturer position at the Institue of experimental Toxicology and Pharmakology at the Medical University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf.