Head of Department
Professor of Surgical and Rehabilitation Engineering
Division of Surgery and Interventional Science
About us
Location: Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore
We are an interdisciplinary translational research department located on the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust (RNOH) site in Stanmore.
We welcome clinicians, scientists, engineers, innovators, and technologists to work together and apply research in real time to physical medicine and rehabilitation. UCL’s partnership with RNOH Research & Innovation supports translational clinical research.
Our work
Our work focuses on new approaches and platforms for rehabilitation and implant science. This includes rehabilitation engineering, robotics, neuromodulation, biomechanics, neuro-prosthetics, tissue and nerve engineering, and intelligent artificial joints.
We work with UCL departments and partners on the science of tissue engineering and stem cells, biomaterials, AI data models, behaviour change and psychology.
Our research themes draw from different disciplines. We use a synthesis of approaches across rehabilitation engineering and implant science for multiple neuro-MSK conditions and collaborate with UCL Engineering on engineering-led innovation.
Our academic unit is built around clinical work on spinal cord and peripheral nerve injuries, prosthetics and orthotics, and complex joint reconstruction.
Research themes
Bioengineering and Surgical Technology
We investigate the causes of human musculoskeletal injury and disease and develop innovative therapies and technology to improve patients' quality of life.
Human Machine Interaction
Our work focuses in three areas: brain-computer interfaces (hardware and software), haptics, and adaptive shared control systems that assist when needed.
Implants
Our work in implants and BioSignal processing includes implantable devices to restore breathing and swallowing and to control prosthetic limbs.
Mobility Devices
We work on mobility to improve the lives of paraplegic people, from assistive technologies for wheelchairs to offering new and alternative ways to have fun or exercise.
Neuromodulation
Neuromodulation is the use of technology in delivering electrical or pharmaceutical agents to affect nerve activity.
Materials Research
Our translational work combines biotechnology and biomaterials science, with strong input from orthopaedic surgeons and clinicians.
We have aligned our themes to RCUK priorities and are building strong research programmes in collaboration with key UCL centres, with the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and with other UCL hospitals and Biomedical Research Centres to ensure our research targets unmet clinical needs and stays relevant to both the NHS and industry.
Our impact
Together with Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH), we deliver research and innovations that influence global health and wealth.
We bring together pre/post rehabilitation, surgical innovations, data science and social integration in order to identify and act on the warning signs, empower self-management of a condition (e.g., osteosarcoma), and engage communities.
Our MDT approach helps us to advance MSK treatment. We develop assistive technologies (e.g., exoskeletons, intelligent implant technologies) for joint movement, and advanced biosensing to acquire and monitor biomarkers of tissue / bone that are important in digital pathology.
We need better information on how individuals cope when they are discharged and return to their own homes and what factors affect their recovery and wellbeing.
Patients would benefit from a support system that can provide themselves and healthcare providers with early warning of possible deterioration outside the hospital environment.
Our teaching
Colleagues from this department contribute to our specialist MSc courses, which include:
MSc Musculoskeletal Science & Medical Engineering
Explore a broad spectrum of the musculoskeletal system and orthopaedic bioengineering.
MSc Physical Therapy in Musculoskeletal Healthcare and Rehabilitation
This MSc programme explores the underlying scientific principles of physical therapy.
MSc Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technologies
Focus on the design, development, and clinical application of novel rehabilitative and assistive technologies.
Our centres
Aspire Create
The Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology (Aspire CREATE) works to improve the quality of life of people with spinal cord injuries.
Centre for Bioengineering and Surgical Technology
We investigate the causes of human musculoskeletal injury and disease and develop innovative therapies and technology to improve patients' quality of life.
Materials Research
Our translational work combines biotechnology and biomaterials science, with strong input from orthopaedic surgeons and clinicians.
