Chi Ching Lau

Chi Ching Lau obtained her first degree, Bsc of Chemical Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in 2012. Currently, she is pursuing her PhD study in a specific research area, which is producing a promising biomaterial in order to substitute the conventional implants.  

Research project

Title: Microwave-assisted synthesis of biomaterials for biomedical applications

Millions of people in the world suffer from bone diseases, including osteoporosis, bone cancer, fractures and other chronic bone diseases. Therefore, a cytocompatible bone substitute with minimal defects and long life is urgently needed to replace the conventional implants. Among the biomaterials, calcium phosphate is the best choice for orthopaedics, dentistry and even reconstructive surgery due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, predictability, low toxicity and enhanced solubility compared with other materials (e.g. silica and carbon nanotubes). However, the critical limitation of calcium phosphate is its poor mechanical properties. Thus, a biocomposite (i.e. calcium phosphates/ biopolymer) is aimed to be prepared in this project in order to optimize the integration of engineered tissue with the surrounding bone and growth of implanted engineered tissue.
Microwave solvothermal/hydrothermal method, an advanced approach, is used to synthesise the biomaterials (i.e. calcium phosphates and biopolymer) with controlled morphology before making the biocomposite. Advantages of microwave heating compared to conventional heating are: increased pressure (when heating a solvent beyond its boiling point in a closed vessel) leading to an acceleration of reaction rate, improved purity, influenced selectivity and reduced the by-products. Lastly, the feasibility of this biocomposite in aiding the bone regrowth will analyse throughout the research.

Education

BSc (Eng) in Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Malaysia 2012