Professor Kevin Shakesheff, University of Nottingham

Director

Prof Molly Stevens, Imperial College London

Director

Molly Stevens is Professor of Biomedical Materials and Regenerative Medicine and the Research Director for Biomedical Material Sciences in the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Imperial College. She graduated from Bath University and was awarded a PhD from the University of Nottingham in 2001. Molly conducted post-doctoral studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ahead of joining Imperial in 2004.

Molly’s research uses transformative bioengineering approaches to overcome severe limitations in current materials in biosensing and regenerative medicine. A key focus is on understanding and engineering the biomaterial interface using innovative designs and state of the art materials characterisation methods and using highly multidisciplinary approaches from bioengineers, material scientists, chemists, surgeons and biologists.

omar qutachiI graduated as a pharmacist from the University of Mosul, Iraq in 1999 with BSc in Pharmacy and finished my internship by practicing clinical pharmacy, laboratory investigation, industrial pharmacy and community pharmacy.  I then moved to work as researcher in the Medicinal Plant Research Unit at University of Mosul before getting MSc in Clinical Pharmacy in 2005 from the same university, which involved collaboration with Iraqi centre for cancer and medical genetic researchers in Bagdad. I lectured at the School of Pharmacy, University of Mosul from 2005-2008.  I moved to the UK in 2008 where I completed my PhD in Pharmacy in the University of Nottingham with Dr. Lee Buttery in 2012 then joined Professor Shakesheff’s laboratory as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow. I have a strong background in clinical Pharmacy and biomedical research, and have worked with many industrial partners. I am still involved in EPSRC centre as well as the UKRMP Acellular hub, where my main responsibility is to focus on formulation development and targeted drug delivery. Recently I have been working on a new invention that has led to a major contract with an Italian company. Currently I am the leading authority on designing new materials for regenerative medicine in Professor Shakesheff’s group. I am focusing on developing formulations that can be used for tissue engineering application

Publications

Qutachi, O., J. R. Vetsch, et al. (2014). “Injectable and porous PLGA microspheres that form highly porous scaffolds at body temperature.” Acta Biomater 10(12): 5090-5098.

Gothard, D., E. L. Smith, et al. (2014). “Tissue Engineered Bone Using Select Growth Factors: A Comprehensive Review of Animal Studies and Clinical Translation Studies in Man.” European Cells & Materials 28: 166-208.

Smith, E. L., J. M. Kanczler, et al. (2014). “Evaluation of skeletal tissue repair, part 1: assessment of novel growth-factor-releasing hydrogels in an ex vivo chick femur defect model.” Acta Biomater 10(10): 4186-4196.

Smith, E. L., J. M. Kanczler, et al. (2014). “Evaluation of skeletal tissue repair, part 2: enhancement of skeletal tissue repair through dual-growth-factor-releasing hydrogels within an ex vivo chick femur defect model.” Acta Biomater 10(10): 4197-4205.

Qutachi, O., K. M. Shakesheff, et al. (2013). “Delivery of definable number of drug or growth factor loaded poly(DL-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) microparticles within human embryonic stem cell derived aggregates.” Journal of Controlled Release 168(1): 18-27. (Issue cover story)

White, L. J., G. T. S. Kirby, et al. (2013). “Accelerating protein release from microparticles for regenerative medicine applications.” Materials Science & Engineering C-Materials for Biological Applications 33(5): 2578-2583.

Bible, E., O. Qutachi, et al. (2012). “Neo-vascularization of the stroke cavity by implantation of human neural stem cells on VEGF-releasing PLGA microparticles.” Biomaterials 33(30): 7435-+.

 

Daniel, M., R. Chessman, et al. (2012). “Biofilm Eradication With Biodegradable Modified-Release Antibiotic Pellets A Potential Treatment for Glue Ear.” Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery 138(10): 942-949.

Kirby, G. T. S., L. J. White, et al. (2011). “PLGA-Based Microparticles for the Sustained Release of BMP-2.” Polymers 3(1): 571-586.

Manal F. Mohammad, Omar F. Saeed, Mushaal A. Mohammad. “The study of terpenoid extracted from green and Black tea on certain bacterial species” J. Education and Science.179 in 21/2/2007.

Omar F. Saeed, Manal F. Mohammad, Mushaal A. Mohammad. “The study of different medicinal plant extracts on certain yeast and bacterial species” Tikrit Journal of Pure Science.217 in 9/4/2007.