Group members
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Prof Aline F.
Miller
is a Professor of Biomolecular Engineering in the School of Chemical
Engineering and Analytical Science having joined the University of
Manchester in 2002. Prior to this she held a New Hall College Junior
Research Fellowship at the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge University
working with Professor Dame Athene Donald FRS. She is a chemist by
training (B.Sc. and Ph.D.) and during this time gained several awards,
including the Sir George Beilby Medal and the Hackman Research
Fellowship. She has also gained several awards while in Manchester
including the Exxon Mobil Teaching Fellowship in 2004 and in 2008 was
awarded The Royal Society of Chemistry MacroGroup UK Young Researchers
Medal and also The Institute of Physics, Polymer Physics Group Young
Researchers Lecture Award for her work on self-assembling materials.
More recently she won the 2014 Philip Leverhulme Prize for Engineering
and was shortlisted for the 2014 WISE Research Award. Aline was elected
fellow of the Royal Sociaty of Chemistry (RSC) in 2013 and fellow of
the Insitute of Physics (IoP) in 2016. In 2019 she became CEO of
Manchester BIOGEL
having taken a leave of absence from the University. |
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Prof Alberto
Saiani was awarded an European PhD in 1997 by the University
Louis
Pasteur, (Strasbourg, France). Following his PhD he held a number of
post-doctoral positions in Japan, at Osaka University for which he was
awarded a Japanese Society for Promotion of Science postdoctoral
fellowship (JSPS), the UK, at imperial College London and Belgium, at
Huntsman Polyurethanes. In 2000 he was appointed lecturer at the
University Blaise Pascal (Clermont-Ferrand, France) before joining in
2002 the University of Manchester. His research work spans a wide area
of experimental polymer and biopolymer science and focuses on
understanding and engineering materials across length scales from
molecular design all the way to bulk properties and includes
fundamental, industrial and translational research. In 2006 he was
awarded a 6-months industrial fellowship by the Royal Academy of
Engineers (RAEng) to work at AstraZeneca Macclesfield research site and
in 2013 he was awarded an 5-year EPSRC Research
Fellowship to pursue his work on peptide hydrogels which led to the
co-fouding in 2014 of Manchester BIOGEL. In 2016 he was elected Fellow
of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). |
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Dr Kyle Burgess: graduated
from the University of Manchester in 2014 with a BSc (Hons) in Biology,
during which he undertook a final year project looking at ion transport
across the lung epithelium and its subsequent implications in Cystic
Fibrosis. In September 2014, he joined Manchester’s centre for doctoral
training in Regenerative Medicine and did his PhD - in our group - on
engineering peptide hydrogels for advanced 3D cell culture. In 2018, he
was appointed a PDRA position in Prof. Rachel Watson’s and our groups'
looking at engineering hydrogels for the topical delivery of calcium
chelators for the dissolution of systemic sclerosis-related calcinosis. |
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Steffan Llewellyn graduated
from The University of Leicester in 2015 with a degree in Natural
Sciences (MSci). He then was awarded a PhD scholarship from the
Graphene NOWNANO Centre for Doctoral Training at The University of
Manchester which allowing to join Dr Adam Reid group (Blonde McIndoe
group, Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine,
FBMH) to work on graphene-derived materials / stem-cell therapy for
peripheral nerve regeneration. Following his PhD he remained in the
group working on hyaluronic acid hydrogels, before becoming in June
2020 a PCR scientist. In November 2020, he joined our group as a PDRA
under the MRC CiC scheme to work in collaboration with Dr Adam Reid
group on the design of novel hydrogel / polymer composite conduits for
nerve regeneration. |
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Xinyi Zhu graduated
from Changzhou University, China in 2016 with BEng in chemical
engineering & technology. In September 2016, Xinyi joined our
research
group to pursue a MPhil focusing on peptide based materials for
biomedical applications. |
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Natalie Parsons graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2016 with a degree in Chemistry (MChem). During her degree she spent a year at Unilever, Port Sunlight as an industrial placement student where she developed hair shampoos. In September 2016 she joined the Graphene NOWNANO Centre for Doctoral Training and in April 2017 she joined Dr. Aravind Vijayaraghavan's (School of Materials, FSE) group to work, in collaboration with our group, towards the development graphene- biopolymer hydrogel composites for biomedical applications. |
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Cosimo Ligorio graduated
from the University of Pisa (Italy) in 2015 with a BEng in Biomedical
Engineering. In September 2016, he moved to The University
of Manchester where he graduated with a MSc in Biomaterials
(Distinction) studying the process of viscous flow sintering in
bioactive glass scaffolds. Subsequently Cosimo was awarded a PhD
scholarship at the CDT in Regenerative Medicine and he joined the
Polymers and Peptides research group in April 2017 to study, in
collaboration with Prof Judith Hoyland's (Division of Cell Matrix
Biology & Regenerative Medicine, FBMH) group, the
differentiation
of mesenchymal
stem cell into peptide-graphene hydrogel composites for
musculoskeletal tissue engineering strategies. |
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Helen Clough graduated
from the University of Leeds in 2016 with an MBiol in Medical Sciences
(first class). Her project was based in the Institute of Medical and
Biological Engineering and was developing an organ culture system of
porcine arteries using a bioreactor for research into the cause and
treatment of cardiovascular disease. She joined the CDT in Regenerative
Medicine in September 2016 and the group in April 2017 to
develop, ,
in collaboration with Dr Olga Tsigkou's (School of Materials, FSE)
group, a
3D
cell culture model of tumours using self-assembling peptide hydrogels. |
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Xiaoxia Huang graduated
from Beijing University in 2014 with a BEng in Biomaterials. Following
her graduation she took on a research assistant position in a company
in Chengdu and work
on developing and characterizing coating materials for
pipelines. In 2016 she went to study at The University of Sheffield and
graduated with an MSc in Polymers for Advanced Technologies in January
2017. In September 2017, she joined our group to do a PhD on
designing multi-functional peptide hydrogels
for biosensing applications. |
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Yu Xin
graduated from Qingdao University of Science & Technology in
2014
with a BEng in Polymer Materials and Engineering (Rubber). Following
her graduation, she worked as a laboratory technician in Qingdao
Zhonghua New Materials Laboratory. In 2016 she went to study at The
University of Manchester and graduated with an MSc in Polymer Materials
Science and Engineering in November 2017. In February 2018, she joined
Prof. Julie Gough's (School of Materials, FSE) group to pursue, in collaboration with our
group, a
PhD on engineering the liver using self-assembled peptide hydrogels. |
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Cong Ding graduated
from Jinan University, China, in 2016 with a BSc in apply chemistry. In
2017 he came to the University of Manchester to do a MSc in polymer materials
science and engineering and did his research project in our group. In Spetember
2018 he joined the group to pursue a PhD focusing on peptide
self-assembly and gelation. |
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Siyuan Dong
graduated from China Medical University in 2016 with a BSc in Clinical
Pharmacy. In September 2016, she went to study at Queen's University of
Belfast and graduated with an Mphil in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology in
December 2017. In September 2018, Siyuan joined our group to do a PhD
on designing and testing of self-assembling peptide systems for
targeted cancer drug delivery. |
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Eliana Lingard
graduated from the University of Manchester in 2018 with a BSc in
Biochemistry. Her final year project focused on generating a functional
fusion protein that could be used to identify novel regulators of
intrinsic apoptosis activation. In September 2018 she
joined Dr. Andrew Guilmore's (Division of Cancer Sciences,
FBMH)
group to pursue in collaboration with Dr. Joe Swift (Division of Cell Matrix Biology
& Regenerative Medicine, FBMH), our
group and Manchester BIOGEL an
interdisciplinary
UKRMP2 PhD focused on
developing a 3D-culture model that can mimic high mammographic density
using self-assembling peptide hydrogels. |
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Nischal "Neesh" Rai graduated from the University of Warwick in 2015 with a BEng in Mechanical Engineering. In 2017 he joined the University of Manchester where he graduated with a MSc in Biomaterials. Subsequently he joined Prof. Julie Gough (Department of Materials) Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Group to pursue, in collaboration with our group and Manchester BIOGEL, a UKRMP2 PhD on designing a multi-layered composite tissue scaffold for the oesophagus. |
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Krittee Dejyong
graduated from the Chulalongkorn University, Thailand in 2010 with a
Bachelor degree in Veterinary Medicine. After 3 years in a veterinary
hospital, Krittee obtained a Master degree in Veterinary Surgery from
the same University. In January 2015, he was appointed as lecturer in
veterinary surgery and anesthesia at the Prince of Songkla University,
Thailand. In 2018 he joined Dr. Sarah Herrick's (Division of Cell Matrix Biology
& Regenerative Medicine, FBMH) group to pursue, incollaboration
with Prof Adrian Woolf (Division
of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, FBMH) and our group a PhD focusing on peritoneal
adhesion prevention using hydrogel and biological modulators. |
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Zixuan Liu graduated from Sichuan University, China, in 2017 with a BEng in chemical engineering and a BSc in biological science. In 2017 he moved to the University of Manchester obtaining to undertake a MSc in advanced chemical engineering. In January 2019, he joined the group to pursue a PhD focusing on the design double networks peptide self-assembly hydrogel for biomedical applications. |
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Andong Liu graduated from Central South University, China, in 2018 with a BEng in Bioengineering. In 2018 she moved to the University of Manchester obtaining to undertake a MSc in Biomaterials. In September 2019, she joined the group to pursue a PhD focusing on designing polymer-peptide copolymer hydrogels for biomedical application in collaboratio with Dr. Lu Shin Wong (Department of Chemistry). |
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Liam McMorrow obtained his medical degree from the University of Manchester and an MRes in Tissue Engineering for Regenerative Medicine in 2013. He is a surgeon having completed his foundation and core surgical training in Manchester and Newcastle before becoming a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 2016 and continues to practice as a Speciality Registrar in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery in Manchester. In 2019 he joined Dr. Adam Reid nerve regeneration group (Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Blond McIndoe Laboratories) to pursue in collaboration with our group and Manchester BIOGEL a UKRMP2 PhD focussed on engineering a nerve conduit composite for the repair of large gap peripheral nerve injuries. |
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Albert Ginjaume graduated
from UCH-CEU University (Spain) in 2018 with a BSc in Veterinary
medicine. In 2018 he moved to the Queen Mary University of London where
he graduated with an MSc in Regenerative Medicine and Tissue
Engineering. He subsequently joined the University of Manchester and
our group to pursue a UKRMP2 / Manchester BIOGEL PhD focused
on the development of
peptide-based bioinks for 3D bioprinting applications in collaboration
with Dr. Suelen Barg (Department of Materials) and Prof. Judith Hoyland
(Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative
Medicine). |
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Katharine King graduated
from Aberystwyth University with a degree in Veterinary Bioscience
before going on to complete a MSc in Clinical Pharmacology at the
University of Glasgow. In Glasgow she had the opportunity to undertake
a research project looking into novel cardiovascular gene therapies in
the BHF Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre. Subsequently She worked
at the University of Liverpool on clinical studies in the areas of
pharmacogenomics, cancer immunotherapy, alcohol related brain injury
and Covid-19 before joining in 2020 the University of Manchester and
Drs Elizabeth Cartwright and Delvac Oceandy groups in the Division of
Cardiovascular Sciences being awarded a BHF Accelerator Award PhD
Scholarship to work in collaboration with our group on the development
of injectable iPSC-cardiomyocyte/ peptide hydrogels for cardiac repair. |
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Matthew Meehan graduated
from the University of Nottingham in 2018 with a degree in Chemistry
(MSci). During his final year project he synthesised a library of
sulfonimidates for use in the alkylation of acids, alcohols and
phenols. In September 2019, Matthew was awarded a NOWNANO Centre for
Doctoral Training PhD scholarship and joined our group to work
on the development and design peptide/nanofiller composite
materials for biomedical applications. |
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Niall Mahon graduated
from the University of Surrey in 2020 with a Master of Physics degree.
During his integrated masters research project he developed a latex
based photonic crystal tissue culture platform for cardiomyocytes. He
subsequently was awarded a DTA Scholarship from the University of
Manchester, Department of materials to join our group and work in
collaboration with Drs Elena Bichenkova (Pharmacy) and Olga Tsigkou
(Materials) on the designing of functional 3D self-assemble peptide
hydrogels for early detection of cancer co-sponsored by MERCADO, the
University of Manchester International Alliance for Cancer Early
Detection (ACED) CRUK award. |
For past group members see the Alumni page
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