Led by researchers at the University of Birmingham, the project aims to enable new and dynamic medical devices.
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) have announced funding for six transdisciplinary research projects based at UK institutions, each receiving a share of a £10 million investment, to address key strategic challenges and support future growth.
The project, 4D engineering of healthcare technologies (4D health tech), will be led by Professor Sophie Cox, Professor Andrew Dove, Professor Michael Bryant and Professor Samantha Cruz Rivera, all University of Birmingham, with Dr Connor Myant and Professor Robert Hewson from Imperial College London.
Numerous tissues within our bodies continuously adapt to environmental cues over time. In a healthy state, this enables growth, movement and regeneration, but changes also occur due to deleterious effects such as diseases and ageing.
These time-dependent changes are not typically incorporated in medical device engineering. The 4D Health Tech project aims to inclusively transform the engineering mindset into four dimensions, enabling the innovation of a new dynamic medical device era.
The funded projects are part of a broader strategic response by EPSRC that aims to address the recommendations identified in the 2022 report Tomorrow's Engineering Research Challenges (TERC), which sets out a long-term vision for engineering research while understanding the interfaces between disciplines and promoting greater translation between science and engineering.
Jane Nicholson, Executive Director for Research at EPSRC, said:
"Engineering is the cornerstone to a more sustainable, successful and thriving future for the UK.
From developing renewable energy solutions to creating smart cities, engineering innovations are driving progress in every sector.
These new networks will address the strategic challenges outlined by the TERC report.
Together, these researchers present a hugely ambitious, thoughtful response to the economic, environmental and social challenges we all face."
Professor of Additive Manufacturing
Professor Sophie Cox is a Professor of Additive Manufacturing in the School of Chemical Engineering and the Healthcare Technologies Institute (HTI). Her research innovates new medical devices to improve quality of life.
Professor of Sustainable Polymer Chemistry
Professor Andrew Dove leads the Dove Research Group, a multinational collection of vibrant and dynamic researchers that are focussed on challenges in polymer and materials science.
Professor of Tribology and Corrosion Engineering
Staff profile for Professor Michael Bryant, University of Birmingham
Research Fellow, Centre for Patient Reported Outcomes
Staff profile for Samantha Cruz-Rivera, Research Fellow, Department of Applied Health Sciences, University of Birmingham.
