Biophysics and Engineering Group

The Biophysics and Bioengineering research group was established in 2010 to apply physics and engineering to solve real-world, clinical problems. Our research results in innovative therapies, medicines and technologies that improve health care and outcomes for all. 

We develop new approaches to healthcare that can radically redefine the ways that care can be provided and that can revolutionise patient benefits and health economics. 

 These include: 

 Critical Care for Premature Babies 

We are a world-leading authority on real time, non-invasive lung imaging for premature babies. Since 2017 we have secured and delivered on over £8M worth of research funding, developing leading edge neonate lung imaging systems, patentable technologies and a spin-out company. 

 Next Generation Pathology 

 We develop point of care and implantable ‘lab-on-a-chip’ devices to detect diagnostic biomarkers for diseases and conditions such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and anti-microbial resistance. 

 Drug Tracking and Targeting 

 We are developing functionalised gold nanoparticles to enable drugs to be targeted at specific locations and cell structures; also using these nanoparticles to enable high-definition imaging, and real time directed surgery on those structures, e.g cancerous tumours. 

 Wearable Devices for Deep Brain Stimulation 

 We are working on next generation wearables that can interface with the human brain, developing platform technologies that can detect aberrant neurological activity and trigger beep brain stimulation to: replace implanted devices for overcoming Parkinson’s disease; develop accessible, non-drug based therapies to cure depression; image the location and size of cancer tumours. 

Medical AI 

We have leading edge research and capability developing and using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for cell image analysis improving processing times and detection rates for cancer. We have state of the art analytical equipment, mass spectrometry technology etc. to validate our devices, to undertake research and to deliver consultancy detecting diagnostic biomarkers. 

Currently supports therapeutic and diagnostic research projects investigations in the following areas:  

  • Neonate lung imaging using Electrical impedance Tomography (EIT) 
  • Biosensors 
  • Nanotechnology 
  • AI applications for imaging cancer 
  • Deep Brain Stimulation 

Projects  

  • 2024 Sweden PhD studentship with Dr. Mariana Dalarsson, KTH Royal Institute of Technology (~£50k)  
  • 2024 BRC (£75k) 
  • 2024  Consultant for Pathfinder Medical (Ongoing)(10k) 
  • 2020  PI, EPSRC CoLRLET Covid Regional Lung EIT (£537,099K) 
  • 2020-2022 PRISM -Machine Learning for Discovery of Pre-neoplastic signature in Mesothelioma (CRUK, £100K, led by Imperial College Royal Brompton Hospital)) 
  • 2020-2022 Super-PRISM: Machine Learning approaches to detect pre-neoplastic changes in mesothelial cells for early detection of mesothelioma using pleural fluid and liquid biopsies (Asthma+ Lung UK, £377K, led by Royal Brompton Hospital) 
  • 2019-2020 ENDO.AI - Real time automated endoscopic detection of oesophageal squamous cell cancer in early and precancerous stages (CRUK, £100K, led by John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford) 
  • 2019- 2023 PI, EPSRC PNEUMCRIT (£1.9M) 
  • 2019-2021, Visualisation of super resolution microscopy data with structural contents using deep learning techniques, funded by The Royal Society, UK £12,000, collaboration between CS, NS and China NUJST)  
  • 2017 PI, EPSRC Bright ideas (£247474) 
  • 2004-2009 – EPSRC CTA account for Middlesex. I was running this for 4 years when I was in exile at Trent Park. EPSRC funding, £362,500, to train 70+ MSc students into Design Engineering jobs in industry. Funding paid for their fees, not spent on salaries. 
  • 2016 – HEFCE pilot funding of £50k to develop new engineering programmes that resulted in the setup in Ritterman Building top floor (robotics, automation, mechatronics). Ritterman then opened in
  • 2017 with a smart factory investment (£200k) and two PG programmes. This set the grounds for the Digital Twin Research Centre, launched in 2020. The work done across two groups cuts across so no rivalry but collaboration. 
     
  • 2015-2019 (Coordinator) Continuous Regional Analysis Device for neonate Lung (CRADL) (5.5MEuors) (https://cradlproject.org) 
  • 2009 PI, EPSRC New imaging methods for the detection of cancer biomarkers (£800k) 
  • 2008    PI, Imaging using Nanoparticle Lee smith foundation (25K) 
  • 2007 PI, EPSRC EP/E031633/1, A Novel Analogue Bio-impedance system-on-a-chip for   monitoring of neonate lung function (£182,466) 
  • 2006    London Development Agency (£10,000) 
  • 2005    PI. SRIF2 eScience Centre (£125,000)  
  • 2003    CoI CRDC (UCL Medical School) (£69,961) 
  • 2003    CoI NEAT, A new portable diagnostic monitoring tool for stroke and head injury. 
    Application number NEAT Programme, with UCL (£296,205) 
  • 2002 PI, 1999EU TEN-TEL (MEDICATE project) Total grant for all partners 1.7M Euros  
  • 2001 CoI BBSRC grant for EEG Tele-medicine (e-science) with UCL (£183,000) 
  • 2000 Design Consultant for ECG monitoring system (£5000) 
  • 2000 Middlesex University, PhD studentship NFFR (£30,000)