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Bioscience and Bioengineering Research Centre

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Welcome to the Biosciences and Bioengineering Research Centre

The Bioscience and Bioengineering Research Centre focuses on advancing the biological understanding of health and disease and on developing innovative technologies to improve diagnosis, treatment, and patient management. We aim at enhancing healthcare outcomes and medical practices both in the community and in tertiary centres.

We bring together a broad array of expertise covering cancer biology, bioinformatics, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics modelling and analysis, microwave sensing and imaging, ultrasound sensing and imaging, biological and medical image analysis, modelling and analysis of deformations, human biomechanics, biomechanical properties of human muscle and tendon in healthy and disease.

Events

  • Applied AI Seminar, 31 March 2025
    "AI in the Natural Sciences", Arianna Salili-James,  Natural History Museum
  • Applied AI Seminar, 17 March 2025
    "On Trustworthiness of Large Language Models", Muhammad Bilal Zafar,  Ruhr University Bochum
  • Applied AI Seminar, 10 March 2025
    "AI in Legal: Applications, Challenges & Evolving Roles", Lorna Khemraz,  Flank
  • Applied AI Seminar, 3 March 2025
    "Shaping the Future of AI: A Program Manager's Journey with AlphaFold and AlphaProof", Ottavia Bertolli,  Deep Mind
  • Applied AI Seminar, 24 February 2025
    "Sentiment metrics for the financial market", Matteo Campellone & Francesco Cricchio,  Brain,
  • Applied AI Seminar, 10 February 2025
    "AI for Impact: How use cases are driving the biggest change", Gerard Fogerty,  Altruistic,
  • Applied AI Seminar, 3 February 2025
    "Responsible AI in conditional image generation", Mithun Das Gupta,  Microsoft Research,
  • Applied AI Seminar, 27 January 2025
    "Artificial Intelligence for gastrointestinal imaging" Prof Miguel Coimbra,  University of Porto,

News

  • The paper ( "Automated Classification of Cell Shapes: A Comparative Evaluation of Shape Descriptors" as been accepted at  IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (IEEE ISBI 2025)
  • 3  papers  accepted  at  2025 IEEE International Workshop on Measurements and Applications in Veterinary and Animal Sciences (IEEE MeAVeAS)
  • Applied AI Seminar Series 2025 calendar
  • MRC Research Grant Awarded to S. Harput, E. Grisan, and M. Ghavami, "Enhancing Blood-Brain Barrier Opening with Ultrasound and Microwaves for Targeted Drug Delivery", 2024
  • Helmsley Trust Grant Awarded to E. Grisan, "Endoscopic multimodal assessment using advanced imaging integrated AI to predict recurrence in post-operative Crohn's Disease - PROSPERS", 2024

Featured Publications

Bioscience and Bioengineering Research Centre - People

Director

Academics

Research fellows

Doctoral students

Visiting Fellows

Director

Dr Enrico Grisan

Associate Professor in AI

Director of the Bioenngineering and Bioscience Research Centre

school School of Computer Science

contact_mail enrico.grisan@lsbu.ac.uk

key AI, Medical Imaging, Computer-aided Diagnosis, Ultrasound, Endoscopy, Digital pathology

Academics

Eiman Abdel Aleem

Professor in Biomedical Science

school School of Applied Sciences

contact_mail abdelae3@lsbu.ac.uk

key cancer therapy, molecular medicine, hyopoxia, drug resistance, IGF-1R, leukemia

Haydar Aygun

Associate Professor in Acoustics and Building Services

school School of Engineering

contact_mail aygunh@lsbu.ac.uk

key Quantum Acoustics, Ultrasound, Acoustic Materials and Metamaterials, Vibration, Air Conditioning, Heat Pumps, Acoustics Applications in Medical Industry.

Ludovica Brusaferri

Senior Lecturer in Medical Imaging

school School of Computer Science

contact_mail ludovica.brusaferri@lsbu.ac.uk

key neuroscience, medical imaging, MRI, PET, neuroinflammation, migraine, modelling

Sandra Dudley-Mcevoy

Professor of Communication Systems

school School of Engineering

contact_mail dudleyms@lsbu.ac.uk

key remote sensing, non-wearable technology, microwave imaging, gait analysis, breast imaging

Gaspar Epro

Senior Lecturer in Biomechanics

school School of Applied Sciences

contact_mail g.epro@lsbu.ac.uk

key plasticity, human musculoskeletal system, response to mechanical loading, neural and motor system interaction,  sports performance

Mohammad Ghavami

Professor in Telecommunication

school School of Engineering

contact_mail ghavamim@lsbu.ac.uk

key microwave imaging, smart card antennas, microwave cancer detection, bone fracture imagin, recovering monitoring

Geoff Goss

Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering

school School of Engineering

contact_mail gossga@lsbu.ac.uk

key deformations of elastic rods, Cosserat theory, animal whiskers mechanics

Rachel Grant

Senior Lecturer in Bioscience

school School of Applied Sciences

contact_mail grantr11@lsbu.ac.uk

key Behavioural Ecology, Ecology and Evolution, Evolution, Conservation Biology, Animal Ecology, Wildlife Ecology, Wildlife Conservation, Zoology, Biodiversity, Conservation

Sevan Harput

Associate Professor in Electrical Engineering

school School of Engineering

contact_mail harputs@lsbu.ac.uk

key high frame-rate ultrasound imaging, super-resolution methods, 3D ultrasound imaging, signal processing for biomedical imaging, ultrasound sensor modelling and development

Darren James

Senior Lecturer in Musculoskeletal Biomechanics

school School of Applied Sciences

contact_mail jamesd6@lsbu.ac.uk

keyfoot and ankle complex, ultrasound elastography, ligament integrity assessment, mechanical properties of ligaments

Kiros Karaminidis

Professor of Ageing and Exercise Science

school School of Applied Sciences

contact_mail k.karamanidis@lsbu.ac.uk

keyprevention and rehabilitation of sport related injuries,dynamic stability control, mechanical loading, neural and motor system interaction

Pawel Markiewicz

Senior Lecturer in Medical Imaging

school School of Computer Science

contact_mail pawel.markiewicz@lsbu.ac.uk

key neuroscience, medical imaging, MRI, dementia

Julia Mantaj

Senior Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Science

school School of Applied Sciences

contact_mail jula.mantaj@lsbu.ac.uk

key cellular models, vitro models, hydrogel-based therapy delivery, inflammatory bowel disease

Hamed Rajabi Jorshari

Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering and Design

school School of Engineering

contact_mail rajabijh@lsbu.ac.uk

key mechanical intelligence, biomimetics, bioinspired designed, structural reinforcement, lightweight construction, healthcare systems, and robotics

Jiaqiu Wang

Senior Lecturer in Computer Science

school School of Computer, Science

contact_mail jiaqiu.wang@lsbu.ac.uk

key computational modelling, computational biomechanics, medical imaging and processing,  fluidic computational models, fluid-structural interaction, OCT, cardiac 4D-CT/MR

Perry Xiao

Professor in Electrical Engineering

school School of Engineering

contact_mail perry.xiao@lsbu.ac.uk/p>

key infrared sensing, electronic sensing, skin measurements, industrial Non-Destructive Testing, thermal diffusivity, photo-thermal radiometry, trans-epidermal water loss.

Research Fellows

Dr Ujwala Bhangale Chaudhari

Ujwala Chaudhari

Research Fellow  ( AI, HPC)

school School of Computer Science

contact_mailujwala-kiran.chaudhari@lsbu.ac.uk

key AI,  Medical Imaging,  Endoscopy, High Performance Computing, Geospatial analytics

Doctoral Students

Valentina Vadori

Valentina Vadori

Doctoral Researcher in Biomedical Engineering

school School of Computer Science

contact_mail vadoriv@lsbu.ac.uk

key AI, Medical Imaging, Computer-aided Diagnosis, diigital pathology , histology, neuroscience, cell morphometry

Kolawole Bisi Bode

Doctoral Researcher in Biomedical Engineering

school School of Computer Science

contact_mail kolawolb@lsbu.ac.uk

key AI, Medical Imaging, Endoscopy, Multimodal fusion, Inflammaroty Bowel Disease

Abraham Vaquero

Abraham Vaquero

Doctoral Researcher in Biomedical Engineering

school School of Computer Science

contact_mail s4237188@lsbu.ac.uk

key AI, Pharmacometrics, Biomedical Engineering,

Visiting Fellows

Diego Perazzolo

Diego Perazzolo

PhD Student

school University of Padova (Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health)

contact_mail diego.perazzolo.1@phd.unipd.it/p>

key AI, Omics data, Time Series, Clinical Decision Support Systems, Computer-aided Diagnosis, Digital pathology

Featured Projects

The role of veins in the control of wing shape in flying insects

Leverhulme Trust | 2024-2027

We are investigating and modelled a possible means of active control of insect wing shape, not previously suggested: by hydraulic distortion of the cross-sections of some of the veins, exerting leverage on the adjacent cross veins and membrane. Wing veins vary greatly in their cross-sectional shape and the relative thickness of their walls. The shape of some sections appear visually to be capable of change in response to lateral pressure, and this is believed to be the case in some longitudinal veins in dragonflies. A common shape resembles that of a flexion-line section recently modelled as a one-way hinge in a beetle hind wing, whose operation depends on the buckling of one side.

Endoscopic multimodal assessment using advanced imaging integrated AI to predict recurrence in post-operative Crohn’s Disease -PROSPER

Helmsely Trust | 2024-2027

Crohn’s disease (CD) frequently requires surgical resection, with up to 70% of patients undergoing surgery in their lifetime. However, surgery is not curative, and 50% of patients experience recurrence, with one-third requiring additional surgeries. Current tools for assessing post-operative CD recurrence (POCr), such as fecal calprotectin, imaging, and conventional endoscopy, lack accuracy, particularly in distinguishing inflammatory recurrence from post-surgical changes. This study aims to develop a novel endoscopic assessment system using enhanced imaging techniques (EEI), such as virtual chromoendoscopy (VCE) and confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE), combined with artificial intelligence (AI) and immune marker profiling, to predict and manage POCr more effectively.

Enhancing Blood-Brain Barrier Opening with Ultrasound and Microwaves for Targeted Drug Delivery

Medical Research Council (MRC) | 2024

This project aims to develop a new drug delivery technology to the brain. The problem with cancer drugs, or chemotherapy in general, is that drugs kill the health tissue along with the tumour. Our technology, which is a combination of microwaves and ultrasound, will be able to activate the cancer drugs on demand, only at desired locations inside the brain to minimize the collateral damage..

MammoScreen

HORIZON-MISS-2021-CANCER-02 | 2022-2026

MammoScreen is a project co-funded by the European Union and the UK Research and Innovation agency. It is set up with the aim of generating clinical evidence on the use of MammoWave, a new device based on microwave frequencies, for breast cancer screening. The project involves seven international partners from Italy, Portugal, Spain and the UK. MammoScreen aims to provide an innovative, safe and non-invasive solution for the detection of breast cancers.

Evolution's edge: How sutures shaped the diversification of the mammal skull

Leverhulme Trust | 2022-2025

Gaswami Skull

The mammal skull performs numerous critical functions, from prey capture and feeding to protecting the brain to fighting. These functions impose enormous pressures which are buffered by the skull’s shock absorbers: cranial sutures. These highly variable joints between skull bones are intimately linked with ecology and development, but their complex 3D anatomy makes them tricky to capture. As a result, we know almost nothing about their evolution. Bridging imaging, machine learning, cranial function and evolution, this project will reconstruct suture evolution and its role in one of the most important events in the history of life: the rise of mammals

Reliable Technologies and Models for Verified Wireless Body-Centric Transmission and Localization (ROVER)

H2020- MSCA-RISE | 2020-2025

ROVER Image

ROVER unites a highly skilled and motivated multidisciplinary team of developing researchers, innovators and internationally recognized experts from academia and business entities to tackle global challenges and support national and international efforts in the optimisation of wireless applications for healthcare by ensuring beyond state of the art innovations and promoting excellence research and product development through training and mentoring future researchers in the pivotal skillsets required for healthcare step changes.

MMMMammalWhiskers: Morphology, Mechanics and Movement of Mammalian Whiskers 2

Royal Society | 2021 - 2023

Project Image

Most mammals have whiskers - specialised touch-sensitive hairs that guide navigation, locomotion and foraging. Across mammals, whisker numbers, arrangements, shapes and lengths are diverse, and we do not really understand why this is. Differences in whisker shape are likely to affect the mechanics of the whisker, and hence the sensations within the follicle. It is these sensations within the follicle that are used by the brain to identify what the whiskers have contacted and where it is. While these sensations are really important for whisker touch sensing and neural coding, we do not truly understand how whisker shape might affect whisker mechanics, and hence, the resulting whisker sensations. Our project will explore the effect of whisker shape on whisker mechanics using novel mathematical algorithms. We will also test our theories of whisker shape and positioning on robot platforms and in behaving animals. Therefore, we will make recommendations for tactile robot sensor design and control. This has applications for robotic exploration in environments where visual information is either unreliable or restricted, such as may arise in marine archaeology, environmental monitoring, and search and rescue operations. We will also be working with zoos and aquaria to develop sensory enrichment devices that encourage natural whisker positioning and movements in captive mammalian species. Therefore, while this project will improve our understanding of mammalian sensory biology, it will also develop novel mathematical algorithms and help inform robotic sensor design and sensory enrichment protocols in captive mammals. The rat's Euler whiskers. The Science Breaker (2020)Whisker sensing by force and moment measurements at the whisker base. Soft Robotics (2022)

UK Funders

Associated Groups

Key facilities

chamber

Microwaves: 40GHz Anechoic Chamber and Test Equipment

  • A radio frequency (RF) anechoic chamber at LSBU is one of the finest in London.  This can test devices radiation emission up to 40GHz alongside associated test equipment.
  • There are also PCB production facilities for circuit design, probing stations for device characterisation and software enabling intensive circuit and antenna design, circuit simulations.

aquafluxepsilon

Skin Measurments: AquaFlux and Epsilon

AquaFlux™ evaporimeter and the Epsilon™ contact imaging system are the state of the art skin measurement technologies that were originally developed at London South Bank University and later converted into commercial instruments through the university spin-out company - Biox Systems Ltd (www.bioxsystems.com). AquaFlux™ and the Epsilon™ measure quantities such as TEWL, SSWL, hydration, perspiration, membrane integrity, wrinkles & skin topology (micro-relief).

The Epsilon™ is a contact imaging system that responds to capacitance. Its proprietary technology maps the sensor’s non-linear response onto a linear scale with a capacitance range from air to water. Its calibration ensures that every pixel in the image provides a reproducible measurement that can be interpreted in terms of hydration.

The AquaFlux is a TEWL measurement device with a unique patented technology that overcomes challenges of the closed measurement chamber through a condenser that continuously removes water vapour by converting it to ice. AquaFlux out-performs all its competitors in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, repeatability, reproducibility and versatility (supported by numerous studies available).

highspeedultra

High Speed Ultrasound System

A next generation ultrasound imaging system is not available in the clinic yet. It is equivalent of a slow-motion camera that can capture more data than any commercially available ultrasound system. It can be used for medical and industrial applications. For example; high resolution imaging, cancer imaging, ultrasound treatment, bone imaging, pipeline inspection, flow measurements, defect detection in composite materials and several others.

UARP-II is a state-of-the-art ultrasound research imaging systems with 256 channels designed for fast acquisition times. It can acquire at a rate of 20,000 fps and has a data transfer rate of 64 GB/sec. Receiver front end has a capability of 80 MSPS with 12-Bit ADCs. Available with trigger inputs and output for synchronizing with other devices.

This equipment is the most advanced imaging system and it is currently used for following research projects: ultrasound bone characterisation, super-resolution ultrasound, microvascular imaging, ultrasound elastography, and blood flow measurements.

calibration

Ultrasound Pressure Calibration

This is a specialised high precision ultrasound pressure calibration setup. It is equivalent of an underwater microphone. High-speed ultrasound system and the ultrasonic testing system are regularly calibrated using this setup. It can be used for medical and industrial applications. For example; measuring microbubble response, cavitation detection, testing liquid composition, calibrating ultrasound systems.

This calibration system consists of a needle hydrophone that can operate 1 – 25 MHz range. The sensor material is a 9 micron thick gold electroded Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film with a typical probe sensitivity of 55nV/Pa. It is mounted on a CNC system for scanning a full 3D ultrasound field.

3D ultrasound

Ultrasound Wave Simulations

3D ultrasound wave simulations require high processing power and memory. We have the required software and the necessary processing capabilities to successfully run models. This simulation environment can be used for medical and industrial applications. For example; designing a high strength bolt (by simulating ultrasound waves in a heavy duty bolts used in bridge construction see left bottom figure) or designing new ultrasonic sensors (by estimating the ultrasound pressure and the ultrasonic field).

The simulation environment uses Matlab and specialised C scripts to simulate ultrasound wave propagation in hard and soft materials. It can perform linear and non-linear wave propagation simulations by running Field II, K-wave or Simsonic tools. It can be used to estimate harmonic generation through nonlinear propagation and shock waves. Microbubble oscillations under ultrasound excitation can be simulated.

This high-end simulation environment is used for the 3D super-resolution ultrasound, ultrasound bone imaging and needle pressure sensor for compartment syndrome projects.

To discover more regarding ultransound research please visit Dr Sevan Harput's SPE3D (/speed/) Ultrasound Research Lab.

3D Modelling and 3D Printing

LifeDesign Lab by Hamed

LifeDesign Lab is led by Dr Hamed Rajabi, he is a Lecturer in the School of Engineering at LSBU. He has an interdisciplinary research background. He received his first PhD in Mechanical Engineering followed by a second one in Biology. Collaborations with researchers from various fields have enabled him to employ methods and techniques from different fields into his research and, thereby, answer questions that can be addressed only using multidisciplinary approaches.

Hamed is passionate about biological systems and their ‘technological’ complexities. He leads LifeDesign Lab, where he and his group aim to unravel these complexities, learn from them to develop nature-inspired concepts, and elaborate them into a technology readiness level that can be converted into marketable products, especially in the areas of structural reinforcement, lightweight construction, healthcare and robotics.

Further information can be found on Dr Hamed Rajabi's LifeDesign Lab.

MammoWave

MammoWave Microwave Medical Imaging Apparatus

In 2019, SABER acquired a newly developed device by the UBT Tech Srl, called MammoWave which allows illumination of the breast using electromagnetic fields to measure the correspondent scattered electromagnetic fields and to process the measured field through a dedicated algorithm, obtaining the image of the breast and highlighting tissues inhomogeneties.

Additional Equipment

  • Lasers and detectors:Er:YAG laser, Nd:YAG laser, OPO laser, He -Ne laser, Nitrogen laser, MCT detectors, laser energy monitor, optical tables/benches.
  • Mechanical testing: nano-indenters, pressure sensors, stress-strain measurment.
  • TimeDomain’s PulsON 400 (x3) PulsON 410 (x20) Impulse Radio Ultra Wideband IR-UWB ranging, communication and radar modules
  • Vector Network Analyser (VNA), Vector Signal Analyser (VSA), Spectrum and Impedance Analyser
  • Precise LCR components Analyser
  • PCB Prototyping machine
  • Generic equipement: HP Digital Oscilloscopes, Picoscopes, HR Proscopes, multimeters, signal generators, IBM x3400 servers, Fingerprint sensors.

News and Events

Last update March 28, 2025

Seminar in Applied AI

Date: March 31, 2025, 2pm, PBE1

Arianna Salili James, Natural History Museum, will give a seminar on: "AI in the Natural Sciences" .

Seminar in Applied AI

Date: March 17, 2025, 2pm, PBE1

Muhammad Bilal Zafar, Ruhr University Bochum, will give a seminar on: "On Trustworthiness of Large Language Models" .

Seminar in Applied AI

Date: March 3, 2025, 2pm, PBE1

Ottavia Bertolli, Google Deep Mind, will give a seminar on: "Shaping the Future of AI: A Program Manager's Journey with AlphaFold and AlphaProof" .

Seminar in Applied AI

Date: February 10, 2025, 2pm, BR-3027

Gerard Fogerty, CTO of Altruitic.io, will present his experience in applying AI: "AI for Impact: How use cases are driving the biggest change" .

Seminar in Applied AI

Date: February 3, 2025, 2pm, BR-3027 and online

Dr Mithin Das Gupta, from Microsoft Research, will give a speech om ."Responsible AI in conditional image generation"

New paper

Date: January 28, 2025

Dr Ludovica Brusaferri got a new paper published on Brain (IF 11.9):
Tohyama S, Datko M, Brusaferri L Tohyama S, Datko M, Brusaferri L , Kinder LD, Schnieders JH, Hyman M, Goldstein AM, Gilbert MD, Housman H, Le V, Round K, Marin F, Heffernan MR, Garcia RG, Gollub RL, Edwards RR, Rosen BR, Hadjikhani N, Cheng HT, Schuman-Olivier Z, Loggia ML, Napadow V. Trigeminal nerve microstructure is linked with neuroinflammation and brainstem activity in migraine. Brain. 2025 Jan 28:awaf029. doi: 10.1093/brain/awaf029.

Seminar in Applied AI

Date: January 27, 2025, 2pm, V-112

Prof. Miguel Coimbra, from the University of Porto, will present his research on AI application in the gastrointestinal domain.

Join us and contacts

We collaborate with a range of national and international partners to support us to deliver innovation and drive impact in he biomedical sciences and in bioengineering.
We welcome collaboration from all interested parties working across biological, medical, and bioengineering domain.

We have a number of ways to collaborate with us, and we'd love to hear from you!

Find out ways to work with us below, or get in touch to discuss further

Collaborate

Join our seminar series We have a lively series of weekly seminars targeted to MSc students and early career researchers, presenting cutting-edge AI and data science applications
Consultancy Draw upon the expertise that the Bioscience and Bioengineering REsearch Centre can offer to drive innovation and development in your organisation.
Diversity and Inclusion LSBU has been ranked third in the world for reducing inequality in the Times Higher Education 2024 ranking. You can be part of this transformative effort to improve gender equality, reducing social and economic inequalities, and empoering women, by supporting targeted initiatives for underrepresented groups, as scholarships for PGR studies, funded internships or placements, sponsored networks and events, or targeted training, mentoring, and coaching activities.
PhD studentships Support the training of next generation of scientist, and tackle your technological challenges by partnering with us and having a PhD student working on a targeted or blue sky project.

Join us

Fellowship Opportunities: We welcome expressions of interest from candidates looking to apply for independent fellowships hosted at the Bioscience and Bioengineering Research Centre. Please get in contact if you are interested.
Visiting Academics: We seek to collaborate widely with researchers from across the world, at all levels of careers. We welcome expressions of interest from those waiting to collaborate with the Research Centre as part of a visiting researcher opportunity. We encourage anyone in this position to research out directly to our academic staff, to discuss collaborations and opportunities.
PhD Opportunities : Students looking to undertake a PhD in the biomedical sciences or in bioengineering are encouraged to review our research teams and contact potential supervisors directly to discuss opportunities.