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Bioengineering
Chancellor's Fellow
2.078 Faraday Building
Mechanical Engineering
Bioengineering
We are always open to new collaborations and students. If you have any enquiries please email rhiannon.grant@ed.ac.uk
Dr Grant is happy to speak at public event and is particularly committed to encouraging women and girls in STEM. If you'd like her to speak at your school, workplace or event please send an email!
We maintain strict commitments to the reduction, refinement and replacement of animal models throughout our work.
Postgraduate
2.079 Faraday Building
www.linkedin.com/in/mheim1
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Maria-Heim-3
Bioengineering
Innovative and results-driven biomedical researcher pursuing a PhD in Tissue Engineering, specializing in immunomodulatory scaffolds for regenerative medicine applications. Extensive experience in pharmacology, immunology, molecular biology, and bioengineering, with a strong publication record and conference presentations. Passionate about space medicine and translating scientific advancements into clinical and pharmaceutical applications, particularly in drug development, biotechnology, and medical affairs.
Key competencies include:
- Tissue Engineering & Biomaterials: Expertise in 3D bio-printing, electrospinning, and scaffold design for regenerative medicine.
- Molecular & Cellular Biology: Proficiency in flow cytometry, qPCR, immunohistochemistry, and cell culture techniques.
- Immunology & Drug Discovery: Research experience in immune responses to viral infections and radiation, antimicrobial peptides utilisation and novel therapeutic approaches.
- Regulatory & Medical Affairs: Understanding of pharmaceutical regulations, clinical trials, and drug development pipelines.
- Scientific Communication & Liaison: Published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at international conferences, and collaborated with interdisciplinary teams.
MSc by Research in Biomedical Sciences (Infectious Diseases) - The University of Edinburgh
BSc Pharmacology - The University of Edinburgh
HNC Buisness Management
Scientific Translator for the European Consortium for Communicating Gene & Cell Therapy
STEM Ambassador for STEM Ambassadors Scotland
Member of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM)
Member of the British Society for Immunology (BSI)
Member of the United Kingdom Society for Biomaterials (UKSB)
Member of the Tissue and Cell Engineering Society (TCES)
Tutor and Demonstrator
- Engineering Principles 1
- Immunology 3
- The Microbial World 2
Supervision of Master Research Projects
- MEng (Mechanical) - Development of Electrospun Polycaprolactone-Oestrogen Materials for Tissue Engineering Applications
- MScR Biomedical Sciences - Elucidating the Effect of Radiation-Induced Hypothyroidism on Immune Cell Populations and Extracellular Matrix Composition
- MSc Regenerative Medicine - Determining changes in lymphocytes and extracellular matrix composition in radiation-induced hypothyroidism
Maria Heim’s research focuses on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, with a particular interest in developing bio-therapeutics for radiation-induced hypothyroidism. Her work explores extracellular matrix remodeling, immune modulation following radiation injury, and the engineering of functional scaffolds using electrospinning and bioprinting. She also has experience in immunology, virology, and molecular diagnostics.
Conferences
- Setting a Vision and Strategy for the future of the UK Fluid Network - Workshop delivery, UK Fluid Network 2.0 (2024), Leeds, UK
- Towards Effective RIHT Therapies: Identifying Proteins for In Vitro Thyroid Scaffold Evaluation - Selected Talk, Tissue and Cell Engineering Society Conference 2024, Glasgow, UK
- Assessing physical & mechanical properties of various antioxidant functionalised electrospun biomaterials - Selected Talk, 29th Congress of the European Society of Biomechanics, 2024, Edinburgh, UK
- Radiation-Induced Hypothyroidism: Macrophages as a Therapeutic Target - Poster, European Society for Macrophages and Dendritic Cells Conference 2023, Ghent, Belgium
- Development of Oestrogen Scaffolds as a Niche for Thyroid Cell Proliferation - Selected Talk & Poster, UK Society for Biomaterials Conference 2023, Belfast, UK
- Lego Serious Play: Levelling the Playfield for Co-creation of Challenging Courses - Workshop delivery, Learning and Teaching Conference 2023, Edinburgh, UK
- Electrospun Scaffold Fibre Diameter: Comparing Responses of Immortalized and Primary Thyroid Cells - Presentation & Poster, School of Engineering Postgraduate Conference 2023, Edinburgh, UK
- The Effects of Electrospun Scaffold Fibre Diameter on Primary Thyroid Cells - Poster, Tissue and Cell Engineering Society Conference 2022, Birmingham, UK
Awards
- MRC-SCN Exchange Program Award 2024
- British Society for Immunology (BSI) European Travel Grant 2023
- 3rd place for Best Selected Talk at UKSB23
- Institute for Engineering and Physics in Medicine (IPEM) Travel Grant 2023
- UK Society for Biomaterials (UKSB) Travel Award 2023
- Edinburgh Award for Student Association: Society and Volunteering Group Office Bearers 2018
Personal Chair of Therapeutic Engineering
+44(0)131 6502784
2.069 Faraday Building
Chemical Engineering
Bioengineering
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Prof. Chen’s research is focused on biomaterials, biomedical engineering, biophysics, and the application of nanomaterials in biology and medicine. In these areas, he has been working on physical (microneedle & nanoneedle arrays) and chemical (nanomaterials) for drug delivery and sensing, as well as microfluidic devices for biomedical applications.
He has published >130 papers in peer-reviewed journals including Nature Communications, Advanced Materials, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Advanced Functional Materials, Small, Advanced Healthcare Materials, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Nano Letters, ACS Nano, Biomaterials, Journal of Controlled Release, Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, and Chemical Society Reviews. These publications generated an h-index of 58 and >9000 citations. Additionally, he has 3 book chapters and 12 granted patents & 15 patent applications in drug delivery technologies in major countries and regions, mostly in the USA and Europe. His research output has attracted broad media coverage including TV, newspapers, internet websites, journal cover, and journal cover stories.
His research has been supported by grants from MRC (nanomedicine), ESRC (sing-cell analysis), EPSRC (Phase 0 clinical trial tool development), industry (hydrogel, nanomedicine, antibacterial coatings), Cancer Research UK (biosensor), Royal Society (microfluidic nanomedicine synthesis), and Royal Society of Edinburgh (nanomedicine, biosensor), etc.
Examples of his contribution to technology include: 1. Microneedle transdermal delivery: Invented technology for coating vaccines on small and densely packed microneedles for efficient skin vaccination (22 patents and >20 journal papers); this technology contributed to the establishment of Vaxxas (https://www.vaxxas.com/about-vaxxas/); 2. Diamond nanoneedle arrays: Pioneered diamond nanoneedle arrays for high-throughput intracellular delivery (3 patents and >10 journal papers); 3. Programmable Optical Window Bonding: Invented this technology enabling high-resolution, transparent microfluidic device production through 3D printing.
For scientific community service, he serves as a reviewer for many fields' top journals such as Science Robotics, Nature Communications, Science Advances, Advanced Materials, Small, Advanced Healthcare Materials, Journal of the American Chemical Society, ACS Nano, Nano Letters, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Journal of Controlled Release, Biomaterials, Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, and grant proposals from different research councils in the UK (e.g., EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC, CRUK, and Royal Society) and a number of other countries. He is also an associate editor of IET Nanobiotechnology and an editorial board member of Sensors, Bioengineering, and Journal of Functional Biomaterials.
- DPhil in Materials Science, University of Oxford
- MSc in Chemistry, National University of Singapore
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), United Kingdom
- Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), United Kingdom
- Process Plant Engineering CHEE08016
- Nanomaterials in Chemical & Biomedical Engineering CHEE11026 (With Dr Norbert Radacsi)
- Advanced drug delivery systems
- Antibacterial
- Biodegradable nanomedicine
- Biomaterials
- Biomedical imaging
- Biosensing
- Cancer therapy and diagnosis
- Hydrogel
- Microfluidics
- Nanomaterials and nanotechnology
- Nanotoxicology
Currently, we have an EPSRC/MRC CDT scholarship for urgent application (Project 2: Imaging tumour macrophage polarisation for non-invasive evaluation of anticancer therapy). The applicants must be UK citizens or EU citizens who have been living in the UK for a minimum of 3 years. The deadline is 26/07/2018.
Edinburgh Global Research Scholarship
These awards are designed to attract high quality overseas research students to the University of Edinburgh.
http://www.ed.ac.uk/student-funding/postgraduate/international/global/research
Principal's Career Development PhD Scholarships
http://www.ed.ac.uk/student-funding/postgraduate/international/other-funding/development
China Scholarships Council/University of Edinburgh Scholarships (Citizens and permanent residents of the People's Republic of China)
Croucher Foundation Study awards (Permanent Hong Kong residents)
Postdoctoral researchers are welcome to join the group to perform research in bioengineering, biomaterials, and the application of nanomaterials in biology, medicine, environment and energy. Outstanding applicants can consider the following fellowship (just a few examples).