jutrmybe t1_jcnyoic wrote
Hi Nazia, this is amazing. Do these materials have potential for regenerative medicine and pain management within our lifetimes? I assume the clinical side of your research is partnered with surgeons, but do you regularly work with other medical professionals? What has been the most difficult organ to spoof? What kind of credentials and degrees does one need to get into this field, and how do you suggest someone start?
UniversityofBath OP t1_jd3mxa4 wrote
Hello! Absolutely. Biomaterials are already being implanted into patients to grown new tissue. There's a great TED talk by Anthony Atala which gives a good overview of what we're doing in that space (there has been significant progress made since then in fact). One cool thing to note is that as Anthony is giving his TED talk, he's 3D printing a new kidney in the background....
I do work with medical professionals, and roboticists, and engineers, and chemists, biologists, device regulation experts, clinical partners...the list goes on! It's rarely a 1 person show!
A single organ may actually not be the main issue. The issue is the space in which that organ sits in and what else it interacts with (soft tissues, tissues that expand, bone, nerves, blood vessels etc). Creating something that keeps all those partners happy is difficult!
You would need university level qualifications- an undergraduate degree in chemistry/ biology or both and at least a Master's too. I did a PhD also which laid the foundation of my career.
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