Jul 15, 2025 
Dr. Jorge Madrid-Wolff earned his PhD in Photonics at EPFL (Switzerland, 2023), where he explored methods to push tomographic volumetric additive manufacturing to non-transparent materials and large-scale volumetric 3D printing. After a short postdoc, he joined Readily3D as Application Scientist. In this role, Jorge designs bespoke tools and protocols for Readily3D’s customers, with the aim of expanding the range of applications enabled by our unique technology. His work has turned around volumetric light projection systems, first for imaging and microscopy, and then for additive manufacturing. Dr. Madrid-Wolff will join us for the upcoming virtual event, The Bioprinting Frontier.
When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing?
Jorge: My first encounter with 3D printing was during my bachelor’s in physics. I was involved as a research intern in a microscopy lab, and 3D printing made prototyping of custom pieces for our setups so much easier.
What inspired you to start your career?
Jorge: Chance. I had been accepted for a PhD in 3D displays in the lab of Prof. Christophe Moser at EPFL in Lausanne. Luckily for me, a recent exciting development in his lab (the invention of tomographic volumetric additive manufacturing) made him suggest I changed research topic from day one. So I did, and I’m very happy it went that way.
Who inspired you the most along this journey in 3D bioprinting?
Jorge: I truly admire the work and engineering at Formlabs. They’ve done a wonderful job making their products simpler to use for broader audiences. And that’s how good engineering should be: be robust but look simple.
What motivates you the most for your work?
Jorge: I get to talk to lots of very smart people! Designing/building tools for and with them is a lot of fun.
What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?
Jorge: Choosing the right battles. Time is a very limited resource so you should be wise deciding where to spend yours. Keep your ears wide open to advice from more-experienced peers.
What do you think is (are) the biggest challenge(s) in 3D Printing/bio-printing? What do you think the potential solution(s) is (are)?
Jorge: We have a good understanding of the engineering behind 3D printing, and researchers are mastering tissue maturation (what comes after bioprinting) at an amazing pace. We do lack, however, a deeper understanding of the chemistry behind 3D printing. Involving chemists and doing more basic research on the chemistry of (photo)polymerization is fundamental to advancing the industrial adoption of 3D printing.
If a higher being grants you three wishes, what would they be?
Jorge: Infinite wishes?
Not sure, but probably more time with family.
What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advices you heard should they ignore?
Jorge:
“Keep it simple, but not too simple”.
It’s easy to fall for perfectionism, but cutting corners is a no-go.
I would take the words of those who seem to go too fast with a pinch of salt.
What’s your favorite book you read this year and why? Alternatively, what’s your favorite book of all times you read and why?
Jorge: I’ll go for fiction:
Milan Kundera’s “Immortality” is an exceptional work on identity, relations, the things that remain over time, and those that fade away.
Related Links:
Bioprinting for Cancer: Karolina Valente’s Mission at VoxCell BioInnovation
FRESH Bioprinting for Type I Diabetes with Mike Graffeo
Expert Corner blogs on bioprinting by Andrew Hudson (four-part series)
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