Research and teaching activities
Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne
Tissue Engineering
3D Bioprinting for cartilage regeneration and repair
A/Prof Di Bella is a Senior Research Fellow in Tissue Engineering Research in a dedicated program for musculo-skeletal regeneration called "the Advanced Limb Reconstruction Program", carried at Melbourne University [Dr Di Bella Profile at UoM]
Within this program, Dr Di Bella is the head of the Cartilage Regeneration Program of Research. This is comprised by a highly driven multidisciplinary research team dedicated to advanced 3D bioprinting for musculoskeletal regeneration; more specifically, her research has the goal to find new strategies to treat cartilage injuries and early osteoarthritis.
Dr Di Bella's program is carried at the newly established BioFab3D, a dedicated 3D bioprinting facility for medical application. A/Prof Di Bella has been awarded an NHMRC-MRFF Investigator Grant (2020-2025) to carry this program of research.
Dr Di Bella is also an associate investigator at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterial Science, University of Wollongong.
Teaching. Faculty of Medicine University of Melbourne
Senior Lecturer
Ms Di Bella is appointed as Surgical Lead at the Clinical School (St Vincent's Hospital campus), Melbourne University. Ms Di Bella teaches surgery and orthopaedics to Medical Students enrolled at the University of Melbourne, and is often chair of the advisory board for PhD students at the University of Melbourne.
Ms Di Bella is also very active in the training and mentoring of medical students and junior doctors, including orthopaedic surgeons in training.
Cartilage 3D Printing
THE BIOPEN
The BIOPEN
Dr Di Bella leads the cartilage regeneration team at the University of Melbourne, testing a world-first surgical 3D bioprinting device for the generation of healthy cartilage.
A/Prof Di Bella is part of the team working on the commercialisation of the product that can potentially solve the problem of articular cartilage injuries - Axcelda(TM)
