New Royal Academy of Engineering Fellow

Links:

ucl.ac.uk/biochemeng/people/academic/titchener-hooker-n" target="_self">Professor Nigel Titchener-Hooker

Royal Academy of Engineering Fellows 2008

Professor Nigel Titchener-Hooker (UCL Biochemical Engineering) has been made a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Prof Titchener-Hooker has been recognised for his pioneering role in laying the foundations for the processing of a new generation of macromolecular medicines and linking the new field to established professional bodies. The fellowship has also been made in acknowledgement of Prof Titchener-Hooker's contribution to designing the education of a new type of engineer.

As well as being Deputy Head of Department and a postgraduate tutor, Prof Titchener-Hooker leads the UCL Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre in Bioprocessing programme: a multidisciplinary group from seven UCL departments that researches new methods to speed the development of efficient and robust processes for the manufacture of the next generations of macromolecular drugs.

Creating whole bioprocess models to gain process insights is a major focus of the professor's work, and he has pioneered studies of decisional tools addressing the interface between bioprocessing and business issues. Prof Titchener-Hooker also directs the engineering doctorate in bioprocess leadership activity. The programme has 44 sponsor companies and 80 projects have been funded through it.

Prof Titchener-Hooker said: "Election to the Royal Academy of Engineering is a huge personal honour but, I believe more importantly, reflects a recognition of the impact biochemical engineers make to the quality of our lives through the provision of global healthcare solutions. I am fortunate to work with an internationally outstanding team at UCL; all committed to realising the full benefits of taking pioneering life-science discoveries and converting them through ground-breaking biochemical engineering approaches into real commercial outcomes. In the future I hope to be able to use my Fellowship to help raise the profile of the process engineering community so that more can understand the vital contribution that it makes."

Prof Titchener-Hooker was one of 44 new fellows elected to the Royal Academy of Engineering this week. The fellowship comprises the UK's most eminent engineers, and provides the academy with leadership and expertise to act as an independent and impartial advisor to Government; to secure the next generation of engineers; and to provide a voice for Britain's engineering community.

To find out more about Professor Titchener-Hooker's research, follow the links at the top of this article.

Image: Professor Nigel Titchener-Hooker, UCL's newest Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering