Dr Natalia Muñoz Castro

Postdoctoral Research Assistant

n.castro@qmul.ac.uk

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Mile End

Supervisor:

Expertise:

I study how human tissues respond to disease and stress using advanced laboratory models. My earlier work explored how breast cancer spreads to bone (bone metastasis) using environmentally friendly materials. I have also developed â??organ-on-a-chipâ? technologies that mimic human tissuesâ??including bone, gut, and fetal membraneâ??providing more accurate insights into health and reducing the need for animal testing. I am currently building a fetal membrane chip to investigate how extreme heat affects pregnancy, combining bioreactor and chip technologies.

Brief Biography

I am a Postdoctoral Researcher at Queen Mary University of London with a background in materials science and biomedical engineering. My career has taken me across Europe, Asia, and America, where I have worked on innovative models to study breast cancer, bone metastasis, and the role of the microbiome in bone health. Along the way, I have been drawn to projects that use sustainable approaches and reduce the need for animal testing. Currently, my research focuses on maternal and women's health, where I am developing new tools to understand how environmental stress, such as extreme heat, can affect pregnancy. I am passionate about creating research models that are not only scientifically rigorous but also human-relevant and impactful for improving health outcomes.