Professor Duncan ET Shepherd BEng, PhD, CEng, FIMechE, SFHEA

• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, 2019
• Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (FIMechE), 2008
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, 2007
• Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (MIMechE) and Chartered Mechanical Engineer (CEng), 2001
• PhD in Bio-engineering, University of Leeds, 1997
• BEng in Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, 1993

Duncan Shepherd gained a BEng in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Leeds in 1993.  He went on to undertake research in Bio-engineering in the Research School of Medicine, University of Leeds.  In 1997 was awarded a PhD for research on the mechanical properties of articular cartilage.

From 1997 until 2004 he worked in Department of Bio-Medical Physics & Bio-Engineering at the University of Aberdeen.  He started work as a Research Fellow and in 2000 he was awarded a prestigious Leverhulme Trust Special Research Fellowship to undertake research on the design of a novel wrist implant.  In 2002 he became a Lecturer in Bio-engineering.

Duncan moved to the University of Birmingham in 2004 as a Lecturer to help establish a new research area in Bio-medical Engineering, located within Mechanical Engineering.  He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2006, Reader in 2011 and Professor in 2014.  Duncan was Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering from 2016 until 2021, when he became Postgraduate Dean.  As Dean he is the University’s senior academic lead responsible for all postgraduate matters, both postgraduate taught and postgraduate research.

Teaching Programmes

• Mechanical Engineering

Duncan has supervised doctoral researcher on the following topics:

• Design of spinal implants
• Design of finger joint replacement implants
• Design and testing of total disc arthroplasty
• Development of spinal devices
• Design of surgical instrumentation for minimally invasive surgery

Duncan is interested to hear from prospective doctoral research students wishing to undertake research in the design and testing of medical devices (e.g. spinal implants, small joint replacement, trauma devices) and the mechanical properties of natural tissues (e.g., articular cartilage).

Research Themes

Bio-medical Engineering, Design and Testing of Medical Devices, Measurement of Mechanical Properties of natural tissues. 

Research Activity

Design of medical devices

Duncan has experience in designing a range of medical devices including small joint arthroplasty, sternal fixation devices and surgical instruments.  He uses solid modelling and finite element analysis to optimise designs, and has experience of working within the regulatory framework for the design of medical devices.  He also has a range of experience of using materials testing machines to test medical devices to International Standards.

Mechanical Properties of natural tissues

Duncan has experience of measuring a range of mechanical properties of natural tissues.  This research has included measurements of the viscoelastic properties of articular cartilage and the intervertebral disc, using Dynamic Mechanical Analysis.

• Vice-Chair of the Academic Standards Committee of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Engineering
• Editorial Board Member for Cogent Engineering.
• Editorial Board of Lubricants.