2022 IEEE 12th International Conference “Nanomaterials: Applications & Properties”
Denata Syla
The 2022 IEEE 12th International Conference “Nanomaterials: Applications & Properties” hosted experts in nanomaterials, within a more material-science focussed remit the conference engaged interdisciplinary speakers with a section in nanobiomedical research & applications e.g. nanomedicine as a tool for diagnosis and therapy, nanoparticles-based platforms for cancer, lab-on-chip technologies and bio-nanomaterials and tissue engineering. At this year’s conference over 400 delegates joined with 300 on-site attendees. The scientific program hosted four plenary talks and over 70 invited talks.
Additionally, the conference organized a round table & international networking event, “Meet the Editors” and a session dedicated to meet the sponsors, “Sponsors at the Spotlight”. Besides the scientific program, the conference hosted social events to promote networking within the delegates, such as the welcome reception, social mixer and gala dinner. An optional excursion in the Krakow old town centre or Wieliczka salt mine gave another opportunity to network with fellow delegates while enjoying sightseeing in Krakow.
I am a last year PhD student at The University of Sheffield and we collaborate with our industrial partner Finceramica in Faenza, Italy. Due to closures and restrictions of the pandemic, I have missed on many opportunities to communicate my research to a wider audience but also network in person with fellow researchers. During this conference, I had the chance to present a contributed talk with the title: “Fabrication of Magnesium and Strontium Substituted Hydroxyapatite- Polycaprolactone Composites via 3D Printing for the Usage as Bone Filler”.
Throughout the conference, I had the possibility to listen to interesting invited/contributed talks, plenary talks and poster presentations. The social events were a great opportunity to engage with fellow delegates. Overall the conference was an amazing experience, both professionally and personally and I am very grateful the have had the chance to participate. Thus, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Tissue and Cell Engineering society for supporting my conference participation with their travel grant.
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ISPNR: 6th International Symposium on Peripheral Nerve Regeneration
Caroline Taylor
The 6th International Symposium on Peripheral Nerve Regeneration (ISPNR) took place at University College London (UCL) on the 7th-8th July. The symposium is held bi-annually for members of the European Society for the Study of Peripheral Nerve Repair and Regeneration. The symposium brings together world leading experts in the field of peripheral nerve repair, such as researchers and surgeons, to work together to overcome the challenges involved with treating nerve injuries.
I delivered an oral presentation on my work in modifying synthetic biomaterials for nerve repair, using novel coatings called aminosilanes. The work is a collaborative effort with The University of Liverpool, in which we have published work modifying glass substrates with aminosilanes with varying chain lengths.
Topics at the conference involved the use of natural and synthetic biomaterials, using stem cell therapies, identifying targets affecting nerve regeneration, using electro-conductive materials, such as graphene, developing models to understand nerve regeneration and using electrical stimulation/shockwave treatment to assist injury healing.
Keynote speakers included a talk on ‘The multicellular complexity of peripheral nerve regeneration’ by Professor Alison Lloyd, ‘Extracorporeal shockwave therapy of peripheral nerves and 3D imaging of nervous tissue’ by Dr David Hercher and ‘Electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves promotes regeneration after peripheral and central nerve injuries’ by Professor Tessa Gordon. I particularly enjoyed talks by early career researchers Poppy Smith, Holly Gregory and Dr Melissa Rayner who are based in the Philip’s group at UCL. The conference was a fantastic opportunity to see what current research is being performed, what techniques are used most in the clinic and new findings in the area of nerve repair, those that I can translate to my own research.
Overall, the conference was a huge success and I would like to thank the organisers for including my work in the programme, and the The Tissue Cell and Engineering Society (TCES) for awarding me a travel award to attend the conference.
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ChemEngDayUK 2022
David Philips
ChemEngDayUK 2022 is a two-day conference which brings together individuals from academia and industry to showcase the latest in chemical engineering research, innovation, and technology from UK universities and industry. This year’s conference took place at UCL in London, UK, on the 7th and 8th of April 2022, with major themes encompassing the sustainable provision of healthcare, energy, and food over the next 100 years.
The conference hosted parallel oral sessions each day based upon each of the conference themes, with additional poster and hybrid poster/presentation sessions allowing the presentation of a diverse range of research from individuals at different stages of their career. I was invited to present a 10 minute oral presentation within the healthcare theme on my research, “Design and optimisation of a novel fluidised bed bioreactor for the expansion of erythroid progenitor cells”. Following my presentation I received a number of interesting and engaging questions related to my work, and had the opportunity to discuss my findings with a range of people I would not have come into contact with otherwise. The conference provided me the opportunity to attend presentations from other researchers in my field which was immensely helpful, providing insight into other research and analysis techniques which would be applicable to my own work. A social event in the evening of the first day was also very helpful, providing an opportunity to further discuss research with fellow academics, and to develop working relationships and collaboration. ChemEngDayUK 2022 was my first opportunity to present my research in person and was a fantastic and hugely beneficial experience. I am very grateful to the TCES for awarding a travel bursary to aid in my attendance of this conference.
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PER-IADR Oral Health Research Congress, Marseille, France
Jake Edmans, University of Sheffield
The PER-IADR Oral Health Research Congress was held 15-17 September in Marseille, France. It is the leading biennial congress for the dissemination of oral and dental research in the Pan-European region. The scientific programme included talks and symposia on a wide range of topics including dental materials, oral medicine, and in vitro models.
I presented my research in the ‘Pharmacology, Oral Medicine, and Pathology Research’ session where it generated interest and useful discussion on the importance of 3D tissue engineered models for studying oral diseases. My presentation was also awarded 2nd place for the Senior Colgate prize for best oral medicine research by an early career researcher.
I am grateful to TCES for supporting me to attend this conference. It was a useful experience that has made me more aware of how my research relates to clinical practise. By presenting I was able to promote my research and the experience will certainly help me with the next stage of my career.
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NECTAR 2022, Athens
Emily Atkinson, University College London
The 32nd Annual Network for European Cell Transplantation and Restoration (NECTAR) congress took place in Athens, Greece this year from 24th to 26th October. NECTAR brings together scientists sharing the common goal of protecting, repairing and restoring the central nervous system (CNS), damaged through injury or degenerative disease. It has a particular focus on cell transplantation and gene therapies and therefore fits in perfectly with my work.
The conference was a fantastic opportunity to hear from excellent scientists working in the field, as well as hearing from individuals who are living with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Hearing from these individuals was exceptionally insightful and provided me with further knowledge regarding the day-to-day life of patients with PD. It confirmed how impactful our research can be to their lives and I felt inspired to make a difference.
Thanks to the TCES travel bursary, I had the pleasure of presenting our work in person at my first international conference which involved using biomaterials to provide local immunosuppression for CNS cell transplantation. It allowed me to share the results from a recently published paper as well as unpublished work into the clinical translation of our technology. Following the presentation, I formed connections with other labs across Europe and established possible collaborations specifically including projects where we can work together improve animal welfare in pre-clinical experiments.
Finally, thank you again to the TCES team for supporting my attendance to this brilliant congress.