The UK needs engineers and scientists who can work fluently across both physical and life sciences to design the next generation of medical devices. Currently, a gap exists between clinicians who understand medical needs and technologists who can build solutions—this centre aims to close that gap. It will train at least ten doctoral students each year in nine core areas, including drug delivery, bioimaging, cardiovascular devices, tissue engineering, and neuroprosthetics. Students will receive interdisciplinary instruction and carry out clinically relevant research within a centre that has direct links to hospitals and medical industry partners. The UK government has identified medical devices as a key technology area, with needs in converging technologies, diagnostics, regenerative medicine, and assistive technologies. If successful, this centre will produce a pipeline of researchers who can translate fundamental science into working devices—implants, diagnostic tools, drug delivery systems, and rehabilitation technologies—that improve patient care and support independent living. The impact is not immediate but structural: it builds the skilled workforce needed to sustain the UK’s medical technology sector for years to come.
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At the Life Sciences Interface (LSI), one of the key challenges is how to foster cross-disciplinary interactions between clinicians and technologists and provide engineers and scientists who can effectively bridge the gap that currently exists between the two groups. Many new developments in the clinical sciences are fundamentally dependent on effective means of technology delivery, and this is particularly true of research into medical devices, which includes biomaterials, tissue engineering, implantable devices, drug delivery and diagnostics. There is an ongoing need in the UK to provide opportunities for engineers and physical scientists to receive instruction in the life sciences and suitable interdisciplinary medical device research training which takes place within a centre which has the appropriate clinical and medical industry links.The UK government and science councils have , through the Technology Strategy Board, identified medical devices as a key technology area for the UK with immediate and future needs in: Converging technologies - convergence of the physical with the biological leading to new and combined functionalities. Diagnosis and screening technologies together with the development and monitoring of more targeted therapies. Regenerative medicine - methods to induce the body to regenerate healthy functional tissue and to provide replacement parts. Assistive technologies - devices and technologies that aid rehabilitation and support for independent life in the community.The Medical Devices Doctoral Training Centre we propose will train students and carry out clinically -relevant research to meet medical device needs across nine core themes which are embedded in the current research work of the University with its immediate academic and clinical external collaborators. These are:Drug deliveryBioimagingOrthopaedic DevicesMicrodevicesCardiovascular DevicesBiomaterialsTissue EngineeringNeuroprostheticsMedical DiagnosticsTen students minimum will be recruited to the centre each year, 8 supported by EPSRC and 2 by the University.
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