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Associate Professor Dr Jaydee Cabral established her laboratory in 2021 in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Otago, and in 2025 in the Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Faculty of Dentistry, in Dunedin, New Zealand.

Discover our research and learn about our current projects

Peter ThorneProfessor Peter Thorne

We have a particular interest in the development of biomaterials, medical hydrogels, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and medical devices.

The Cabral laboratory has the only GeSiM 3.1 Bioscaffolder in New Zealand, a 4-axis, interchangeable, 3D bioprinter equipped with melt electrowriting, cold plasma, co-axial bioprinting, and piezoelectric capability.

Find out more about 3D co-axial bioprinting

John Fisher in front of University of Otago ClocktowerProfessor John Fisher

Current research

Current projects include medical device development to treat hearing loss in collaboration with Professor Peter Thorne, Department of Physiology, University of Auckland and Callaghan Innovation funded via a 2024 MBIE Research Programme grant ($8.3 mil).

Adel Mekhail, Jaydee Cabral and Noelyn HungDr Adel Mekhail, Associate Professor Jaydee Cabral and Dr Noelyn Hung

Other projects include development of 3D printed nipple areolar complex (NAC) implants for breast cancer patients and to 3D print a medical device to treat precancerous cervical lesions. The NAC project is in collaboration with the University of Maryland, USA, Professor John Fisher, Department Chair, Fischell Department of Bioengineering, Director of the Center of Complex Tissues, and funded via a Catalyst Seed grant. The precancerous cervical lesions medical device project is in collaboration with Dr Noelyn Hung (Department of Pathology) and Dr Adel Mekhail (gynaecologist, SDHB), and funded by a Translation Research Grant.

Previous research

Previous funding includes a Health Research Council Explorer Grant and a Lottery Health Research Grant to 3D bioprint vascularized, regenerative living dressings for the treatment of chronic wounds. As a key researcher in a multi-million-dollar Ministry of Business, Innovation, & Employment Funded project entitled “Smart gels for Commercialisation” Dr Cabral’s contribution in biomaterial development and characterization resulted in an FDA approved and now commercialised surgical gel, Chitogel®.

Find out more about Otago University’s Centre of Bioengineering and Nanomedicine

Teaching

Associate Professor Cabral lectures in postgraduate Bioengineering courses.

Current group members

A photo of Jaydee Cabral at work in a laboratoryJaydee Cabral
Research Associate Professor
Email jaydee.cabral@otago.ac.nz

View Associate Professor Jaydee Cabral's profile


Staff

Mina Rajabi imageDr Mina Rajabi
Postdoctoral Fellow


Postgraduate Students

A profile photo of Alexandria LeonardAlexandria Leonard
PhD Student


Emma Managh imageEmma Managh
MSc Student


Caitlin O'Donnell imageCaitlin O'Donnell
MSc Student


Opportunities

MSc scholarships are available for capable students interested in studying bioengineering at Otago.

The MSc position requires the applicant to be eligible for admission to the thesis-based Master’s Bioengineering Programme and for a Master’s Research Scholarship

For inquiries about MSc Bioengineering admission, please contact, Professor Azam Ali, Director, Bioengineering Academic Program, University of Otago.

Email azam.ali@otago.ac.nz
Mob +64 211 397 912

News

Previous lab members

MSc Bioengineering

Emily Crosse
Minami Yoshida, Quality Assurance Scientist, Zenith Technology Corporation
View Emily Crosse's Bioengineering profile (PDF)

PhD

Caitlin Berry-Kilgour
Associate Medical Writer, Kainic Medical Communications

Publications

Berry-Kilgour, C., Oey, I., Cabral, J., Dowd, G., & Wise, L. (2024). Decellularized green and brown macroalgae as cellulose matrices for tissue engineering. Journal of Functional Biomaterials, 15, 390. Journal - Research Article

Leonard, A. R., Cumming, M. H., Ali, M. A., & Cabral, J. D. (2024). Fish collagen cross-linking strategies to improve mechanical and bioactive capabilities for Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Advanced Functional Materials. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1002/adfm.202405335 Journal - Research Other

Cabral, J. (2024, February). Intro to biofabrication and tissue engineering, 3D printing in medicine. Workshop presentation at the Bioengineering Symposium & 3D Biofabrication Workshop, Dunedin, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Cabral, J. (2023, February). Development of peptide-functionalized hydrogel bioinks to create 3D living wound dressings. Verbal presentation at the Maurice Wilkins Centre (MWC) for Molecular Biodiversity Symposium, Dunedin, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Thorsnes, Q. S., Turner, P. R., Ali, M. A., & Cabral, J. D. (2023). Integrating fused deposition modeling and melt electrowriting for engineering branched vasculature. Biomedicines, 11, 3139. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines11123139 Journal - Research Article

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