Dr. A.M. (Sandra) Smink is an assistant professor at the Pathology and Medical Biology department of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). Sandra obtained her PhD at the University of Groningen, where she engineered a novel transplantation site for pancreatic islets. She pursued postdoctoral studies in this field at both the UMCG and the University of California Irvine (Department of Surgery and Biomedical Engineering). Currently, her research is focused on creating the ideal home for the transplantation of insulin-producing cells as a treatment for Type 1 Diabetes. She aims to mimic the natural pancreatic microenvironment within subcutaneous transplantation devices to enhance long-term transplantation outcomes. To this end, a polymeric device was developed, which preserves the function of insulin-producing cells, facilitates rapid revascularization, and enables adequate glucose sensing and insulin release. Transplanting insulin-producing cells into this subcutaneous device has demonstrated success in rodents and pigs. Enhancing the long-term functional survival of these transplanted cells could pave the way for widespread application of this treatment, ultimately improving the quality of life of patients with Type 1 Diabetes.