3D Models of Health and Disease
Our work
![Stem cells, against a blue background](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/non_responsive/public/stemcellniche-banner.jpg?itok=LnS-CjJp)
The Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease
Principal Investigators
![Prof. Umber Cheema](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-3d-profile-umber-cheema.jpg?itok=g-deewzy)
![Dr Darren Player](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-3d-profile-darren-player.jpg?itok=JVo0ea53)
![Dr Susan Heavey](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-3d-profile-susan-heavey-alt.jpg?itok=ZxXzSvKz)
![Dr Pierre Gélat Dr Pierre Gélat](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-tumouroids-profile-pierre-galat.jpg?itok=fLP5YWcu)
![Prof. Vivek Mudera](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-3d-profile-vivek-mudera.jpg?itok=UsCCSdh4)
![Dr Eirini Velliou](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-3d-profile-eirini-velliou.jpg?itok=_RiCyULU)
Post-doctoral fellows
![Dr Deniz Bakkalci](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-3d-models-deniz-bakkalci.jpg?itok=OrxrWnOJ)
Dr Deniz Bakkalci
![Priyanka Gupta](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-3d-models-priyanka-gupta.jpg?itok=hWtJc6b6)
![Dr Uzoamaka Okoli](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-3d-models-uzoamaka-okoli.jpg?itok=Estusx-_)
PhD students
![Thomas Whitehead-Clarke](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-3d-models-thomas-whitehead-clarke.jpg?itok=pQDm0qUV)
![Anuja Upadhyay](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-3d-models-anuja-upadhyay.jpg?itok=cFvBerFB)
Anuja Upadhyay
![Anna-Dimitra Kataki](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-3d-models-anna-dimitra-kataki.jpg?itok=ycUGvAUK)
![Ashley Lam](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-3d-models-ashley-lam.jpg?itok=E1Up1o4t)
![Fatimah Zachariah Ali](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-3d-models-fatimah-zachariah-ali.jpg?itok=fFpuTitK)
![Daniel Silva](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-3d-models-daniel-silva.jpg?itok=7Q_HENHG)
![Bow Chaipanichkul](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-3d-models-bow-chaipanichkul.jpg?itok=K0_tvpot)
![Tan Xu](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-3d-models-fatimah-tan-xu.jpg?itok=GSiOEDLg)
![Dechao Feng](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-dechao-feng.jpg?itok=qUpOwT5l)
Dr Dechao Feng
![Vithurran Thavarajah](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-vithurran-thavarajah.jpg?itok=zM0ZfTda)
![Andrei Enica](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-andrei-enica.jpg?itok=L7GeW0oa)
![Silhouette in a circle. In light grey.](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-roundel-lightgrey.jpg?itok=Ds6mgF7Z)
![Sam Devereaux](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-sam-devereaux.jpg?itok=-GO_tG6w)
![Silhouette in a circle. In light grey.](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-roundel-lightgrey.jpg?itok=Ds6mgF7Z)
Lisa Purk
![Wenqing Chen](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-wenqing-chen.jpg?itok=LKIHy6Su)
![Kyle Saunders](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-kyle-saunders.jpg?itok=hSAjYhh2)
Kyle Saunders
![Melina Kitsiou](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-melina-kitsiou.jpg?itok=Zhf7f0yX)
Alumni
- Dr Alvena Kureshi
- Dr Rawiya Al Hosni
- Dr Judith Pape
- Dr Philip Barrett
- Dr Auxtine Micalet
Select publications
- Bakkalci D, Al-Badri G, Yang W, Nam A, Liang Y, Khurram SA, Heavey S, Fedele S, Cheema U (2023). Spatial transcriptomic interrogation of the tumour-stroma boundary in a 3D engineered model of ameloblastoma. Mater Today Bio. 2023 Dec 21;24:100923.
- Gupta P, Bermejo-Rodriguez C, Kocher H, Pérez-Mancera PA, Velliou EG (2024). Chemotherapy Assessment in Advanced Multicellular 3D Models of Pancreatic Cancer: Unravelling the Importance of Spatiotemporal Mimicry of the Tumor Microenvironment. Adv Biol (Weinh). 2024 Feb 7:e2300580.
- Bakkalci D, Al-Badri G, Yang W ... Cheema U (2023). Engineering a metastatic stroma directs the osteosarcoma tumour transcriptome in a spatially specific manner. Applied Materials Today, Vol. 35, 2023, 101994.
- Purk L, Kitsiou M, Ioannou C, El Kadri H ... Velliou EG (2023). Unravelling the impact of fat content on the microbial dynamics and spatial distribution of foodborne bacteria in tri-phasic viscoelastic 3D models. Sci Rep. 2023 Dec 9;13(1):21811.
- Micalet A, Tappouni LJ, Peszko K, Karagianni D, Lam A ... Cheema U (2023). Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) regulates invasion and matrix remodelling in colorectal cancer. Matrix Biol Plus. 2023 Nov 15;19-20:100137.
- Gupta P, Pérez-Mancera PA, Kocher H, Nisbet A, Schettino G, Velliou EG (2020). A Novel Scaffold-Based Hybrid Multicellular Model for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma-Toward a Better Mimicry of the in vivo Tumor Microenvironment. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2020 Apr 24;8:290.
- Shepherd DW, Norris JM, Simpson BS, Player DJ, Whitaker HC (2022). Effects of photobiomodulation therapy on regulation of myogenic regulatory factor mRNA expression in vivo: A systematic review. J Biophotonics. 2022 Feb;15(2):e202100219.
- Pedersen K, Vanhoestenberghe A & Heavey S (2022). Urgent action is required to increase sustainability in in vitro modelling. In vitro models.
- Barrett P, Quick TJ, Mudera V & Player DJ (2022). Neuregulin 1 Drives Morphological and Phenotypical Changes in C2C12 Myotubes: Towards De Novo Formation of Intrafusal Fibres In Vitro. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 9, 760260.
- Grillo A, Hyder Z, Mudera V & Kureshi A (2022). In vitro characterisation of low-cost synthetic meshes intended for hernia repair in the UK. Hernia, 2022 Feb;26(1):325-334. Epub 2021 Apr 2.
- Mudera V, Whitehead-Clarke T, Kureshi A, et al (2021). The experimental methodology and comparators used for in vivo hernia mesh testing: a 10-year scoping review. International journal of science and research methodology. Hernia.
- Ravi B, Kapoor M & Player DJ (2020). Feasibility and reliability of a web-based smartphone application for joint position measurement. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 53(5), 1–6.
- Barrett P, Quick TJ, Mudera V & Player DJ (2020). Generating intrafusal skeletal muscle fibres in vitro: Current state of the art and future challenges. J Tissue Eng. 2020 Dec 29;11:2041731420985205.
- Wishart G, Gupta P, Schettino G, Nisbet A, Velliou E (2021). 3D tissue models as tools for radiotherapy screening for pancreatic cancer. Br J Radiol. 2021 Apr 1;94(1120):20201397.
- Mudera V, Player DJ & Kureshi A (2019). Engineering of Collagen as a Functional Biomaterial. Comprehensive Biotechnology, Third Edition. Elsevier.
Related courses
![Poster. A hand reaches for a coffee cup. Reads: "Coffee chats with scientists"](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/large_image/public/coffee-chats-with-scientists-1280.jpg?itok=Ntdz-Nxi)