Prof Suwan Jayasinghe
Professor of Bioengineering
Dept of Mechanical Engineering
Faculty of Engineering Science
- Joined UCL
- 1st Jan 2006
Research summary
Jayasinghe's research explores the development of novel techniques for the direct handling of a wide range of advanced materials spanning structural, functional and biological species. His group has presently significantly contributed to the development of two platform biotechniques which have undergone scientific rigour for their demonstration as being inert for the direct handling and pinpoint placing of molecules, cells to whole organisms in three-dimensions. The investigations carried out in his research has seen the close knitting of the physical sciences with the health sciences for unearthing platform biotechniques both hither to previously unknown and unexplored.
As these techniques have undergone evaluation both in-vitro and in-vivo they are presently in the process of undergoing fine tuning for their exploration for given applications within basic biology and the clinic.
Teaching summary
Jayasinghe presently teaches biophysics, bioengineering and biomaterial at the Master's level and is the co-ordinator for group projects in the department.
Education
- Queen Mary College, University of London
- Doctorate, Doctor of Philosophy | 2003
- Brunel University
- Other higher degree, Master of Engineering | 2000
- Brunel University
- First Degree, Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) | 1998
Biography
Jayasinghe started his academic career at Brunel University in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. At Brunel he obtained his B.Eng(Hon) and M.Eng degrees and subsequently joined the Department of Materials Sciences at Queen Mary, University of London, where he earned his PhD. In the duration of his PhD, his research findings were awarded two top medals (the De Montfort and the Leonardo Da Vinci) presented to him at the House of Parliament in March and December respectively. Following his PhD he completed a post-doc and was later awarded a five year Robert's Fellowship funded by RCUK. In the first year of his fellowship, Jayasinghe pioneered the ability to electrospray and electrospin living cells and whole organisms. These finding have received wide press coverage through learned society periodical, popular scientific press and television interviews. In 2006 Jayasinghe joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UCL. In 2009 he was awarded highest honour bestowed to a younger aerosol scientist (SMOLUCHOWSKI Award) by the Gesellschaft für Aerosolforschung (GAeF). In 2010 The Institute of Materials, Mining and Minerals awarded him with the prestigious Sir George Beilby FRS memorial medal and prize for his seminal contributions to healthcare materials. Jayasinghe has published over 120 scientific papers and is at present fine tuning the discovered platform technologies for their wider utility in basic biology laboratories to their evaluation in the clinic.