爱豆传媒

My research focusses on cross-disciplinary advancement of microbiology, bridging the environmental and clinical fields. My emphasis is on researching the fundamental molecular mechanisms of bacterial adhesion to biomedical materials and environmental substrata, and how human contact with animals and the environment affects bacteria relating to human health. I am research active, and am currently investigating the following key fields: the phenomenon of quorum sensing and biomedical device infection; development of novel antibiotics; bacteriophages as antibacterial agents; and the environmental persistence of medically important human pathogens.

I am currently involved in a project investigating bacteriophages specific to听Escherichia听coli.听

My research interests include a range of subject areas including experimentation and numerical simulations in sports engineering, development of digital fabrication design tools, processes and machines, and the use of additive manufacturing to support medical device development.

Numerical Analysis - Using Numerical Methods to model real world concepts and create simulations comparible to experiments undertaken in a laboratory.

Rachel qualified in 1995 from the 爱豆传媒. She completed her MSc at the 爱豆传媒 in 2003. She is a committee member of the local branch of Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists and听currently works as a senior lecturer at the University.

Rachel has held previous leadership roles in the NHS specialising for 13 years as the Lead Podiatrist in Wound Care, where she helped to听improve documentation standards, implemented the Texas wound classification system into clinical practice and contributing to various referral pathways to improve patient care. Rachel has a large amount of experience in treating Diabetic Foot ulceration including VAC therapy, ulcers related to various connective tissue disorders and hard to heal post- operative wounds.听

Rachel has various research interests and these focus mainly on wound care, microbiology and diabetic wounds. She is currently working within the DERMA project, which is a research project sponsored by Interreg 2 seas. The objective of DERMA is to develop new interventions for the management and treatment of dermal ulcers and related skin conditions, including stomas. By addressing market and patient need, the project will deliver advanced new technologies ready for听use, by industry, to manufacture improved products for the treatment of patients.

My research lies at the interface between Computational Fluid Dynamics, Multiphase Flows, Thermofluid Physics and Heat Transfer, across different length and time scales and is interdisciplinary at its core. I develop and apply multi-scale modelling approaches for diabatic (boiling, condensation, cavitation, droplet impact cooling, Leideinfrost droplet impacts) and adiabatic (bubble growth from orifices, droplet impact on surfaces of different wettability, droplet penetration in porous substrates) bubble and droplet dynamics and I also employ high-resolution spatiotemporal diagnostics for the thermal and fluidic characterisation of passive and active two-phase cooling devices and techniques (heat pipes, looped heat pipes, pulsating heat pipes, pool boiling, flow boiling).

Applied Mathematics, numerical methods, boundary integral and element method, finite element method, mathematical biology

My research interests are in applying numerical methods to solve problems in applied mathematics. I have particular interests in finite element and boundary element methods. I have used these methods to solve problems in fluid mechanics, acoustics and biomedical applications.

Development of novel biomaterials for optimised tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.

Development of novel polymer systems for biologically-activated, on-demand and sustained delivery of therapeutic compounds to inflamed and injured tissues.听

Drug delivery, specifically in the delivery of bioactive compounds to the ocular surface via hydrogel-embedded platforms (e.g. contact lenses).

Optical sensors and biosensing - especially colorimetric systems which can easily be read by (e.g.) smartphones software which can extract RGB data.

My research interests focus on the health promotion, prevention, diagnosis and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal disorders.听 My current research work is looking into how work related musculoskeletal pain affects the work, health and wellbeing of people at their work place.听 I 听am working with people and researchers from Low Middle Income Countries to understand the effects of musculoskeletal conditions and how it influence the day to day lives of people, health care services and policies in the regional context.听 I am interested to work with local researchers in the region to understand and co-produce innovative solutions, support services, capacity building, and develop sustainable research partnerships for management of musculoskeletal disorders.听 I am interested in research projects related to epidemiology, basic science, clinical and health service-orientated research in musculoskeletal conditions.听 听

• The synthesis and evaluation of novel polymeric materials for drug delivery, medical device and other applications including contact lens technology, chemoembolisation systems and bioresponsive oral drug delivery systems.

• The application of chemical sciences to understanding and solving environmental and societal challenges.

I research in cochlear physiology and biophysics. Cochlear micromechanics, energy production and propagation in the cochlea which makes the cochlea a perfect frequency analyser with enormous dynamic range are my primary research questions. I am involved in research on interaction between different types of cochlear sensory and supporting cell. Understanding of this interaction is a prerequisite for successful treatment of hearing disorders. I study generation and propagation of optoacoustic emissions. Otoacoustic emissions are widely used in clinics for objective assessment of hearing in patients and knowledge of the mechanisms of emission generation is a matter of great importance. I am interested not only in basic mechanisms of hearing but also in applied research which helps to diagnose and cure hearing disorders. My work on novel mechanisms of cochlear excitation through the round window of the cochlea provides theoretical and practical design principles for the development of new types of hearing aids. I am involved in development of methods for drug delivery into the cochlea.

As part of the Diabetes Research Group, my research interests are focused on improving our understanding of the disease mechanisms in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and on the development of novel therapeutic approaches to improve the quality of life of patients with these conditions. Our Type 1 diabetes research focuses on improving current islet transplant protocols and developing novel sources of insulin-producing cells for cell replacement therapy. Our Type 2 diabetes research focuses on new approaches to working with obese and overweight individuals to help them balance their metabolism and prevent the development of Type 2 diabetes.

The Diabetes Research Group (DRG) made a programme for BBC Inside Out - South East about developing a new treatment for patients with type 1 diabetes involving the transplantation of isolated insulin-producing beta cells. This programme was broadcast on 27 February 2017.

https://cris.brighton.ac.uk/admin/files/6128556/Diabetes_Type_1_Compressed.mov听Current Research Projects

• Islet transplantation therapy in Type 1 Diabetes (as part of the UK Islet Transplant Consortium)
• Targeting beta cell hypoxia in islet transplantation and pancreatic cancer
• Biomimetic 3-dimensional culture of insulin-producing cell clusters
• Combating obesity through improved patient education and tailored exercise programs
• Use of continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) technology in obese, overweight and at- risk individuals to aid in the prevention of type 2 diabetes
• Understanding non-compliance in young Type 1 Diabetes patients
• Creation and Validation of Clinically Reflective Human Models of Pancreatic Islet

• Application of AI techniques in the medical field in the diagnosis and provision of effective treatment paths.

• Implementation of AI concepts in robotic systems.

• Implementation of AI techniques for object avoidance system for an unmanned vehicle.

• Behaviour analysis of intelligent agents for Command, Control, and coordination.

• Sensor Fusion Framework Supporting Heterogeneous Commercial Sensing Technologies听

My research interests are in diabetic wounds and wound care. I have been particularly interested in the application of electrical stimulation in the treatment of diabetic wounds and how this physical therapy affects the healing process. Currently, I am exploring the molecular interaction between wound exudate and dressings.

My research interests include the development and application of computing technologies for the creation, management, discoverability, (re)use and access of digital representations of object collections and environments.听

A particular interest is also in the development of digital infrastructures to enable the wider applicability of this research across interdisciplinary groups. I lead research, funded by the UKRI-AHRC, in digital innovation for tangible and intangible cultural heritage, including crafts, as well as pilot services and training within national infrastructures for arts and humanities researchers and practitioners. The focus is on improving the ability to leverage computing and digital methods in their practice to enable innovation and impact.

The research impacts widely on the Creative and Cultural Heritage (CH) sector and its related applications such as media, art, culture, education and tourism. My research outputs are interdisciplinary in areas including computer graphics, information and knowledge management as well as cultural heritage.

I serve in various bodies and international committees in these areas, including as Editor-In-Chief for the ACM Journal of Computing and Cultural Heritage (JOCCH), Chair of the Workshops Board at the Eurographics Association, Chair of the听Eurographics Steering Committee for Graphics and Cultural Heritage, and member of the Technical Specification Group for the IIIF-3D framework. I have been past programme chair of various scholarly events and review regularly for conferences, journals and national and international funding bodies.

My research is in biomaterials and tissue engineering with current focus on functional tissue and organ replacement strategies. I am interested in the replacement of tissues and organs using nanostructured adsorbent and smart polymer materials which can be modified with bioactive molecules to improve biocompatibility and functional performance. I am interested in better understanding the mechanisms that impact the cell-biomaterial interface and in the development of functional biomaterials for cell guidance, the control of infection, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Such materials may be used for example, to improve the removal of inflammatory molecules and bacterial toxins which current limit the efficacy of dialysis for kidney and liver disease, as enterosorbents to slow the progression of liver disease, in the development of a wearable artificial kidney and in the development of corneal and lens replacement strategies for ophthalmic tissue engineering. Working within international networks of academic, clinical, and industrial partners, I have led research projects funded by UK NIHR i4i (DART and ADEPT), EU FP7 IAPP (ACROBAT), EU Horizon 2020 (CARBALIVE), British Council GII (NOMAD) and UKRI MRC (MXene for accommodating IOL) funding streams. I am a co-inventor on biomedical materials patents linked to this grant activity.听

I have served on grant review panels including as a member of the British Council Newton fund Biological and Medical Sciences听panel (2014-) and as a peer reviewer for EU Horizon 2020, UKRI MRC, BBSRC and NIHR i4i funding programmes. I am an editor for Scientific Reports, the Journal of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering and BioMed Research International.听

Professor Santin's research interests are in the field of Regenerative Medicine.

He has been involved in many research projects with a focus ranging from bone and cartilage regeneration, cardiovascular devices, control of angiogenesis to inhibit it in cartilage regeneration and stimulating it in ischaemia and neurodegenerative diseases. Prof Santin's multidisciplinary research group has been developing natural biomaterials (for example, soybean-based biomaterials) and synthetic biomimetic nano-structured biomaterials (such as, hyperbranched polymers) able to control tissue regeneration as well as establishing听in vitro clinically-reflective models for the testing of biomaterials, drugs and tissue engineering constructs. Through the use of these biomaterials as substrates for cell culturing, he has been able to unveil the mechanisms of formation of stem cell spheroids and to develop organoids for the testing of drugs and nanomedicines.

Research activities at Brighton include:听

• Collaboration with chemists, engineers, biomedical scientists, and clinicians in the university
• Collaboration with physicists, chemists and engineers at universities other than Brighton
• Collaboration with industrialists
• Collaboration with college and school-level staff and their research project students
• Collaboration with publishers and editors
• Collaboration with professional bodies
• Collaboration with university educators

I have a longstanding interest in nanoscience, nanotechnology and nanophysics, condensed or soft-matter self-assemblies and coarse dispersions, including colloidal encapsulation systems and the surface adsorption of functionalising polymers. I study complex formulations such as vaccines, particulate drug delivery systems and nanoencapsulation techniques in considerable depth. I work routinely with biosurfactants (such as proteins and peptides or gums), natural polymers, sustainable materials and synthetically modified materials.听

I am interested in recycling and re-exploitation of spent and soiled or spent materials or polluted environments. I am interested in the pollution of water systems and soils by heavy metals, pharmaceuticals and pesticides and by the role micro- and nano-plastic pollution plays in the damage to rivers, coastlines and seas. Work with microplastics (solid bodies) in terms of characterisation of adsorbates and organo-metallic or protein-polysaccharide biofilm fouling and the chemistry of seafoams also feature in my current research. I work with surface active molecules in the form of simple and complex foams and thin liquid films (foam lamellae). These structures relate to the quasi-2D-architectures created for a range of purposes; as means of sensing, synthesis and in their own right, to study processes such as statistical mechanics and energetics. As a nanotechnologist I also work in the field of miniaturised analytical systems 鈥� microfluidics, microarrays, sensors, diagnostic systems, and biosensors. I work in the context of product and process design and investigations associated with engineering and manufacturing process modelling. I work with the mechanics and rheology of a range of materials.听

I am interested in 'invention' and equipment fabrication and design. I am fascinated by physical and engineering applications of mesophase materials (liquid crystals), coarse and colloidal dispersions, and complex fluids, such as ionic liquids, thermotropic materials, gels and emulsions.听

Knowledge Exchange

My interest in knowledge exchange (KE) is manifested in university teaching and research but also in听professional body (RSC, RPSGB, IOM3, HEA) and STEM Ambassador work (schools, colleges, university summer schools). Yet more KE is undertaken by industrial consultancy (Smpl Innovations GmbH, Graphic Supplies, Cryolabs, Biofrontera AG, etc), industrially-related academic study (KTPs, KEEP+), pure academic research with chemists, biologists, physicists and engineers at the 爱豆传媒 and the University of Sussex but also more globally (Bulgaria, France, Italy, Sweden, USA, China, India, etc). Even more KE occurs through RCUK grant reviewing activities (EPSRC, MRC, BBSRC), editorial board and editorships (CDDT, Current Nanomedicine) for scientific periodicals, publisher book reviewing (HEA, Elsevier, Wiley) and in text book writing for three fully-authored books (Wiley-Blackwell).

Past, present and future听research projects and topics:

• Plasma treatment of metals for vapour deposition
• Flax and hemp materials and their non-food use
• Nanomaterials in composite polymer materials
• Microemulsions for drug delivery
• Applications of coarse dispersions and complex fluids
• Thin liquid films and foams. Wetting transitions and thin liquid films
• Surface adsorption of polymers and proteins
• Nicotine replacement therapy and drug delivery systems
• 3D/4D听printing and photo-reactive polymers
• Recycling and re-assignment of waste absorbent cotton materials
• Physics of droplet impact, spreading and fluid mechanics
• Nanoparticle and polymer drug delivery systems
• Photo-dynamic nanoparticle therapy for cancer treatment
• Nanotechnology for pharmaceutical, medical and food packaging
• Food听physics and food process engineering
• Status indicating medical device materials
• Environmentally responsive encapsulated metal nanoparticles for sensor use
• Complex fluids, ionic liquids and liquid crystals
• Composite insulating materials
• The heavy metal content of industrial wastewater and landfill discharge/leachate
• Micro-plastics as 'nucleation' bodies for marine pollution and their role in seaborne and food-chain concentration,听based on surface physics and composition chemistry,听and the subsequent effects on geosystems and marine ecology

Awards

• Sosabowski, M.H., Piatt, R., Sarker, D.K. (2003) 鈥淵oung Chemists鈥� Learning Project,鈥� 爱豆传媒 Innovation Awards 2003 - Prize Winner, Business Services, University Brighton
• Dipak K. Sarker, Featured chemist: RSC News Chemistry World, Feb 2005, p12
• Chair of the Downland Section of RSC from (Sussex, Surrey, Hamphire, Kent) 2005-2008

Memberships

• Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). Fellow designated: CChem FRSC
• Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3). Fellow designated: FIMMM
• Institute of Nanotechnology
• Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB), Academic Pharmacy Group
• 爱豆传媒听 鈥� School Safety Officer (chemistry)
• 爱豆传媒听 鈥� Sustainability representative - Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
• 爱豆传媒听 鈥� Enterprise representative - Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
• 爱豆传媒听 鈥� Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences Research Ethics Committee

Editorships

• Section Editor: Current Drug Delivery Technologies
• Associate Editor: Current Nanomedicine
• Special Issue Editor: Nanomaterials -听Synthesis, Properties and Application of Novel Nanostructured Biomaterials

Editorial boards

• Recent Patents on Drug Delivery and Formulation
• International Journal of听 Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education
• Open Colloid Science Journal
• Advanced Materials Reviews
• Advanced Materials Letters
• Asian Journal of Pharmaceutics
• Inventi Rapid-Impact: Pharm Tech
• Khimiya (Chemistry)
• Journal of Modern Medicinal Chemistry
• Journal of the Chinese Advanced Materials Society
• Recent Patents on Engineering
• ISRN Journal of Chemistry: Medicinal Chemistry
• International Journal of Information System and Management Research

Organising committees

• Waste Management Conference Team - KTP Project 2019/2020 (爱豆传媒)
• Conference Committee - 2nd International Conference on Advanced Materials 2013 (China)
• Organising committee: International Union of Advanced Materials - Academic Committee Member 2011, Hong Kong
• Advisory board: Advanced Materials World Congress (AM 2013, organized by the International Association of Advanced Materials), Turkey, September 2013
• International Advisory Board 2nd听World Conference on Science and Mathematics Education听, 15-17 Oct 2015, Cyprus

听

听My main area of research interest is in the polymer materials and development of novel advanced materials for biomedical and environmental applications. My research group is a multi-disciplinary team with research interests in the development and characterisation of novel porous materials, hydrogels, (nano) composites and nanoparticle based materials. I focus on the development of functional materials for applications in the wound healing, tissue engineering, drug delivery and removing听 contaminants from water.

听Specifically, my research areas include

• Synthesis of functional porous polymer gels, hybrid polymer-inorganic and nanocomposite materials

• Characterisation of soft porous materials

• Development of smart polymer systems

• Development of drug delivery systems

• Development of novel materials for contaminated water remediation.

Accepting PhD students

Collaborators Dr T. Abdullin,听Laboratory of Bioactive Polymers and Peptides, https://kpfu.ru/eng/strau/laboratories/bioactive-polymers-and-peptides

Dr M Alavijeh, Pharmidex https://www.pharmidex.com

Previous research projects:

Development of the flow through bioreactor of 3D-structured bacteria for biodegradation of aromatic chloro-derivatives from contaminated water. (H2020-MSCA-IF grant)

Water and soil clean-up from mixed contaminants (FP7-PEOPLE-IAPP, WaSClean project).

Investigation of neurotoxicity and oxidative stress of PEGylated nanographeneusing rat pheochromocytoma (PC-12) neuronal cell lines (Commonwealth scholarship).

Nanomaterials for practical use in remediation: Case study of mercury contamination in the lake Bylkyldak (The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan).

Immobilized noble metal nanoparticles as efficient flow through catalyst for 鈥済reen鈥� decomposition of chlorinated aromatic compounds (British Council Newton grant).

Controlled production and chemical modification of a variety of novel-carbons for specific end applications into the bio-organic field (FP7-PEOPLE-IRSES staff exchange programme ENSOR).

Novel smart materials for biomedical application (FP7-PEOPLE-RG grant - Bio-Smart).

Developing and evaluation of a quantitative imaging technique for assessment of nanoparticle drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier: Application for brain cancer therapeutics (FP7-PEOPLE-IAPP grant, OncoNanoBBB).

Studying adsorption of proteins on the carbon based materials (Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) research grant).

Developing novel nanocomposite materials for the water clean-up (FP7-PEOPLE-IEF. MacroClean)

Development and manufacture of permeable composite filters for environment application (FP7-PEOPLE-IAPP, CARBOSORB).

Tissue engineering materials based on macroporous cryogels and non-viral delivery systems, growth factors: the development and testing in peripheral nerve injury and therapeutic angiogenesis (Russian Federal Programme grant).

My research interest听is on the cross-talk between host and microbiota.听I am currently investigating Candida albicans immunomodulation in the听progression of inflammatory skin diseases and chronic wounds鈥� healing. I also collaborate with Professor F. Kern鈥檚 group in Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) on the study of immune responses to chronic Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in older people and its role in immune-ageing and disease.

My current research focuses on biological modelling specific to the anterior eye, aiming to deepen our understanding of cellular pathways and their responses to various stimuli and environmental challenges. By employing a mix of methodologies, including electrophysiology, flow cytometry, and diverse biological modelling techniques, I aim to unravel the complexities of cellular responses. This exploration holds the potential to guide the development of ocular drug delivery systems.

Previously, I conducted a research project on optoelectronic nanomaterials for biomedical applications within the field of biomaterials tailored for ophthalmic environments. My investigation involved novel approaches to developing a variable focus lens system by harnessing the dielectric anisotropy of liquid crystals and leveraging the optoelectronic properties of two-dimensional transition metal carbides and/or nitrides known as MXenes.