My team develops biomaterials and bio reactors for tissue engineering applications, with a strong focus on translation to real-world and clinical use.
One aspect of our research focuses on the design of scaffolds and implants to support the repair of musculoskeletal soft tissues, such as tendon and ligament injuries. Among others, we make use of electrospinning to produce nano- and micro- scale fibres that mimic the architecture of native soft tissues. These fibres are assembled into functional scaffolds and medical textiles, including patches, cords and sutures, using established textile techniques such as twisting, braiding, weaving, and multilayering. Additional scaffold fabrication approaches used within the group include decellularisation and free-drying.
Another aspect of our work focuses on the development of bioreactor systems to both stimulate cell-materials constructs and evaluate biomaterials under physiologically relevant conditions. We have a particular interest in integrating advanced robotic systems, such as humanoid robots, to apply realistic biomechanical loading and better replicate in vivo environments.