Mobile menu icon
Skip to navigation | Skip to main content | Skip to footer
Mobile menu icon Search iconSearch
Search type

Advanced Biomedical Materials CDT

Male and female students in discussion over the contents of a computer screen

Study

Undertaking an Advanced Biomedical Materials PhD with our CDT programme offers students the opportunity to engage in clinical research within world-class facilities; acquire practical experience through collaboration with established industry partners; and develop strong connections within networks that enhance the future of UK biomedical materials.

Transferable skills

Recruitment

The final cohort for this programme has been recruited. Contact us to enquire about recruiting programmes.

In addition to specialised knowledge, students cultivate a range of transferable skills essential for professional success, including project management, effective communication across disciplines, and the art of dissemination. 

Our students actively participate in dynamic outreach initiatives, engaging with both school children and the wider community, underscoring our commitment to social responsibility. Furthermore, they have the chance to partake in a three-month placement either within an industrial or academic setting, whether domestically or abroad, enriching their experiential learning.

Innovative research equipment

Students benefit from an innovative research-training environment that is unique in the UK.

Through the Henry Royce Institute Manchester, students gain access to £4 million worth of specialised biomedical materials research equipment. This includes cutting-edge resources in areas such as

  • Bioelectronics
  • Fibre technology
  • Additive manufacturing
  • Enhanced pre-clinical characterisation.

Notably, an additional £8 million investment since February 2020 has boosted these capabilities, encompassing advancements in:

  • Light sheet and in vivo confocal microscopes at the Henry Royce Institute Sheffield
  • Additive manufacturing, biomechanics suites, and novel fibre technology equipment at Manchester.

Broad Spectrum Virucidal Antiviral Development research

PhD student Elana Super discusses her research on broad spectrum virucidal antiviral development.

Research Focus

Our CDT is dedicated to nurturing the next cohort of globally-renowned postdoctoral engineers, poised to lead transformative advancements in their respective fields.

Ethical Research Practices

Students are guided in cultivating inclusive and sustainable research practices through our emphasis on Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). Rooted in the EPSRC’s 'AREA' framework—Anticipate, Reflect, Engage, Act—our curriculum encourages critical examination of research impacts and ethical considerations.


Structured Training Programme

The doctoral journey commences with a rigorous three-month taught programme, followed by an integrated training curriculum. This curriculum encompasses several key units, each requiring 150 hours of commitment, comprising coursework, presentations, and preparatory work.

Example Taught Units:

  • Research Methodology: Equipping students with the foundational principles for planning and executing individual research projects, encompassing statistical analysis, scientific communication, and data management.
  • Clinical Application of Biomaterials: Providing insight into the real-world application of biomaterials within clinical settings.
  • Imaging, Characterisation, and Key Manufacturing Techniques: Offering essential knowledge of techniques pertinent to biomedical materials research, supplemented by hands-on experience through selected Masterclasses.
  • Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI): Introducing frameworks for ethical research practices, with an emphasis on their application within Advanced Biomedical Materials research, intertwined with workshops that focus on our active Outreach, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion projects. Find out more about this on our social responsibility page.
Student wearing white lab coat and glasses peering towards some equipment

Research projects and publications

Our students engage in diverse research projects, addressing a clinical and industrial need. Some illustrative examples from previous cohorts and their publications can be found below.

Projects from Cohort 1

Rob Bagley

Project: Development of a nappy for the detection of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) in the urine of neonates

Main supervisor: Dr Samuel Jones

Publication: Deoxyribonucleic acid polymer nanoparticle hydrogel


Caitlin Jackson

Project: Lab-based produced vascularised tissue for in vitro lab on a chip models of healthy and diseased tissue

Main supervisor: Dr Frederik Claeyssens

Publication: Development of PCL PolyHIPE Substrates for 3D Breast Cancer Cell Culture


Liam Johnson

Project: Flexible biodegradable electronics for on-skin mouse ECG monitoring

Main supervisor: Prof Alex Casson

Publication: Screen Printed, Skin-compliant Sensors for Mouse Electrocardiography


Grace McDermott

Project: 3D bioprinting of tissue engineered meniscal constructs

Main supervisor: Dr Stephen Richardson


Leona Ogene

Project: Graphene based bioinks for 3D printing of Articular Cartilage implants with enhanced bioactivity

Main supervisor: Prof Susan Kimber

Publication: Developmental principles informing human pluripotent stem cell differentiation to cartilage and bone


Yasmine Osmani

Project:  3D Printing of Anthropomorphic Phantoms for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Guided Radiotherapy

Main supervisor: Dr Stephen Edmondson


Sophia Read

Project: Bioprinting the multiscale extracellular matrix (ECM) environment for Articular Cartilage repair 

Main supervisor: Dr Marco Domingos

Publication: 3D Bioprinting in Microgravity: Opportunities, Challenges, and Possible Applications in Space


Davide Verdolino

Project: Understanding the mechanisms of action of collagen-based dressing to promote healing

Main supervisor: Prof Sarah Cartmell

Publication: Wound dressings: curbing inflammation in chronic wound healing


Dom Williams

Project: Polymerallogenic tissue hybrid nano-fibre scaffold for ACL regeneration 

Main supervisor: Prof Julie Gough

Publication: A viewpoint on material and design considerations for oesophageal stents with extended lifetime

Cohort 2

Raíssa Barroso 

Project: Real-time, Low Cost, Point-of-Care Biomimetic Sensors for Pathogen Detection within Clinical Settings, exemplified against Aspergillus fumigatus

Main supervisor: Dr Christopher Blanford


Rachel Furmidge

Project: Regenerating the oral mucosa in patients with MRONJ using synthetic poly(glycerol sebacate)  scaffolds and uncultured adipose cells

Main supervisor: Vanessa Hearnden


Matt Graham

Project: Smart biomaterial composites with hierarchical architecture for ligament repair and regeneration

Main supervisor: Dr Ahu Gumrah Dumanli-Parry


Marcin Gwiazda

Project: Development of Artificial Retinas for the Treatment of Degenerative Eye Disease and the Augmentation of Human Vision

Main supervisor: Prof Michael Turner


Rebecca Hanson

Project: A novel 3D Osteochondral Scaffold with Mechano-identical properties of the native tissue for in situ tissue regeneration

Main supervisor: Aileen Crawford


Harry Lord-Moulding

Project: Potential of graphene oxide in the repair and regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues

Main supervisor: Leela Biant


Gregor Mack

Project: A smart disposable device for ophthalmic point-of-care

Main supervisor: Prof Philip Morgan


Rebecca Steele

Project: Development of graphene containing 3D printed scaffolds for orthopaedic applications

Main supervisor: Dr Olga Tsigkou

Cohort 3

Cerys Barclay

Project: Light-driven biofabrication of 3D stem-cell chondrogenic tissue analogues

Main supervisor: Dr Marco Domingos


Emily Briggs

Project: Development of a bioelectronic wound dressing to aid chronic ulcer wound repair

Main supervisor: Prof Sarah Cartmell


Jiaqian Fan

Project: Development of hexagonal boron nitride reinforced light curable dental resin composites

Main supervisor: Dr Helen Chen


Louis Johnson

Project: Bioactive nerve guides anti-inflammatory and anti-scarring devices

Main supervisor: Dr Frederik Claeyssens


Rebekah Kay

Project: Engineered cancer in vitro model to demultiplex biophysical cues in metastasis

Main supervisor: Prof Kaye Williams


Ayesha Patel

Project: Designing a new vaginal prophylaxis for the release of biocompatible polymeric virucides

Main supervisor: Dr Samuel Jones


Caitlin Ryan

Project: Bone Clip: Developing an angiogenic biomaterial to increase bone healing

Main supervisor: Dr Gwen Reilly


Fraser Shields

Project: Development of an advanced biofabrication platform for cartilaginous tissue regeneration

Main supervisor: Dr Stephen Richardson


Meghna Suvarna

Project: Development of an in vitro musculoskeletal model of human aging

Main supervisor: Dr Nicola Green


Rowan Watson

Project: Peripheral nerve reconstruction: NO hope for advanced regeneration

Main supervisor: Prof Julie Gough


Ryan Weller

Project: Improving the longevity of oesophageal stents

Main supervisor: Dr Andrew Thomas

Cohort 4

Ioana Albu

Project: Biofabrication of a 3D bone tissue analogue with immunomodulatory factors to induce neovascularization and osteogenesis

Main supervisor: Dr Olga Tsigkou


Adrian Perez Barreto

Project: Suspended additive manufacturing of complex wounds for precision therapy testing

Main supervisor: Dr Jason Wong


Sara Cabral

Project: Developing preclinical peptide hydrogel models of breast cancer metastasis to bone using patient-derived tumour cells and xenografts 

Main supervisor: Prof Robert Clarke


Rebecca Downs-Ford

Project: 3D Bioprinting of immunocompetent skin equivalents for wound healing project

Main supervisor: Dr Marco Domingos


Samantha Heslop

Project: A functionalised TRAD for the treatment of rotator cuff injuries

Main supervisor: Prof Sarah Cartmell


Madeline Lombardo

Project: Integrating CRISPR-Cas diagnostics into organic electronics for point-of-care genotyping 

Main supervisor: Dr Lu Shin Wong


Prarthana Mistry

Project: The fabrication of complex structures using biodegradable polymerised high internal phase emulsion (PolyHIPE) scaffolds for targeted drug delivery

Main supervisor: Dr Frederik Claeyssens


Amy Morgan

Project: Design and manufacture of an antimicrobial multi-layered scaffold for skin regeneration

Main supervisor: Dr Illida Ortega Asencio


Keir Nathan

Project: Implementation of new 3D printed & advanced materials sensors for the bio analysis of dysphagia patients

Main supervisor: Dr Alex Casson


Catherine Pennington

Project: Self assembly peptide hydrogels: functional characterisation for peritoneal delivery

Main supervisor: Prof Kay Marshall


Anant Preet

Project: PHA based Core Sheath Fibrous Structures for Healthcare Engineering

Main supervisor: Prof Ipsita Roy


Eve Tipple

Project: Development of in vitro models of common cancers of the urological system to investigate the effects on the tumour microenvironment 

Main supervisor: Prof Julie Gough


Tom Whalley

Project: A multidisciplinary approach to model and reveal the mechanisms of fibrotic tissue formation follow injury

Main supervisor: Prof Christoph Ballestrem

Placement opportunities

Throughout the four-year PhD programme, all students have the opportunity to undertake a three-month placement in either an industrial or academic setting, domestically or internationally. These placements serve to enrich their professional profiles and broaden their experiential horizons.

Grace McDermott, Advanced Biomedical Materials student

I look forward to the industrial and international collaborations as well as the closer interface of clinically relevant research driven by the programme.

Grace McDermott / Advanced Biomedical Materials student