Shipley, Tiwari and Torii in new Centres for Doctoral Training in Healthcare

Professor Rebecca Shipley, Professor Manish K Tiwari and Professor Ryo Torii are set to lead or partner in new healthcare-related Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs), following newly announced funding for UK research from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

Professor Shipley (left) is to lead a digital health technology CDT, while Professor Tiwari (middle) and Professor Torii (right) are co-investigators in CDTs in solutions for anti-microbial resistance (AMR) and accelerated medicine design, respectively.

These three CDTs will provide cohorts of science and engineering research students the structure, funding, skills, resources, partnerships and opportunities to help tackle pressing and future healthcare challenges.

Engaged in Digital Health

Professor Shipley, a UCL Professor of Healthcare Engineering, is to lead the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital Health Technologies, dubbed ENGAGE. Welcoming the announcement, Shipley said,

““Digital health technologies can revolutionise the way that we manage health and disease – this new centre will train a new generation of researchers at the intersection of engineering, computing and health to deliver on this opportunity. I am delighted to jointly launch this new centre across UCL and Ulster University, drawing together our strengths in research and entrepreneurship and bringing together over 30 partners across industry, healthcare and the charity sectors to provide a unique training and employment opportunities for our graduates.”

Accelerating Medicine Design

Professor of Biomechanics Ryo Torii will also be a partner of the CDT in Accelerated Medicines Design & Development (AMD&D).

The new CDT – a partnership between UCL, the University of Nottingham (UoN), and a network of industrial and clinical partners – will be led by Professor Gareth Williams (UCL School of Pharmacy). The aim is to educate over 50 PhD students to develop the advanced laboratory and computational skills needed to accelerate medicine design and overcome the major obstacles in medicine development. 

Antimicrobial Resistance

Royal Society Wolfson Fellow and Professor of Nanoengineering, Manish K Tiwari will serve as the CDT Partnership Lead and Deputy Director for the EPSRC and BBSRC CDT in Engineering Solutions for Antimicrobial Resistance which is led by Professor Lena Ciric. This is a UCL-only CDT with partners from across the UK to benefit from a wide range of expertise needed to address the AMR challenge.

Professor Tiwari said,

““We are delighted to be part of this CDT and contribute with our research around infection control, diagnostics and artificial intelligence technologies for antimicrobial resistance.”

Wider funding boost for UCL’s Research

These newly funded CDTs are part of a wider boost to UCL’s doctoral training in engineering and physical sciences.

UCL Engineering, UCL Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MAPS) and UCL Life Sciences will lead seven new government-funded Centres for Doctoral Training and be a partner in a further two with new funding totalling £54 million.

Further Links

• Professor Rebecca Shipley UCL Profile
• Professor Manish K Tiwari UCL Profile
• Professor Ryo Torii UCL Profile
• UCL News story: “UCL receives £54m boost to doctoral training in engineering and physical sciences”
• UKRI news article: “£1 billion doctoral training investment announced”
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
• Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)