Biomaterials and Surgical Reconstruction
![](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/owl_carousel/public/outstanding-thesis-prize-biomaterials-carousel.png?itok=01r7BoxC)
Aimee Cheesbrough awarded 'Outstanding Thesis' Prize
Aimee Cheesbrough, co-supervised by Prof. Wenhui Song and funded by a BBSRC-LIDo PhD studentship, has received the accolade from Kings College London.
![](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/owl_carousel/public/artificial-tissues-organs-lab-carousel.jpg?itok=9p9cuye_)
Can we grow artificial tissues and organs in the lab?
Watch Professor Wenhui Song’s public lecture to learn about the latest advances and challenges in growing synthetic tissues and organs for regenerative medicine and surgical treatments.
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Nanomedicine: from cancer to COVID-19
Watch Professor Gavin Jell’s public lecture to learn about the latest advances and challenges in nanomedicine for treatments of cancer to COVID-19.
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Nature Podcast: The vest that can hear your heartbeat
Prof. Wenhui Song and Prof. Yoel Frink (MIT) are interviewed for the Nature Podcast (16 March 2022), discussing a fabric microphone that can pick up human speech.
Our work
As a multidisciplinary team of academics (cell biologists, chemists, engineers and material scientists) and clinicians, we deliver new knowledge, inventions and clinical solutions by innovating new biomaterials, scaffolds, nanomedicine and devices.
Our facilities
We have state-of-the-art facilities for synthesis, process, and physico-chemical and biological characterisation and imaging. These include an imaging suite containing TEM, SEM, AFM, confocal and 3D digital microscopy, a polymer chemistry laboratory and biomanufacturing laboratory equipped with commercial and custom-made 3D printers and bioprinters, electrospinning / electro-spraying equipment, and vascular graft coagulation extrusion housed within a GMP/GLP environment.
Imaging facilities and equipment
- FESEM with EDX
- TEM
- confocal microscope
- fluorescent microscope
- 3D digital light microscope
- AFM-PFM
Physico-chemical characterisation equipment
- FTIR
- UV-Vis
- dynamic light scattering particle size analyser
- contact angle measurement
- mechanical test machine
- rheometer
- laser vibrometer
Bio-manufacturing facilities
- 3D printers (FDM, SLA and DLP)
- 3D bioprinters (micro-extruders and DLP)
- electrospinning system
- coagulation extrusion
- acoustic atomiser coating
- laser cutter
Centre for Biomaterials in Surgical Reconstruction and Regeneration (CBSRR)
Academic staff
![Wenhui Song Wenhui Song profile](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-biomaterials-profile-wenhui-song_0.jpg?itok=cgb9ri_5)
Head: Prof. Wenhui Song
Professor of Biomaterials & Medical Engineering
![Janice Tsui](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-biomaterials-profile-janice-tsui.jpg?itok=vrv-d-Gs)
Deputy Head: Prof. Janice Tsui
Professor of Vascular Surgery
![Gavin Jell](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-biomaterials-profile-gavin-jell.jpg?itok=RTHCK4vC)
Prof. Gavin Jell
Head of Education, Professor of Nanotechnology
![Dr Hirak Patra](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-nano-profile-hirak-patra.jpg?itok=IFKfBukI)
Dr Hirak Patra
Associate Professor of Nanotechnology
![George Hamilton](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-biomaterials-profile-george-hamilton.jpg?itok=ZkAIm6ZJ)
Prof. George Hamilton
Professor of Vascular Surgery
![Peter Butler](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-biomaterials-profile-peter-butler.jpg?itok=7SMImGCX)
Prof. Peter Butler
Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
![Ash Mosahebi](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-biomaterials-profile-ash-mosaebi.jpg?itok=oGjvw0NE)
Prof. Afshin (Ash) Mosahebi
Professor of Plastic Surgery
![Kaveh Shakib](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-biomaterials-profile-kaveh-shakib.jpg?itok=4ci8rCjK)
Prof. Kaveh Shakib
Associate Professor, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Research fellows and assistants
![Dr Jinke Chang](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-biomaterials-profile-jinke-chang.jpg?itok=xAz0_RhV)
![Dr Alexandru Chivu](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-nano-profile-alexandru-chivu.jpg?itok=k7l7neJT)
![Dr Xia Huang](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-biomaterials-profile-xia-huang.jpg?itok=p7uowRHy)
![Dr Azadeh Razaei](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-biomaterials-profile-azadeh-rezaei.jpg?itok=Gkcco8CH)
![Dr Lei Wu Dr Lei Wu profile](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-biomaterials-profile-lei-wu.jpg?itok=L8jB5WC7)
Dr Lei Wu
![Roundel icon of a silhouette in grey](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-roundel-grey.jpg?itok=hsaNyeYK)
Honorary staff
![Mr Daryll Baker](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-biomaterials-profile-daryll-baker.jpg?itok=I61o_1Nj)
![Roundel icon of a silhouette in grey](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-roundel-grey.jpg?itok=hsaNyeYK)
Dr Michelle Griffin
![Roundel icon of a silhouette in grey](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-roundel-grey.jpg?itok=hsaNyeYK)
Mr Chung Lim
![Nima Naderi](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-breast-profile-nima-naderi.jpg?itok=Rj1hQuHM)
![Dr Shao-An Xue](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-biomaterials-profile-shao-an-xue.jpg?itok=TZmMMdCx)
![Roundel icon of a silhouette in grey](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/small_image/public/research-profile-roundel-grey.jpg?itok=hsaNyeYK)
Prof. Xuetong Zhang
Royal Society Newton Advanced Fellow
![Concept image of an experimenting scientist with a molecule construction overlaid](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/surgery/sites/surgery/files/styles/non_responsive/public/biomaterials-banner.jpg?itok=BCkd21bg)
Funding / Partnerships
There are several on-going projects in different stages of clinical and preclinical studies. These include cardiovascular grafts and stents, soft tubular organs, muscle, artificial cornea, cartilage and bone tissue engineering, chronic wound healing materials, artificial cochlea, breast implants, maxillofacial implants and light responsive soft robotics.
Funding is provided by the EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC, Royal Society, Wellcome Trust, Bone Cancer Research Trust, Osteoarthritis UK, British Heart Foundation, Royal Free Charity and industry.
Select publications
- Song, W. (2022). A smart sensor that can be woven into everyday life. Nature, 603, 585-586.
- Cheesbrough, A., Sciscione, F., Darbyshire, A., Song, W., et al. (2022). Biobased Elastomer Nanofibers Guide Light‐Controlled Human‐iPSC‐Derived Skeletal Myofibers. Advanced Materials, 34 (18), 2110441.
- Rezaei, A., Li, Y., Turmaine, M., Bertazzo, S., Jell, G., et al. (2022). Hypoxia mimetics restore bone biomineralisation in hyperglycaemic environments. Scientific Reports, 12 (1), 13944.
- Georgi, M., Morka, N., Patel, S., Kazzazi, D., Tsui, J., et al. (2022). The Impact of Same Gender Speed-Mentoring on Women's Perceptions of a Career in Surgery - A Prospective Cohort Study. Journal of Surgical Education.
- Zhu, G. H., Azharuddin, M., Islam, R., Patra, H.K., et al. (2021). Innate Immune Invisible Ultrasmall Gold Nanoparticles-Framework for Synthesis and Evaluation. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.
- Viola, G., Chang, J., Maltby, T., Steckler, F., Song, W., et al. (2020). Bio-inspired multi-resonant acoustic devices based on electrospun piezoelectric polymeric nanofibres. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces.
- Li, G., Hong, G., Dong, D., Song, W., & Zhang, X. (2018). Multi-responsive Graphene Aerogel-directed Phase Change Smart Fibres. Advanced Materials.
- Wu, L., Liu, C., Darbyshire, A., Loizidou, M., Emberton, M., Song, W., et al. (2018). Stiffness memory of indirectly 3D-printed elastomer nanohybrid regulates, chondrogenesis and osteogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells. Biomaterials, Vol. 186, Dec. 64-79.