Dr Sibylle Grad is a principal scientist in the Regenerative Orthopaedics Program of the AO Research Institute Davos (ARI); Switzerland. She is the focus area leader for intervertebral disc and cartilage biology. She obtained her PhD in natural sciences from the department of cell biology of the Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETHZ) and joined the ARI after her first postdoctoral training. She has since then acquired extensive research expertise in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine with focus on cartilage and intervertebral disc. Her research areas include whole organ models; bioreactors; cell therapy; molecular therapy; and biomarkers. She is also a private docent with habilitation at ETHZ.