Dr Anita K Ghag PhD, BSc(Hons), FHEA

Dr Anita K Ghag

School of Chemical Engineering
Lecturer in Regenerative Medicine
1st Year Chair

Contact details

Address
School of Chemical Engineering
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr Anita K Ghag is a Lecturer in the School of Chemical Engineering and the Healthcare Technologies Institute (HTI) at the University of Birmingham. Anita is involved in the delivery on numerous undergraduate and postgraduate modules, as well as running a research group focussed on the design and development of 3D medical devices. Her research is based on harnessing the impact of topography in order to guide an appropriate cell response in order to regenerate tissues such as bone, cornea, cartilage and the oesophagus.

Anita Ghag is part of the Healthcare Technologies Institute (HTI), an interdisciplinary network of over 70 academics working together to advance new technologies and treatments that encourage better tissue healing and rehabilitation tools.  The HTI brings together leading experts from a variety of disciplines across the University of Birmingham, including chemical engineering, biomedical science, computer science, applied mathematics, chemistry and physics. Researchers across campus are working collaboratively to speed up the translation of new discoveries into health applications.

Qualifications

  • PGCert Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, University of Birmingham, 2018
  • Aurora Leadership Programme, 2014
  • PhD in Biomedical Materials, School of Materials, University of Manchester, 2011
  • BSc(Hons) in Biomedical Materials Science, University of Nottingham, 2007

Biography

Anita graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Materials Science from the University of Nottingham in 2007. She went on to study for a PhD in Biomaterials Science based on the development of electrospun synthetic bone graft substitutes at the University of Manchester in 2010. After two short post doctorial positions, Anita was appointed as a lecturer in Regenerative Medicine in the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham in September 2013. Her research focuses on the development of novel, functional materials which have the potential to be used in various applications including bone, cartilage and the cornea. She has a particular interest in how additive manufacturing can be used to replicate tissue to restore functionality following trauma or disease.

Teaching

Anita teaches on the undergraduate and masters programmes in the School of Chemical Engineering including:

  • Chemistry and Materials
  • From Bench to Market of Pharmaceutical Drugs
  • Introduction to Healthcare Technologies
  • Design and Development of Drug Delivery Systems

Postgraduate supervision

Anita supervises a number of undergraduate, masters and PhD research students within the School of Chemical Engineering.

We are always looking for highly motivated and hardworking people to join our team.

Postdoctoral Researchers

Opportunities that arise will be advertised through the group's @TRAILab Twitter acount and in prominent advertisers such as the jobs.ac.uk website and through the University’s jobs webpage.

PhD and MSc Research Students

Applications are welcomed from suitable candidates who wish to study for a PhD. Funded places for home/EU students are available and several opportunities to support study through scholarships are also possible for excellent candidates from all around the world. We are also pleased to support exchange of doctoral students nationally and internationally. Please contact Anita to discuss possible PhD and MSc research opportunities. Funded positions will be advertised on FindAPhD.

Research

Anita’s research is focussed on the design and development of 3D medical devices including scaffolds and adhesives, with the aim of increasing functionality using an acellular approach. Techniques adopted within the group include electrospinning and 3D printing in order to maximise the impact of topography on the cellular response.

More recently, Anita has diversified her research portfolio to include the design and development of both materials and biological property testing models with the aim of reducing the use of animals within scientific research.

Anita works with various clinicians and industrial partners to ensure the rapid translation of research into the patient.

Current projects

Anita’s current projects include:

  • The development of photocurable antimicrobial silk-based hydrogels for corneal repair.
  • The design of in vitro cornea models which mimic both the mechanical and biological properties of the native tissue.
  • Electrospinning combined with microtopography to mimic oesophageal tissue using biodegradable polymers.

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Mason, JH, Luo, L, Reinwald, Y, Taffetani, M, Hallas-Potts, A, Herrington, CS, Srsen, V, Lin, C-J, Barroso, IA, Zhang, Z, Zhang, Z, Ghag, AK, Yang, Y, Waters, S, El Haj, AJ & Bagnaninchi, PO 2023, 'Debiased ambient vibrations optical coherence elastography to profile cell, organoid and tissue mechanical properties', Communications Biology, vol. 6, no. 1, 543. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-04788-0

Pires Moedas De Almeida Barros, I, Man, K, Robinson, T, Cox, S & Ghag, A 2022, 'Photocurable GelMA adhesives for corneal perforations', Bioengineering, vol. 9, no. 3, 53. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering9020053

Barroso, IA, Man, K, Hall, TJ, Robinson, TE, Louth, SET, Cox, SC & Ghag, AK 2022, 'Photocurable antimicrobial silk-based hydrogels for corneal repair', Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A, vol. 110, no. 7, pp. 1401-1415. https://doi.org/10.1002/jbm.a.37381

Barroso, IA, Man, K, Villapun, VM, Cox, SC & Ghag, AK 2021, 'Methacrylated silk fibroin hydrogels: pH as a tool to control functionality', ACS Biomaterial Science and Engineering, vol. 7, no. 10, pp. 4779-4791. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00791

Matrali, SSH & Ghag, AK 2020, 'Feedback-controlled release of alendronate from composite microparticles', Journal of Functional Biomaterials, vol. 11, no. 3, 46. https://doi.org/10.3390/JFB11030046

Ghag, A, Tancred-Holmes, F, Gibb, A, Cartmell, SH & Bosworth, LA 2015, 'Sterilisation effects on electrospun fibres manufactured from different grades of poly(e-caprolactone)', Science Letters Journal, vol. 4, no. 206.

Ghag, AK, Gough, JE & Downes, S 2014, 'The osteoblast and osteoclast responses to phosphonic acid containing poly(ε-caprolactone) electrospun scaffolds', Biomaterials Science, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 233-241. https://doi.org/10.1039/C3BM60188A

Ghag, A, Gough, J & Downes, S 2012, 'A novel phosphonate for the repair of critical size bone defects', Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, vol. 6, no. 10, pp. 833-840. https://doi.org/10.1002/term.491

Ghag, A 2011, 'The Chemical and Physical Properties of Poly( -Caprolactone) Scaffolds Functionalised with Poly(Vinyl Phosphonic Acid-Co-Acrylic Acid)', Journal of Tissue Engineering. https://doi.org/10.4061/2011/615328

Conference contribution

Nikravesh, N, Chouhan, G, Williams, R, Ghag, A & Grover, L 2016, A novel method for the coating of pancreatic beta-cell spheroids. in 10th World Biomaterials Congress. World Biomaterials Congress, 10th World Biomaterials Congress, Montréal, Canada, 17/05/16. https://doi.org/10.3389/conf.FBIOE.2016.01.02857

Other contribution

Ghag, A 2011, Electrospinning for Bone Tissue Regeneration..

Preprint

Mason, JH, Luo, L, Reinwald, Y, Taffetani, M, Hallas-Potts, A, Herrington, CS, Srsen, V, Lin, C-J, Barroso, IA, Zhang, Z, Zhang, Z, Ghag, AK, Yang, Y, Waters, S, Haj, AE & Bagnaninchi, PO 2021 'Remote spatially variant debiased profiling of cell and tissue mechanical properties' bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.05.12.443111

View all publications in research portal