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regenrative medicine
Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices
  • Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices
  • What we do
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  • Who we are

Who we are

The Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices has over 30 permanent members with strong records for publishing both journal and conference papers, securing research grants and supervising postgraduate students. We have a balance between established academics, early career and mid-career researchers, ably supported by a support team.

Contact us at the Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices:  

RegenerativeMedicineDevices@brighton.ac.uk

Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices 
University of Ƶ
Lewes Road, Moulsecoomb
Ƶ
BN2 4GJ

Staff members

University of Ƶ | BSMS | Other

University of Ƶ staff members

Profile photo for Dr Richard Akele

My journey in Medical Laboratory Science and Immunology began with a focus on infectious diseases, where I explored immune system dynamics in health and disease. My work in infectious immunology, particularly in vaccinology and maternal and child health, has contributed to disease understanding and vaccine development, including efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over time, my research shifted towards cancer immunology, specifically the tumour microenvironment (TME), with the goal of advancing cancer management and treatment.

As a member of the Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Medical Devices, I focus on 3D bioprinting to model the TME, enabling the study of immune-tumour-stroma interactions, immune evasion, and drug response. These models support the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T cell therapies, and personalized treatment strategies using patient-derived cells.Additionally, I explore bioprinted scaffolds as immunomodulatory platforms to reprogram the TME, aiming not only to combat tumours but also to promote tissue regeneration post-tumour resection. My background in infectious immunology equips me with transferable skills in immune response analysis, inflammation research, and experimental modelling, which inform my work in designing bioprinted systems that replicate key tumour and regenerative processes.

Bridging infectious disease research with tumour immunology and regenerative medicine, I aim to develop advanced models that integrate therapeutic discovery with tissue engineering, driving innovations in immunotherapy and personalized healthcare solutions.

Profile photo for Dr Gokhan Aydin

My research interests include:

  • Online consumer behavior
  • Digital marketing (e.g.mobile marketing, social media marketing)
  • Digitalization (e.g. mobile applicationuse and mobile payment adoption)
  • Brand equity

I commonly work with cross-sectional data and apply multi-variate analysis methods including structural equation modeling (SEM) and clustering via machine learning algorithms.

Profile photo for Dr Ian Cooper

My research focusses on cross-disciplinary advancement of microbiology, bridging the environmental and clinical fields. My emphasis is on researching the fundamental molecular mechanisms of bacterial adhesion to biomedical materials and environmental substrata, and how human contact with animals and the environment affects bacteria relating to human health. I am research active, and am currently investigating the following key fields: the phenomenon of quorum sensing and biomedical device infection; development of novel antibiotics; bacteriophages as antibacterial agents; and the environmental persistence of medically important human pathogens.

I am currently involved in a project investigating bacteriophages specific toEscherichiacoli.

Profile photo for Dr Derek Covill

My research interests include a range of subject areas including experimentation and numerical simulations in sports engineering, development of digital fabrication design tools, processes and machines, and the use of additive manufacturing to support medical device development.

Profile photo for Prof Peter Cragg

My research interests focus on supramolecular chemistry supported by computational methods. I am fortunate to work in a highly multidisciplinary School where collaborations with biologists and pharmacologists have helped me work effectively at the chemistry-life sciences interface. Research projects have been supported by a range of funders including the EPSRC, Leverhulme Trust (Research Fellowship), EU (INTAS and IRSES), US Army Research Office, Dstl, UK and US industry and charity sectors, and local businesses. In my recent work, computational techniques have been used to understand the controlled release of drugs (vitamin D3, rocuronium bromide, floxuridine), macrocycle-mediated inhibition ofPseudomonas aeruginosabiofilms and macrocycles involved in Ebolacis-infection inhibition. A combination of theoretical and synthetic chemistry is currently being used to investigate interactions between chemical nerve agents and cyclic compounds such as cyclodextrins and calixarenes. Understanding how the agents bind will hopefully lead to simpler ways to detect them. Another research theme involving understanding intermolecular interactions has led to projects on designing small molecules that disrupt fungal lipid membranes.

Profile photo for Adam Farmer

Numerical Analysis - Using Numerical Methods to model real world concepts and create simulations comparible to experiments undertaken in a laboratory.

Profile photo for Rachel Forss

Rachel qualified in 1995 from the University of Ƶ. She completed her MSc at the University of Ƶ in 2003. She is a committee member of the local branch of Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists andcurrently works as a senior lecturer at the University.

Rachel has held previous leadership roles in the NHS specialising for 13 years as the Lead Podiatrist in Wound Care, where she helped toimprove documentation standards, implemented the Texas wound classification system into clinical practice and contributing to various referral pathways to improve patient care. Rachel has a large amount of experience in treating Diabetic Foot ulceration including VAC therapy, ulcers related to various connective tissue disorders and hard to heal post- operative wounds.

Rachel has various research interests and these focus mainly on wound care, microbiology and diabetic wounds. She is currently working within the DERMA project, which is a research project sponsored by Interreg 2 seas. The objective of DERMA is to develop new interventions for the management and treatment of dermal ulcers and related skin conditions, including stomas. By addressing market and patient need, the project will deliver advanced new technologies ready foruse, by industry, to manufacture improved products for the treatment of patients.

Profile photo for Dr Theo Fotis

Digital Health technologies are promising to have a profound effect on how health services are delivered, allowing people to manage their health more effectively, providing effective ways of diagnosing disease, monitoring the impact of policies on population health, resulting in improved accessibility, affordability, and quality of health care. Still, the introduction of these technologies comes with challenges and experience resistance and slow adaptation.

Theo’s specialising on Digital Nursing and Digital Health.

His research interests lie in the intersection of Health Care and Digital Technologies and his focus is on the field of co-producing and evaluating Digital Health Technologies through Digital Health Living Labs and accelerating innovation.

In particular, his research focuses on the following areas:

  • Digital Health Living Labs. The work in this area is concerned with the development of Living Labs as ecosystems of open innovation through co-production with citizens.
  • Evaluation of Digital Health Technologies. I am interested in developing new approaches and tools for the trialing and evaluating new technologies such as wearables and sensors and their use as health care tools.
  • Digital Ready Healthcare Workforce. Based on the Digital Nursing term I coined in 2015, the aim of the work is to utilise the Living Labs as spaces for undergraduate and postgraduate health care students to work side by side with citizens on developing innovation skills and conduct research.
  • IoT, Cyber-Physical, and Cloud Computing Security in Health Care. I am interested in exploring the role of the end-users as vulnerable actors in security attacks, threat discovery and response, and their educational requirements.

Recent and ongoing projects include:

  • EMPOWERCARE involving 13 cross border European partners. It is part of the Interreg VA 2Seas Mers Zeeën and has been awarded more than 4 million euros in funding by the European Regional Development Fund. The project involves partners coming together to co-create and test social innovations and digital health solutions to make local services more efficient and effective to address societal challenges in the 2Seas area.
  • Digital Health Living Lab, initiated at Leach Court and expanded in more areas in Ƶ. Living Labs offer an arena for developing and testing prototypes or more mature digital health products and services, through co-production with citizens, that have the potential to improve welfare services, reduce financial pressure to public sector services and to enable healthy living as a whole. The project was funded by the KSS AHSN Darzi Fellowships.
  • the development of a Living Lab situated at The Bevy, aiming to explore and tackle social isolation and loneliness.The partnership will build on the experience of the Bevy in starting to tackle loneliness through different community initiatives and the university’s experience of the Ƶ and Hove Digital Health Living Lab. It will enable the Living Lab to innovate from a domestic space – working with older people in sheltered accommodation – to also being located in a quintessentially British public space – the local pub. The project was funded by the UoB Community University Partnership Programme (CUPP)
  • INNOVATEDIGNITY-ITN project led by Professor Kathleen Galvin where I am a member of the supervisory team. The purpose of INNOVATEDIGNITY-ITN funded by the European Commission (2019–2023) is to develop a shared research and training agenda in order to educate the next generation of interdisciplinary health care researchers and care leaders across Europe. The project is a response to the Europe wide need to provide sustainable and dignified care for older people at home and in residential, municipal and hospital settings.
Profile photo for Dr Annamaria (Anita) Gal

My research centers on the role of the tumour microenvironment (TME) in tumour progression and metastasis. My particular interest lies in one of the cellular componenets of the TME, the tumour associated macrophages (TAMs). I investigate TAM plasticity, heterogeneity and recruitment to the TME, and how TAM subsets change during tumour and metastasis progression. I am interested in identifying and describing tumour-ptomoting TAM substes for predictive and prognostic purpusoses and as therapeutic targets. I have also been investigating the versatile effects of cytokines, chemokines and inflammation in the tumour microenvironment. I am interetsed in using 3D models of the TME, including bioprinted models.

I have been studying epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in tumour progression and dissemination, including the induction and regulation of EMT, and the effects of antineoplastic and targeted therapies on the process.

I am the initiator and lead organiser of the biannual Ƶ Tumour Microenvironment Conference that focuses on ECM research, CAFs and innate immune cells.

Profile photo for Dr Paul Harris

Applied Mathematics, numerical methods, boundary integral and element method, finite element method, mathematical biology

My research interests are in applying numerical methods to solve problems in applied mathematics. I have particular interests in finite element and boundary element methods. I have used these methods to solve problems in fluid mechanics, acoustics and biomedical applications.

Profile photo for Dr Dan Hawthorne

Development of novel biomaterials for optimised tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.

Development of novel polymer systems for biologically-activated, on-demand and sustained delivery of therapeutic compounds to inflamed and injured tissues.

Drug delivery, specifically in the delivery of bioactive compounds to the ocular surface via hydrogel-embedded platforms (e.g. contact lenses).

Optical sensors and biosensing - especially colorimetric systems which can easily be read by (e.g.) smartphones software which can extract RGB data.

Profile photo for Dr Neda Heidari

Profile photo for Dr Leonard Henry Joseph

My research interests focus on the health promotion, prevention, diagnosis and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal disorders. My current research work is looking into how work related musculoskeletal pain affects the work, health and wellbeing of people at their work place. I am working with people and researchers from Low Middle Income Countries to understand the effects of musculoskeletal conditions and how it influence the day to day lives of people, health care services and policies in the regional context. I am interested to work with local researchers in the region to understand and co-produce innovative solutions, support services, capacity building, and develop sustainable research partnerships for management of musculoskeletal disorders. I am interested in research projects related to epidemiology, basic science, clinical and health service-orientated research in musculoskeletal conditions.

Profile photo for Prof Andrew Lloyd

  • The synthesis and evaluation of novel polymeric materials for drug delivery, medical device and other applications including contact lens technology, chemoembolisation systems and bioresponsive oral drug delivery systems.
  • The application of chemical sciences to understanding and solving environmental and societal challenges.
Profile photo for Dr Andrei Lukashkin

I research in cochlear physiology and biophysics. Cochlear micromechanics, energy production and propagation in the cochlea which makes the cochlea a perfect frequency analyser with enormous dynamic range are my primary research questions. I am involved in research on interaction between different types of cochlear sensory and supporting cell. Understanding of this interaction is a prerequisite for successful treatment of hearing disorders. I study generation and propagation of optoacoustic emissions. Otoacoustic emissions are widely used in clinics for objective assessment of hearing in patients and knowledge of the mechanisms of emission generation is a matter of great importance. I am interested not only in basic mechanisms of hearing but also in applied research which helps to diagnose and cure hearing disorders. My work on novel mechanisms of cochlear excitation through the round window of the cochlea provides theoretical and practical design principles for the development of new types of hearing aids. I am involved in development of methods for drug delivery into the cochlea.

Profile photo for Prof Wendy Macfarlane

As part of the Diabetes Research Group, my research interests are focused on improving our understanding of the disease mechanisms in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and on the development of novel therapeutic approaches to improve the quality of life of patients with these conditions. Our Type 1 diabetes research focuses on improving current islet transplant protocols and developing novel sources of insulin-producing cells for cell replacement therapy. Our Type 2 diabetes research focuses on new approaches to working with obese and overweight individuals to help them balance their metabolism and prevent the development of Type 2 diabetes.

The Diabetes Research Group (DRG) made a programme for BBC Inside Out - South East about developing a new treatment for patients with type 1 diabetes involving the transplantation of isolated insulin-producing beta cells. This programme was broadcast on 27 February 2017.

https://cris.brighton.ac.uk/admin/files/6128556/Diabetes_Type_1_Compressed.movCurrent Research Projects
  • Islet transplantation therapy in Type 1 Diabetes (as part of the UK Islet Transplant Consortium)
  • Targeting beta cell hypoxia in islet transplantation and pancreatic cancer
  • Biomimetic 3-dimensional culture of insulin-producing cell clusters
  • Combating obesity through improved patient education and tailored exercise programs
  • Use of continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) technology in obese, overweight and at- risk individuals to aid in the prevention of type 2 diabetes
  • Understanding non-compliance in young Type 1 Diabetes patients
  • Creation and Validation of Clinically Reflective Human Models of Pancreatic Islet
Profile photo for Saeed Malekshahi Gheytassi

  • Application of AI techniques in the medical field in the diagnosis and provision of effective treatment paths.
  • Implementation of AI concepts in robotic systems.

  • Implementation of AI techniques for object avoidance system for an unmanned vehicle.

  • Behaviour analysis of intelligent agents for Command, Control, and coordination.

  • Sensor Fusion Framework Supporting Heterogeneous Commercial Sensing Technologies

Profile photo for Dr Nicolas Miche

Profile photo for Dr Lucy Redhead

Profile photo for Dr Karina Rodriguez Echavarria

My research interests include the development and application of computing technologies for the creation, management, discoverability, (re)use and access of digital representations of object collections and environments.

A particular interest is also in the development of digital infrastructures to enable the wider applicability of this research across interdisciplinary groups. I lead research, funded by the UKRI-AHRC, in digital innovation for tangible and intangible cultural heritage, including crafts, as well as pilot services and training within national infrastructures for arts and humanities researchers and practitioners. The focus is on improving the ability to leverage computing and digital methods in their practice to enable innovation and impact.

The research impacts widely on the Creative and Cultural Heritage (CH) sector and its related applications such as media, art, culture, education and tourism. My research outputs are interdisciplinary in areas including computer graphics, information and knowledge management as well as cultural heritage.

I serve in various bodies and international committees in these areas, including as Editor-In-Chief for the ACM Journal of Computing and Cultural Heritage (JOCCH), Chair of the Workshops Board at the Eurographics Association, Chair of theEurographics Steering Committee for Graphics and Cultural Heritage, and member of the Technical Specification Group for the IIIF-3D framework. I have been past programme chair of various scholarly events and review regularly for conferences, journals and national and international funding bodies.

Profile photo for Dr Shirin Saberianpour

Profile photo for Prof Susan Sandeman

My research is in biomaterials and tissue engineering with a focus on functional tissue and organ replacement strategies. I am interested in the replacement of tissues and organs using nanostructured adsorbent and smart polymer materials which can be modified with bioactive molecules to improve biocompatibility and functional performance. I am interested in better understanding the mechanisms that impact the cell-biomaterial interface and in the development of functional biomaterials for cell guidance, the control of infection, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Such materials may be used for example, to improve the removal of inflammatory molecules and bacterial toxins which current limit the efficacy of dialysis for kidney and liver disease, as enterosorbents to slow the progression of liver disease, in the development of a wearable artificial kidney and in the development of corneal and lens replacement strategies for ophthalmic tissue engineering. Working within international networks of academic, clinical, and industrial partners, I have led research projects funded by UK NIHR i4i (DART and ADEPT), EU FP7 IAPP (ACROBAT), EU Horizon 2020 (CARBALIVE), British Council GII (NOMAD) and UKRI MRC (MXene for accommodating IOL) funding streams. I am a co-inventor on biomedical materials patents linked to this grant activity.

I have served on grant review panels including as a member of the British Council Newton fund Biological and Medical Sciencespanel (2014-) and as a peer reviewer for EU Horizon 2020, UKRI MRC, BBSRC and NIHR i4i funding programmes. I am an editor for Scientific Reports, the Journal of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering and BioMed Research International.

Profile photo for Prof Matteo Santin

Professor Santin's research interests are in the field of Regenerative Medicine.

He has been involved in many research projects with a focus ranging from bone and cartilage regeneration, cardiovascular devices, control of angiogenesis to inhibit it in cartilage regeneration and stimulating it in ischaemia and neurodegenerative diseases. Prof Santin's multidisciplinary research group has been developing natural biomaterials (for example, soybean-based biomaterials) and synthetic biomimetic nano-structured biomaterials (such as, hyperbranched polymers) able to control tissue regeneration as well as establishingin vitro clinically-reflective models for the testing of biomaterials, drugs and tissue engineering constructs. Through the use of these biomaterials as substrates for cell culturing, he has been able to unveil the mechanisms of formation of stem cell spheroids and to develop organoids for the testing of drugs and nanomedicines.

Profile photo for Dr Dipak Sarker

Research activities at Ƶ include:
  • Collaboration with chemists, engineers, biomedical scientists, and clinicians in the university
  • Collaboration with physicists, chemists and engineers at universities other than Ƶ
  • Collaboration with industrialists
  • Collaboration with college and school-level staff and their research project students
  • Collaboration with publishers and editors
  • Collaboration with professional bodies
  • Collaboration with university educators

I have a longstanding interest in nanoscience, nanotechnology and nanophysics, condensed or soft-matter self-assemblies and coarse dispersions, including colloidal encapsulation systems and the surface adsorption of functionalising polymers. I study complex formulations such as vaccines, particulate drug delivery systems and nanoencapsulation techniques in considerable depth. I work routinely with biosurfactants (such as proteins and peptides or gums), natural polymers, sustainable materials and synthetically modified materials.

I am interested in recycling and re-exploitation of spent and soiled or spent materials or polluted environments. I am interested in the pollution of water systems and soils by heavy metals, pharmaceuticals and pesticides and by the role micro- and nano-plastic pollution plays in the damage to rivers, coastlines and seas. Work with microplastics (solid bodies) in terms of characterisation of adsorbates and organo-metallic or protein-polysaccharide biofilm fouling and the chemistry of seafoams also feature in my current research. I work with surface active molecules in the form of simple and complex foams and thin liquid films (foam lamellae). These structures relate to the quasi-2D-architectures created for a range of purposes; as means of sensing, synthesis and in their own right, to study processes such as statistical mechanics and energetics. As a nanotechnologist I also work in the field of miniaturised analytical systems – microfluidics, microarrays, sensors, diagnostic systems, and biosensors. I work in the context of product and process design and investigations associated with engineering and manufacturing process modelling. I work with the mechanics and rheology of a range of materials.

I am interested in 'invention' and equipment fabrication and design. I am fascinated by physical and engineering applications of mesophase materials (liquid crystals), coarse and colloidal dispersions, and complex fluids, such as ionic liquids, thermotropic materials, gels and emulsions.

Knowledge Exchange

My interest in knowledge exchange (KE) is manifested in university teaching and research but also inprofessional body (RSC, RPSGB, IOM3, HEA) and STEM Ambassador work (schools, colleges, university summer schools). Yet more KE is undertaken by industrial consultancy (Smpl Innovations GmbH, Graphic Supplies, Cryolabs, Biofrontera AG, etc), industrially-related academic study (KTPs, KEEP+), pure academic research with chemists, biologists, physicists and engineers at the University of Ƶ and the University of Sussex but also more globally (Bulgaria, France, Italy, Sweden, USA, China, India, etc). Even more KE occurs through RCUK grant reviewing activities (EPSRC, MRC, BBSRC), editorial board and editorships (CDDT, Current Nanomedicine) for scientific periodicals, publisher book reviewing (HEA, Elsevier, Wiley) and in text book writing for three fully-authored books (Wiley-Blackwell).

Past, present and futureresearch projects and topics:
  • Plasma treatment of metals for vapour deposition
  • Flax and hemp materials and their non-food use
  • Nanomaterials in composite polymer materials
  • Microemulsions for drug delivery
  • Applications of coarse dispersions and complex fluids
  • Thin liquid films and foams. Wetting transitions and thin liquid films
  • Surface adsorption of polymers and proteins
  • Nicotine replacement therapy and drug delivery systems
  • 3D/4Dprinting and photo-reactive polymers
  • Recycling and re-assignment of waste absorbent cotton materials
  • Physics of droplet impact, spreading and fluid mechanics
  • Nanoparticle and polymer drug delivery systems
  • Photo-dynamic nanoparticle therapy for cancer treatment
  • Nanotechnology for pharmaceutical, medical and food packaging
  • Foodphysics and food process engineering
  • Status indicating medical device materials
  • Environmentally responsive encapsulated metal nanoparticles for sensor use
  • Complex fluids, ionic liquids and liquid crystals
  • Composite insulating materials
  • The heavy metal content of industrial wastewater and landfill discharge/leachate
  • Micro-plastics as 'nucleation' bodies for marine pollution and their role in seaborne and food-chain concentration,based on surface physics and composition chemistry,and the subsequent effects on geosystems and marine ecology
Awards
  • Sosabowski, M.H., Piatt, R., Sarker, D.K. (2003) “Young Chemists’ Learning Project,” University of Ƶ Innovation Awards 2003 - Prize Winner, Business Services, University Ƶ
  • Dipak K. Sarker, Featured chemist: RSC News Chemistry World, Feb 2005, p12
  • Chair of the Downland Section of RSC from (Sussex, Surrey, Hamphire, Kent) 2005-2008
Memberships
  • Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). Fellow designated: CChem FRSC
  • Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3). Fellow designated: FIMMM
  • Institute of Nanotechnology
  • Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB), Academic Pharmacy Group
  • University of Ƶ – School Safety Officer (chemistry)
  • University of Ƶ – Sustainability representative - Applied Sciences
  • University of Ƶ – Sustained Impact Group
  • University of Ƶ – Applied Sciences - Academic Standards
Editorships
  • Section Editor: Current Drug Delivery Technologies
  • Associate Editor: Current Nanomedicine
  • Special Issue Editor: Nanomaterials -Synthesis, Properties and Application of Novel Nanostructured Biomaterials
Editorial boards
  • Recent Patents on Drug Delivery and Formulation
  • International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education
  • Open Colloid Science Journal
  • Advanced Materials Reviews
  • Advanced Materials Letters
  • Asian Journal of Pharmaceutics
  • Inventi Rapid-Impact: Pharm Tech
  • Khimiya (Chemistry)
  • Journal of Modern Medicinal Chemistry
  • Journal of the Chinese Advanced Materials Society
  • Recent Patents on Engineering
  • ISRN Journal of Chemistry: Medicinal Chemistry
  • International Journal of Information System and Management Research
Organising committees
  • Waste Management Conference Team - KTP Project 2019/2020 (University of Ƶ)
  • Conference Committee - 2nd International Conference on Advanced Materials 2013 (China)
  • Organising committee: International Union of Advanced Materials - Academic Committee Member 2011, Hong Kong
  • Advisory board: Advanced Materials World Congress (AM 2013, organized by the International Association of Advanced Materials), Turkey, September 2013
  • International Advisory Board 2ndWorld Conference on Science and Mathematics Education, 15-17 Oct 2015, Cyprus
Profile photo for Dr Irina Savina

My main area of research interest is in the polymer materials and development of novel advanced materials for biomedical and environmental applications. My research group is a multi-disciplinary team with research interests in the development and characterisation of novel porous materials, hydrogels, (nano) composites and nanoparticle based materials. I focus on the development of functional materials for applications in the wound healing, tissue engineering, drug delivery and removing contaminants from water.

Specifically, my research areas include

  • Synthesis of functional porous polymer gels, hybrid polymer-inorganic and nanocomposite materials
  • Characterisation of soft porous materials

  • Development of smart polymer systems

  • Development of drug delivery systems

  • Development of novel materials for contaminated water remediation.

Accepting PhD students

Collaborators Dr T. Abdullin,Laboratory of Bioactive Polymers and Peptides, https://kpfu.ru/eng/strau/laboratories/bioactive-polymers-and-peptides

Dr M Alavijeh, Pharmidex https://www.pharmidex.com

Previous research projects:

Development of the flow through bioreactor of 3D-structured bacteria for biodegradation of aromatic chloro-derivatives from contaminated water. (H2020-MSCA-IF grant)

Water and soil clean-up from mixed contaminants (FP7-PEOPLE-IAPP, WaSClean project).

Investigation of neurotoxicity and oxidative stress of PEGylated nanographeneusing rat pheochromocytoma (PC-12) neuronal cell lines (Commonwealth scholarship).

Nanomaterials for practical use in remediation: Case study of mercury contamination in the lake Bylkyldak (The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan).

Immobilized noble metal nanoparticles as efficient flow through catalyst for “green” decomposition of chlorinated aromatic compounds (British Council Newton grant).

Controlled production and chemical modification of a variety of novel-carbons for specific end applications into the bio-organic field (FP7-PEOPLE-IRSES staff exchange programme ENSOR).

Novel smart materials for biomedical application (FP7-PEOPLE-RG grant - Bio-Smart).

Developing and evaluation of a quantitative imaging technique for assessment of nanoparticle drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier: Application for brain cancer therapeutics (FP7-PEOPLE-IAPP grant, OncoNanoBBB).

Studying adsorption of proteins on the carbon based materials (Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) research grant).

Developing novel nanocomposite materials for the water clean-up (FP7-PEOPLE-IEF. MacroClean)

Development and manufacture of permeable composite filters for environment application (FP7-PEOPLE-IAPP, CARBOSORB).

Tissue engineering materials based on macroporous cryogels and non-viral delivery systems, growth factors: the development and testing in peripheral nerve injury and therapeutic angiogenesis (Russian Federal Programme grant).

Profile photo for Dr Avick Sinha

Profile photo for Dr Stefan Speckesser

As an Associate Dean, I am supporting the Dean of the Ƶ Business School in the development, implementation and monitoring of the School Research and Enterprise plan. I am also working with colleagues on publications, proposals and collaborations within the university and with external partners as well as career development in research. In my own research as an applied economist, I am focusing on returns to education investment in a time of accelerated technical and demographic change. Using large-scale data, this work investigates the earnings and employment outcomes of vocational education and apprenticeships for young people as well as labour market retraining for people in adult life. My main motivation is to understand how education and skills in these areas can be improved, so that people work in well-paid and highly productive jobs, which will help reduce earnings inequality and social inequality more widely, for a fairer society. Most of my work has been published in scientific journals, discussion papers and government reports. A complete list of my research publications can be found on Google Scholar:https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=MeWDVYYAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

Profile photo for Dr Nadia Terrazzini

My research interestis on the cross-talk between host and microbiota.I am currently investigating Candida albicans immunomodulation in theprogression of inflammatory skin diseases and chronic wounds’ healing. I also collaborate with Professor F. Kern’s group in Ƶ and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) on the study of immune responses to chronic Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in older people and its role in immune-ageing and disease.

Profile photo for Dr Emma Ward

My current research focuses on biological modelling specific to the anterior eye, aiming to deepen our understanding of cellular pathways and their responses to various stimuli and environmental challenges. By employing a mix of methodologies, including electrophysiology, flow cytometry, and diverse biological modelling techniques, I aim to unravel the complexities of cellular responses. This exploration holds the potential to guide the development of ocular drug delivery systems.

Previously, I conducted a research project on optoelectronic nanomaterials for biomedical applications within the field of biomaterials tailored for ophthalmic environments. My investigation involved novel approaches to developing a variable focus lens system by harnessing the dielectric anisotropy of liquid crystals and leveraging the optoelectronic properties of two-dimensional transition metal carbides and/or nitrides known as MXenes.

 

Ƶ and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) members 

 Dr Samira Bouyagoub

Samira Bouyagoub is a researcher with a background in Engineering, Image and video processing, and quantitative MRI. She is based at the Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre, as part of MRI Physics group led by Prof Mara Cercignani. Her research is focused on quantitative MRI particularly diffusion MRI, a technique that measures microstructural properties of tissue. 

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Dr Nicholas Dowell

Nick Dowell is based at the Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre (CISC) in BSMS as part of Professor Mara Cercignani’s MRI Physics group. His role involves the development of quantitative imaging techniques that can provide non-invasive biomarkers of disease progression or recovery. 

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Dr Snezana Levic

Snezana Levic works in the development and regeneration of auditory systems and electrophysiology, researching across neuroscience, cell and developmental biology and imaging.

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Professor Itamar Ronan 

Itamar Ronan works across the development of advanced MR methods for evaluation of compartment-specific microstructural properties in the brain in health and disease. His main focus is developing methods of diffusion weighted magnetic resonance spectroscopy (DWS) to study how disease and other processes selectively affect the mobility of brain metabolites.

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Additional University of Ƶ membership 

Dr Andrew Hesketh, Experimental Officer, School of Applied Sciences

 

Associated former staff

Dr Anastasios Georgoulas

 

PhD student members

Research at the Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices can include postgraduate researchers. For further information on the opportunities at the University of Ƶ, please see our doctoral progamme pages on Regenerative medicine PhD.

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