EPSRC and MRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Regenerative Medicine

Three universities are joining forces to train the next generation of scientists who will build replacement tissues and organs for patients. The Loughborough, Nottingham and Keele Centre for Doctoral Training in Regenerative Medicine has secured £4.5 million to continue this work. Regenerative medicine aims to repair or replace damaged tissues—such as cartilage, heart muscle, or skin—that the body cannot heal on its own. The field currently faces a shortage of researchers who understand not just the biology of growing cells, but also the engineering needed to turn that biology into usable products. This centre fills that gap by training students across engineering, biology, and healthcare simultaneously. If successful, the centre will produce a steady pipeline of skilled scientists and engineers who can move directly into the UK’s regenerative medicine industry. That industry is still emerging, but it promises to change how doctors treat conditions from osteoarthritis to severe burns. Patients could eventually receive lab-grown tissues rather than relying on donor organs or permanent implants. For the UK to lead in this global market, it needs people who can translate laboratory discoveries into manufacturing processes that are safe, scalable, and affordable. This centre is designed to create exactly those people.