Nicolas Alexis Marinval

• Enabling safer, more effective biomaterials: Pioneered approaches to integrate growth factor–binding sugars into scaffolds and implants, creating “smart” materials that control healing responses. These advances bring regenerative medicine closer to real-world clinical solutions.

• Next-generation vascular grafts: Engineered small-diameter artificial blood vessels with improved surface properties that encourage natural healing and reduce clotting risk. These innovations address a major unmet need in bypass surgery, where current synthetic grafts often fail.

• Advancing breast cancer reconstruction options: Developed strategies to improve the survival and integration of fat grafts used in breast reconstruction. By enhancing blood vessel growth with bioactive sugars (heparan sulfates), this work supports safer, more durable outcomes for patients undergoing reconstructive surgery.

• Accelerating bone repair: Contributed to the design of a bioresorbable scaffold combining advanced polymers, minerals, and bioactive molecules to promote bone regeneration. This technology provides a foundation for safer, faster recovery from complex bone injuries, particularly in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

• Improving durability of heart valve implants: Developed a surface-modification technique for animal-derived heart valves that reduces blood clotting and supports tissue regeneration. This innovation may extend the life of bioprosthetic valves and reduce the need for repeat surgeries.

• Insights into brain repair and drug discovery: Demonstrated how changes in tissue stiffness affect the ability of brain cells to form protective myelin, providing new tools for studying neurological diseases and screening potential therapies. Additionally, advanced microgel systems for gene delivery were tested for spinal cord injury applications, offering a platform for future regenerative treatments.

​​​​​​​Overall impact: My research contributes to the development of innovative biomaterials and regenerative therapies that improve healing outcomes in cardiovascular, bone, neural, and reconstructive medicine. By collaborating with clinicians and industry partners, these projects lay the groundwork for medical technologies that enhance patient recovery, reduce complications, and lower healthcare costs.