Post Graduate Degree in Medical Engineering - Guy Hilton Reserach Centre Open Afternoon

Are you are interested in a post-graduate degree in Medical Engineering?

If so, please join us to find out what we have to offer. You will learn about our MSc courses in Biomedical Engineering and Cell and Tissue Engineering, and hear about the cutting edge research being carried out by the Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine. You will have the chance to see state of the art laboratories and talk to current and former students and researchers.

The Open Afternoon will take place at the Guy Hilton Research Centre from 13:30 - 16:30 on May 4th 2016. To confirm your attendance, please register by leaving your details below (by the 1st of May). Transport will be provided from Keele University campus.

To register for this event, please follow the link below: http://goo.gl/forms/LkwMu37xGw

Tongji University delegation visits ISTM

The Director of ISTM & members of ISTM pose with the Tongji delegation

ISTM was delighted to welcome a delegation from Tongji University, Shanghai, China last week on the 5th April.

Dean of Medicine, Professor Xu Guotong; Professor Peng Luying; Professor Liang Xingqun; and the Director of the International Office, Associate Professor Zheng Hao met with members of ISTM as well as colleagues from across the University to discuss future research collaboration in the areas of Medicine.

The delegation, part of a larger delegation that also included experts in  Environmental Sustainability, also visited the School of Medicine and the Royal Stoke University Hospital.  The delegation was hosted by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Trevor McMillan and the visit to Keele University culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two universities.

Tongji University is part of the prestigious 985 group of universities selected by the Chinese government for special support and has one of the country's highest ranked medical schools. In 2015 Tongji and Keele successfully applied for joint ERASMUS+ funding for staff mobility and incoming PGR mobility.

ISTM promotions to Senior Lecturer

Congratulations to the following members of ISTM on their recent promotions...

Ed Chadwick moved to Keele as Lecturer in Biomedical Engineering in 2012 from Aberystwyth University where he taught Biomechanics. After obtaining a degree in Mechanical Engineering at Nottingham and PhD in Bioengineering from Strathclyde, Ed spent several years working as a Senior Research Associate at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

His research interests are in the application of biomechanical modeling and simulation techniques to study upper limb function in a range of neuromuscular disorders including spinal cord injury and stroke. He has a particular interest in the use of functional electrical stimulation (FES) and development of FES devices for the restoration of function. He is currently the theme lead for the Rehabilitation Research Group within ISTM, and MSc course Director for Biomedical Engineering, leading modules in medical technology and devices.

As well as a range of PhD studentships, charity and industrial funding, Ed is a co-investigator of a major EPSRC project in Enabling Technologies for Sensory Feedback in next generation assistive devices, in collaboration with Imperial, Newcastle, Leeds, Essex and Southampton universities. He also continues to collaborate with Case Western Reserve University in the USA on a major project funded by the National Institutes of Health. Ed currently serves on the Executive Council of the International Society of Biomechanics, and was one of the recipients of Keele's MRC Centenary Awards.

Clare Hoskins has been promoted to Senior Lecturer in recognition of her research and her contribution to development of the School of Pharmacy. Clare has managed stage 2 of the MPharm programme for the past three years and is currently leading the restructuring of the year-long module in line with the newly accredited course. Clare has also contributed towards the School's recruitment and widening participation activities and sits on the Faculty Outreach Committee.

Clare has taught on all years of the degree and especially is interested in ensuring her teaching content is informed by the advances in research in her field of interest. Clare's research group, "Keele Nanopharmaceutics", has gained significant recognition over the past four years for its work in the use of nanomedicines for drug delivery. Currently Clare supervises seven PhD students who work on multi-disciplinary projects ranging from organic synthesis through to biological investigations. Clare is the elected Secretary of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Chemical Nanosciences & Nanotechnology Division as well as sitting on the Committee for Preclinical Sciences and Animal Health for the Controlled Release Society. Clare organised the Nanopharmaceutics Symposium at Keele in July 2015, which she intends running on an annual basis.

Paul Roach joined Keele in Nov 2009 and has since established a laboratory for microfabrication and surface analysis. Learning from natural biological processes, he has pioneered the understanding of interfacial interactions with nano-surfaces. His work has generated international interest with his publications receiving over 3,300 citations with an H-index of 14.

He has attracted external grants totaling over £600k and is also a co-investigator of the EPSRC-MRC Regenerative Medicine Centre for Doctoral Training in conjunction with Nottingham and Loughborough worth 3.5m overall. In addition, Paul was a key contributor to the EPSRC Capital award for major equipment in ISTM. His research and PhD students investigate development of advanced materials, their manufacture and use in directing biological responses.

Paul has taken a very active role in promoting interdisciplinary research and is a prominent member of the biomaterials and regenerative medicine communities in the UK and Europe, serving as adjunct faculty at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour at Radboud University in the Netherlands. In 2014 he was elected to the UK Society of Biomaterials council and in 2015 to the Executive Committee of the RSC Biomaterials group. He is also a member of the EPSRC Early Career Manufacturing Forum.

Having previously served as academic conduct officer in the Medical School, Paul is now Director of MSc in Cell and Tissue Engineering and co-ordinates the summer school for Saudi medical students who have been visiting ISTM for the past five years.

EXCLUSIVE: 8ft statue of Professor Alicia El Haj to be erected at the GHRC.

After receiving a petition from staff and students at the Institute for Science & Technology in Medicine, the Institute's Executive Management Committee has decided to commission an 8ft (2m 44cm) statue of Professor Alicia El Haj.

A petition calling for the statue was started by a group of enthusiastic PhD students and Post Doctoral Research Assistants at the Institute.  They felt that some form of lasting tribute to the work carried out by Professor Alicia El Haj, the Institute's Director, was needed to immortalise her contribution to science and to the Institute.  The petition quickly took off attracting more than 1600 signatures.  Overwhelmed by the feeling of support for such a tribute, the Institute's Executive Management Committee debated the request and decided unanimously in favour of accepting it.

When asked about having a larger than life statue built of herself, Professor El Haj replied, "Well, it's about time!"

An artists impression of what the statue might look like in front of the Guy Hilton Research Centre

A local artist, Mr A.P. Fool, has been commissioned to build the statue, which will be cast is bronze and mounted on a marble stone.  The statue is to be positioned at the front of the Guy Hilton Research Centre and will be visible to all visitors to the building.

Concerns were raised by the Faculty of Health over the projected costs of project, which is currently estimated at £57,000, but these concerns have since been withdrawn based on the proposed funding plan to be implemented by the Institute.  Essentially a levy will be placed against all members of ISTM.  Known as the "T Account Tax", each member will contribute a proportional amount from their personal Teaching Accounts.  By and large though, the response to this arbitrary funding method has been overwhelmingly positive - a tribute in itself to the popularity of Professor El Haj.

The statue is due to be completed, in place and greeting visitors, by the beginning of September this year.

Curious Neurons awarded second prize by EPSRC

This stunning image, taken by ISTM postgraduate research student, George Joseph, has won a top prize in a national science photography competition, organised by Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Curious Neurons by George Joseph

George, was awarded second prize in the Eureka category of the Science Photo Competition 2015, by the EPSRC (www.epsrc.ac.uk/photocomp)

Called 'Curious Neurons' the image shows developing brain cells from the rat cortex, cultured at Keele (ISTM). The cell nuclei are labeled in blue. The red cells are glia, the brain cells that provide structure and support to neurons, the functional component of the nervous system. In this image the neurons, in green, are "feeling" their surroundings, i.e. looking for other cells to connect with (form synapses), so that they can "talk" with each other. This research aims to help identify the environmental elements necessary to grow stem cells for use in therapeutic treatments for people with Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. The image was taken at Keele with a Nikon 80i microscope with a Hamamatsu ORCA camera.

One of the judges, Professor Robert Winston, said: “It is crucial to promote greater understanding of science and engineering research, the role it plays in making new discoveries, developing new technologies and in making the world a better place for us all. These are truly inspirational images and tell great stories. It was a real pleasure to take part as a judge and I hope people will want to find out more.”

FAST-INdICATE trial update

Sue Hunter and her team have now finished recruiting participants to the NIHR/MRC funded FAST-INdICATE trial, a multi-site Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) of functional strength training for the arm and hand after stroke; They have successfully met their target of 288 participants across the 3 sites (Norfolk, Birmingham and North Staffordshire) by the end of January 2016, which was the deadline for recruitment.  Their participants will still undergo follow-up assessments and this will continue until June/July 2016.  The team have been complimented as a site by the trial manager on their consistent level of recruitment and on the quality of their data/records - so they have every reason to be proud of themselves. Data is still being collected and processed in preparation for analysis. Sue Hunt the Principle Investigator for the North Staffordshire site said "Thank you to everyone who has been or continues to be part of this team - all the hard work is very much appreciated!"  Further details about the trial can be found on the team's website: www.fastindicate.com

International Women's Day: "What does it take for women to succeed in science?"

At ISTM we are fully committed to equal opportunities in the workplace. We have a strong track record in challenging the traditional male orientated stereotypes of lab work and in breaking down the barriers that women in science often face. We have a range of procedures and initiatives to help research staff, regardless of gender, advance within their profession by providing them with the skills and opportunities they need to develop.

Having been awarded the Athena SWAN Bronze award in April 2013 in partnership with Keele’s School of Medicine, we are now making headway in pushing forward with initiates previously outline in the Action Plan. With the continuous support from both our male and female members of staff, progress is being made towards our plans to apply for an Athena SWAN Silver award within the next year.

We were also delighted to hear that the School of Medicine has recently been awarded a Daphne Jackson Fellowship, which has allowed Dr Vijayalatha Venugopalan, under the supervision of ISTM’s Professor Paul Horrocks, to restart her career in research after a break of more than two years.

So, to mark International Women’s Day this year and to demonstrate our commitment to gender equality, we asked some of our top female researchers...

What does it take for women to succeed in science?

Professor Alicia El Haj
Institute Director for ISTM
Professor of Cell Engineering
Professor El Haj is a leading figure in Regenerative Medicine and has been involved in bringing together interdisciplinary groups within biomedicine, physical sciences and engineering interested in aspects of cell and tissue engineering. 

"I believe that the most important factor to survive in science for both women and men is a passion for seeking answers to the unknown. Most scientists I know are drawn to the field because of the fascination of being able to answer questions in biology or physics or chemistry which underpin the fundamentals of life and can forge a path to new innovations.

As women, we need this same passion. Especially since the lifestyle can be demanding and challenging in terms of commitments, travel and hard work. I also believe a healthy work/life balance is fundamental to any successful career. There are times when we need to be able to switch off and enjoy life, whether that be through family, friends or in solitary.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it is important to maintain a sense of humour and a positive attitude, come what may. There are many times when our paths can be thwarted for a multitude of reasons, not least experiments which fail or findings and theories which are criticised. Being able to define a new path with a smile is a very useful trait for maintaining a long and productive career in science."

Professor Rosemary Fricker

Professor of Neurobiology

Professor Fricker leads a research group within ISTM.  The Group's goals are to develop treatments for Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease.

"I believe that women need courage, self-belief and resilience to succeed in science. As I’ve progressed through my career I’ve seen how tough it is for scientists to really succeed, whatever their gender. We have limited opportunities, and have to be competitive to flourish. Too often women do not promote their qualities or put themselves forward; we tend to be quieter or less assertive, so that achievements often go unnoticed and unrewarded.

I believe that female scientists need to have more courage to showcase their abilities, and more belief in the value that they bring to research. We need to be more assertive, and to have the confidence to get involved and take on new challenges. I think too that women need the resilience and energy to juggle an often complex work-life balance and to retain a focus on their career path, despite the diversions that may appear."

Professor Christine Roffe
Consultant in Stroke Medicine
Reader and Honorary Senior Research Fellow
Professor Roffe has shaped the development of the acute and rehabilitation stroke services in North Staffordshire, with positive impact on regional and national practice.

"As with every scientist the most important prerequisite is scientific curiosity and the will to find answers. the gap between finding the question and succeeding in research can be daunting. It is important not to be terrified by the task, but to take the first step whatever. With a bit of luck and persistence the rest will fall in place.  In more practical terms, think of an idea, discuss it with friends, colleagues and experts in the filed, and find out what the best next step is. It is very likely that the first idea is not the one you will pursue, but it will lead you in the right direction."

Professor Melissa Mather

Professor of BioMedical Imaging
ERC Consolidator Grant Fellow

Professor Mather's research expertise lies in the discovery, development and translation of novel non-invasive imaging tools.  A major motivator of her work is the development of imaging technologies to address currently unmet clinical needs.

"Fundamentally having a genuine passion for understanding the world in which we live and possessing the creativity to find solutions to problems that haven't been tried before are really important along the path to being a successful scientist. There are also core traits a scientist needs that include rigor in working methods, paying attention to detail and taking a logical approach to work. However I believe it is extremely important to have the tenacity to keep going when everything seems to be going wrong and to learn from the unsuccessful attempts you may have in reaching your goals.

Writing from my own perspective I think we are living in an age where women can stand on an equal footing with their male colleagues and have equal opportunity to succeed. I feel it is a real privilege to work as a scientist as it is a job that puts you in a position to make a positive impact on the world we live in."

It is fair to say that attitudes within the lab are beginning to change and the barriers that women have traditionally faced are diminishing.  This is true at both ISTM and in the profession of science more generally.  There is still much that needs to be done though, not least in addressing the continuing gender imbalance among scientists in the lab as well as the over-saturation of top positions by men.  But, things are looking positive for the future at ISTM.  More women are rising to top positions within the Institute and School of Medicine and our PhD students are currently split 55/45, male and female respectively.  So, it seems more and more women are choosing to pursue a career in science and ISTM is helping to accommodate that.  From the testimonials above, there is a sense of hope for the future, that we are moving towards a level playing field and that the skills and attributes needed to succeed in science are universal regardless of sex.