Dr. Simon C. Mastbergen is an associate professor at the department Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology of the University Medical Center Utrecht; The Netherlands. He studied Medical Biology and obtained his MSc in 1998. In 2005 he obtained his PhD which was focused on the role of COX-2 in osteoarthritis. During this period; he interrupted his PhD project to set up; perform and coordinate a large animal study at the department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology commissioned by a large English pharmaceutical company (2001-2002). After this study he continued the PhD project which included 1 day per week coordination and carrying out of contract animal and in vitro research; a task still performed today. As such; numerous studies have been performed in cooperation with different (pharmaceutical) companies; both national and international. He has a strong interest in translational rheumatology research with a focus on tissue-regeneration in joint diseases; especially osteoarthritis though not limited to. Central theme of his research is modulation of cartilage; synovium; and bone to prevent and when possible cure joint damage. Within this theme he is involved in several research lines including “causes of development and progression of osteoarthritis”; “DMOADS in treatment of osteoarthritis”; and “Joint distraction in treatment of severe osteoarthritis". More recently; there is a focus on the biochemical interaction between bone and cartilage; the role of pain mediators and their receptors in the osteoarthritic knee joint; and the role of stem cells in intrinsic cartilage repair. Moreover; he initiated development of a whole-joint bio-mechano-reactor; currently at the level of a working prototype; enabling evaluation of many different pathways in the osteoarthritis process. A next step is taken by studying the role of joint homeostasis under influence of joint distraction in intrinsic cartilage repair in the first pilot studies. Within these research lines he pushes for innovation and translation to the clinic.