Research Department of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Science
About us
- Head: Professor Rui Loureiro
- Location: 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.
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 programmes, which include the following.

Musculoskeletal Science MSc
Explore a broad spectrum of musculoskeletal topics, including basic science and clinical aspects, on this highly innovative, specialist master's in musculoskeletal science.

Physical Therapy in Musculoskeletal Healthcare & Rehabilitation MSc
This MSc teaches the scientific principles of physical therapy and allows you to experience the clinical application of specialist rehabilitation techniques.

Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technologies MSc
This MSc focuses on the design, development and clinical application of new rehabilitative and assistive technologies to help restore motor functions.
Our centres
- Aspire Create
Our staff
- Prof. Rui Loureiro (Head)
- Prof. Tom Carlson
- Dr Lynsey Duffell
- Dr Sara Ghoreishizadeh
- Dr Steve Taylor
- Dr Hubin Zhao
Associated research themes
- Centre for Bioengineering and Surgical Technology
Our staff
- Prof. Alister Hart (Head)
- Prof. Helen Birch
- Prof. Chaozong Liu
- Dr Masimiliano Cerletti
- Dr Deepak Kalaskar
- Dr Catherine Pendegrass
Associated research themes
- Materials Research (Chaozong Liu's Research Group)
Our staff
Associated research themes