Biography
Matthew Burgess is a DPhil (PhD) student at the University of Oxford. He received his MEng in Biomedical Engineering from Swansea University, focusing on biomaterials in biomedical engineering for regenerative scaffolds.
He is currently completing his doctoral studies under the supervision of Professor Malavika Nair in the Institute of Biomedical Engineering. His project aims to enhance the electroactivity of tissue derived biomaterials for regenerative and therapeutic soft robotics.
Research Interests
Matthew is interested in the potential for electromechanical enhancement of biomaterials derived from native tissues, directed towards optimising these materials for applications in stimulation, sensing, and drug delivery within scaffolds tailored for regenerative medicine. Taking inspiration from biology to advance technology, biomimetic design can help facilitate structural support without sacrificing essential bioactive sites which allow active contribution towards the regeneration.
A key area of interest involves the manipulation of the electromechanical properties of biomaterials, enabling precise bio-stimulation to promote functional recovery and guide cellular differentiation. Although materials with these capabilities exist, biocompatibility is often limited by their synthetic origin. Hence, biologically derived materials, already active inside the body, may hold the key for implantable electronics from temporary degradable electrodes to resorbable, regenerative, and therapeutic soft robotics with a focus on practical applications that hold promise for the future of healthcare.
