Bioengine ng ne Issue D - Workspace - Imperial College London

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1 BIOENGINEERING NEWS Issue 7 Bioengineering news September 2012 Volume 6 Issue 7 THE LEADING DEPARTMENT OF BIOENGINEERING IN THE UK IN THIS ISSUE Head of Departments message Professor Anthony Bull Forefront of research and activity of colleagues over the past two months through activities listed above, but education also through the number of grants that have The end of the summer is an extremely busy been submitted, through the excellence in period in academia. The conference season is research output as shown by the publication in full flow and preparations are under way for an influx of new undergraduate, list included in Julys newsletter, and through GEM4 the many interactions with those outside the A GEM4 mechanobiology summer school was held in postgraduate and research students. Our College who are interested in joining us as the Department this month. The programme was fully summer activities testify to the vigour and new academic hires or collaborators. subscribed, with 85 delegates present. Keynote leadership of this Department with examples speakers came from the UK, the USA and Singapore. including the hosting of GEM4. This summer school pulled together a fantastic list of Thanks to Professor Ethier My final note is one of thanks to my Page 4 speakers and attendees through the leading predecessor. The Department of efforts of Rob Krams and with the support of Bioengineering is in a very strong position many colleagues. Also, the Bioengineering through the combined efforts of us all and Society is ably run by Peter Weinberg and through the excellent leadership provided by this years annual meeting featured the Ross Ethier. Well miss his personal Department heavily in organisation and involvement in the Department, but look participation. The national Medical forward to transatlantic interactions with Engineering Centres of Excellence him as he takes up his position at Georgia networking meeting also took place, and as Tech. director of one of these, my assessment is that we are clearly at the forefront of advances in bioengineering research and education. British Science Festival INTERACT Read a report from second year undergraduate Ella Interactions and collaborations Bentin about her time at the British Science Festival this The Department is now on month For my part, I have been quickly getting to Facebook and Twitter. We need grips with key aspects of being a Head of your content! Page 5 Department. I have been bowled over by the

2 BIOENGINEERING NEWS | Issue 7 2 Royal British Legion Centre for Blast Injury Studies Major Martin Dansey Recruitment news plans expected in the The Centre for Blast Injury Studies has had coming weeks. It is another busy month continuing with the hoped that work will recruitment of two new Fellows and five commence immediately PDRAs spanning four Imperial after this to allow the departments. The Centre was extremely deadline of 1 January fortunate to receive considerable interest in 2013 to be met. all positions ensuring the quality of the applicants called forward for interview was of Visit from the a high standard. Following on from the military successful PhD recruitment last month we The Centre has also look forward to the new academic year and hosted General J F Rowan OBE QHS Late the anticipated developments in our clinical RAMC Assistant Chief of Defence Staff areas of study. (Health) and Surgeon Commadore Callum CONGRATULATIONS! McArthur on a visit outlining the capabilities Office makeover of the CBIS. The visit was well received and Dr Spyros Masouros won first prize in the The CBIS offices have also had a makeover considerable ground was made regarding 2012 MSC. Software UK Users now brandishing our sponsors logo. The acknowledgement by the highest levels of conference this month with a paper Centre has a central prominent focal point the military of what CBIS can provide. This entitled Modeling the load path from easily identifiable around campus which will bodes well for the future as both under-vehicle explosion to injury. only add to its identity. The refurbishment of personalities are heavily involved at the our Laboratory space has entered the final decision making level within the military in planning phase with official sanction of the the areas of interest to CBIS. 6th European Postgraduate Fluid Dynamics Conference th PhD student Olga Korolkova chaired the committee for the 6 European Postgraduate Fluid Dynamics Conference. The conference was held at Imperial College London from 10 12 July 2012 and was attended by 75 participants. The organising committee was made up of PhD students from across the College with assistance from the conference and events office. Financial support was kindly provided by the European Mechanical Society (EUROMECH), the Institute of Mathematical Applications (IMA) and the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The event was strongly supported by the Deputy Rector. The primary aim was to provide a relaxed and unintimidating forum for postgraduate students of to present their research and broaden their knowledge in the field of fluid dynamics. The conference was hugely successful and was well enjoyed by all the participants who were able not just to enhance their knowledge but also to develop contacts in a relaxed atmosphere of peers and equals. Many congratulations to Olga and the rest of the committee for organising such a successful event.

3 BIOENGINEERING NEWS | Issue 7 3 Student success NEWS IN BRIEF Conference talks PhD students Sietse Braakman and Jason Chang gave talks at Bioengineering12 recently. Sietses talk was entitled Transendothelial pore formation after equibiaxial cellular stretch and Jason's talk was Eye on a chip: Reconstruction the conventional outflow pathway of the eye on a microfluidics platform. Viva success Jennifer Frueh passed her viva recently. Her thesis was entitled Development and application of Keynote lecture a flow system to study shear stress-induced genes in primary endothelial cells and was Dr Danny OHare gave the keynote lecture at the supervised by Professor Rob Krams in collaboration with Dr Ed Tate (Department of Chemistry). Bioelectrochemistry symposium at Electochem 2012 Jenny thanked her sponsors as follows: The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has given me the in Dublin on 04 September entitled Cells on chips: opportunity to carry out my PhD project in cardiovascular science at their Centre of Research electroanalytical investigation of disease. Excellence here at Imperial College. I am very thankful for their support and can only recommend the multidisciplinary PhD program with quality lectures, seminar series, journal clubs and much more that help to develop a round researcher profile. I hope that I contributed to better understand the causes of heart disease and circulation problems and could help patients to improve treatment options. Thank you all and I wish all fellow students a fun and successful PhD! Congratulations to Addie Majed who successfully passed his MD(Res) viva this month. Best paying job of the future PhD student Jin-Young Kim (supervised by Dr Danny OHare) has recently had a research paper 24/7 Wall Street reported this week that Biomedical published in Chemical Communications (Kim et al., 2012). This is Jin-Young Kim's second paper Engineering will be the best paying job of the future and augurs well for his PhD thesis, due to be completed in the next few weeks. The work arose and will have one of the highest demands for new out of a major innovative collaboration funded by the government of the Republic of Korea, the workers. The findings were based on the US Bureau of Global Research Laboratory. Labor Statistics National Employment Matrix, which forecasts job growth between 2010 and 2020 for over Kim,J.Y., Cho,S.W., Kang,D.K., Edel,J.B., Chang,S.I., Demello,A.J., and O'Hare,D. (2012) Lab-chip HPLC with 1000 listed jobs. integrated droplet-based microfluidics for separation and high frequency compartmentalisation. Chem Commun (Camb ) 48: 9144-9146. BEST PAYING JOB OF THE FUTURE! 14% Projected growth rate of entire job market between Aldos media mentions! 2010 and 2020. In the last issue of the newsletter we reported on the publication of Dr Aldo Faisals research into Ultra-low-cost 3D gaze estimation (Abbott and Faisal, 2012). 61.7% Projected growth rate of biomedical engineering jobs Abbott,W.W., and Faisal,A.A. (2012) Ultra-low-cost 3D gaze estimation: an intuitive high information throughput compliment to direct brain-machine interfaces. J Neural Eng 9: 046016. This month saw the technology featured on CNN, the ThomsonReuters website and Bloomberg. between 2010 and 2020. The group also showcased their research at a reception to celebrate public engagement at Imperial this week. The event featured interactive demonstrations and drinks to launch the new WE NEED YOUR CONTENT! pop-up public engagement space in the College Main Entrance, the series of Imperial Fringe evenings and the autumn term public programme of research events, and to announce the dates If you have any items for the next newsletter for Imperial Festival 2013. The invited audience included senior staff from College, Council and please contact Helen Findon Court members, colleagues from other Exhibition Road institutions and others with an interest in EMAIL public engagement from across London. [email protected] Many thanks to the Faisal group, in particular PhD students Will Abbott and Andreas Thomik for their participation and enthusiasm.

4 BIOENGINEERING NEWS Issue 7 GEM4 Summer School NEWS IN BRIEF Professor Rob Krams The Summer School of GEM4 held at Imperial College in London (10-14 September) has been a huge success. It attracted 85 participants, students from all over the world, with a similar interest: how the UK and specifically Imperial College London is involved in Mechanobiology. Delegates heard from lecturers and key-note speakers presenting their world-leading work on Mechanobiology. The success of the summer school was down to the work of a group of people who gave a great deal of time, commitment and Grant success enthusiasm. It is thanks to Dr Etienne Burdet has received funding from EU-FP7 them that the summer to carry out the BALANCE project in collaboration school went so well. with Tecnalia, Spain, ETH-Zurich, TU Darmstadt, CEA in France and U Twente in Holland. Dr Burdet and So, special thanks to: colleagues will investigate how to ensure balance Professor Max Lab, during walking, using an exoskeleton and suitable Professor Terry Tetley, algorithms to detect and interact with human motor Professor Ralph Knoll, control. While exoskeletons have been targeted to provide superhuman properties typically in military Professor Spencer Sherwin, applications, this project aims to benefit frail elderly The GEM4 participants Professor Peter Kohl, and or people with balance problems. Professor Ross Ethier. In addition, I would like to express a special thanks to all lecturers and key-note lecturers who Welcome to the Department The Departments recent search for a new Laboratory gave their time so generously and who delivered superb presentations to an engaged and Manager has been successful. After a competitive motivated group of students. The key-note speakers together with the Imperial College process the Department has appointed Ken Keating lecturers made sure that each presentation was rounded off with well-posed, critical questions to this position. Many congratulations to Ken on this from the students which led to lively discussions. promotion! Last but not least, I would express my gratitude to Ross Ethier, the former head of Department Professor John Tyberg, University of Calgary, is of Bioengineering of Imperial College London, who supported this initiative, and my group who spending a short sabbatical in the Department and at helped out enormously during the whole week. Above all, my thanks go to Allan Nyunt and the International Centre for Circulatory Health at the Laura McKay without who this week would not have been possible. St. Mary's campus. Prof. Tyberg is an expert on cardiovascular physiology and has collaborated for many years on the development and application of wave intensity with members of the Department. He will be happy to meet with anyone who could benefit from his vast experience. Please contact Professor Kim Parker to arrange a meeting Research seminars and events We also extend a warm welcome to Dr Yichuan Wen, Visiting Researcher with Professor Departmental seminars Peter Weinberg All seminars are in RSM 2.28 at 16:00 unless otherwise stated. Mr Georg Gerhrmann, Visiting Researcher with Dr Warren Macdonald Miss Carina Mill Research Assistant with Professor 26 September 2012 Rob Krams Charles L. Dumoulin, PhD. Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Centre. MR Guided Vascular Dr Masahiro Ono Honorary Research Fellow with Dr Interventions. An interview with Professor Dumoulin can be found on page 11 of Reporter (Issue Reiko Tanaka 251). Mr Robert Ferguson Industrial Liaison Manager College events Finally welcome to baby Felix! PhD student Susan Mulcahy and her husband Hugh welcomed their son 26 September 2012. Evening concert. 17:45 18:30, Read Lecture Theatre. Simon Crawford- to the world on 01 August 2012. Felix is named after Phillips (piano) Richard Hosford (clarinet) Roger Tapping (viola) performing Mozart's Kegelstatt Susan's great-grandfather who coincidentally was also Trio and works by Hersant & Reineck. born on 01 August in 1878. 28 September 2012. Science Uncovered. 16:00 23:00, Natural History Museum. Come and Fond farewell meet Imperial researchers as the evening event Science Uncovered returns to the Natural Dr Steve Heggie, who has left to take up a new post History Museum for its third year. at UCL.

5 BIOENGINEERING NEWS Issue 7 British Science Festival by Ella Bentin, second year undergraduate Lectures, demonstrations and evidence the politicians and the general geeky scientist fashion, the festival was media receives on the one hand and the celebrated with an End of the World party debates evidence put forward by scientists in the where white sterile suits were provided, as I spent an enjoyable week at the British other. This was a little worrying, but well as a giant table of arts and crafts Science Festival (3-10 Sep), held at the comfortingly they all agreed that there wont materials with which to make your own University of Aberdeen, thanks to be a war over water in the next 10 years at weapon or defence mechanism. Out of toilet sponsorship by the College. About 100 least. rolls, tape, string, and glitter! In true Scottish science students (six from Imperial) from all fashion, the whole festival was brought to a around the country were accommodated and catered for by the University, all this having Murder, Mystery, and finale with a ceilidh. It was epic amounts of been organised by the British Science Microscopes fun! I could not recommend the combination Days didnt end with dinner; there were of a science festival and ceilidh enough. Association. Each day of the festival was packed full of lectures, demonstrations, shows to go to! On Tuesday debates, talks, and evening shows, more there was a play, Murder, than we could ever hope to attend. The ten Mystery, and Microscopes, of us who met at the Mingle were keen to hosted by Inspector Quentin of attend as many of these events as possible. the Yard (Quentin Blake from There was an incredible range of topics, a Material World, BBC) and a high concentration of world-renowned local crime novelist. It was speakers, and least of all as we Sassenachs most instructive as well as had ventured so far across the border. gripping. The mock arson case saw a coroner, a soil analyst, Sperm Warfare! and a forensic medical officer There are too many things to all put in a displaying real data and rather newsletter, so I shall just mention here some gruesome images to show how of the more memorable events. Simon Watt this fictional case may be is a brilliant speaker! He travels the world solved. Some 700 solved following recently deceased giant animals mystery cases lie under their and makes TV documentaries of their collective belts. The message dissections. The following is definitely not they conveyed was that if one how his documentaries are made, but in wanted to be a good forensic Dissections Uncut he suggested googling an scientist first become an interesting combination of keywords: car, expert in the science. This was whale, exploding, totaling; He also reveals in a festival rather than a crash Sperm Warfare that his favorite penises are course in science, and it those belonging to marsupials. At the debate showed in having an elaborate about The Next World War Will be Fought Spiegeltent as well as the over Water, four truly excellent normal lecture theatres. speakers argued each of their The night after the points to a tee. It was one of the murder mystery we cheerfully The went to Rocket Lolly and piled most inspiring experiences at Granite Second year undergraduate student Ella Bentin, who was the festival. They highlighted into this lovely vaudeville tent. But we were a little creeped out City sponsored by the college to go to that the efficacy with which we use and distribute water needs by what we saw: a music duo sparkled the British Science Festival in early September, visited a to be put under scrutiny rather that played the Theremin, the saw, As one cant simulation oil and gas rig. than jumping to the very costly waterphone, glockenspiel, and possibly visit decision of taking up arms. Some melodica through echo effects Scotland disquieting figures were displayed: on accompanying rare vintage science clips. It without commenting on the weather, we average the total amount of water required was very strange science indeed, but I was were rather fortunate as Aberdeen gave us to make a cup of tea is about 32 litres, what happy to have seen a live Theremin its best sunshine. When we went for a wee with growing the 3 grams of tea leaves and performance. Towards the end of the week, donder the Granite City sparkled, the seals feeding the cows to produce milk. Alexander a lucky few got tickets to see Bill Bryson talk came to say och aye, and the dolphins Bell (author of Peak Water) puts forward a about his life and work at the Aberdeen flipped! I hope the Annual British Science most interesting explanation: the reason that Music Hall. Or were the truly lucky ones Festival hosted by Newcastle University next we keep hearing about water wars in the those who got to see the Quantum Universe year will see more of us Imperialists. media is due to the discrepancy between the with Brian Cox? Difficult decision... In true

6 BIOENGINEERING NEWS | Issue 7 6 Bioengineering news Department of Bioengineering Imperial College London SW7 2AZ +44(0)20 7594 5179 www.imperial.ac.uk/bioengineering @imperialbioeng facebook/imperialbioeng

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