Insigneo Newsletter - February 2023

Welcome to our monthly Insigneo newsletter!  

Our monthly e-newsletter keeps you up to date with events, funding, success stories and information. We hope you will find it useful! 

Insigneo Showcase 2023 - registrations open

We are delighted to invite you to join us at the Insigneo Institute's Annual Showcase event, which will be held on 14 July 2023. 

This full day event is an opportunity for our members, funding agencies, regulatory agencies, industrial colleagues, and other academic groups in the UK to meet and see first-hand the innovative research produced by our Institute.

The day will feature:

• A keynote talk and sessions from our five research themes:  Biomaterials / Biomechanics / Cell engineering; Computational modelling in medicine; Biomedical imaging; Smart devices and sensors; and Healthcare data / AI;
• Early Career Researcher presentations – hear about emerging research with perspectives from the next generation of researchers;
• Poster exhibition
• Networking opportunities with industry, funders, academics and clinicians.
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BIOREME study group - mathematical modelling

BIOREME have teamed up with The Insigneo Institute and The Knowledge Transfer Network to deliver a study group in mathematical modelling.

The study group will bring together 30 – 50 research scientists working in academia (expected minimum PhD candidate level) with expertise in mathematical modelling to work intensively for 3.5 days on real-world problems from industry and clinical settings. The main goal of the study group is to provide an interface between companies, clinicians and mathematicians to develop mathematical tools to solve the problems presented. You can find out more about the history and benefit of Study Groups in The Institute of Mathematics article “Study Groups with Industry: What is the Value?”

Insigneo EPSRC studentship projects

The Insigneo Institute has been allocated two studentships from the University of Sheffield’s EPSRC Doctoral Training Programme strategic allocation and we are pleased to announce the successful projects are:

• Dr Shannon Li and Dr Elspeth Whitby - Developing a deep learning tool for texture analysis of placenta abnormality during pregnancy.
• Dr Shuhei Miyashita and Professor Frederik Claeyssens - Development of in-vivo origami scaffold for bowel dilatation and long-term disease monitoring.

Digital foot could revolutionise bionic limbs and other assistive technologies

A digital foot sole that enables scientists to see the neurological signals that control how we walk and maintain balance, has been developed by researchers at the University of Sheffield.

The groundbreaking computational model, which provides a digital simulation of the signals that continuously flow through the body from the foot to the brain, could be used to design more sophisticated neuroprosthetics - artificial limbs that can give the brain feedback about the world around us, in electrical form. 

Called FootSim, the model allows scientists to map how our nervous system continuously responds to contact with the soles of our feet and changes in pressure points in unprecedented detail. 

The digital sole model has been developed by Insigneo member Dr Rodrigo Kazu Siqueira, a Computational Neuroscientist at the University of Sheffield, and Natalija Katic, a PhD student at ETH Zurich and the University of Belgrade.

AI could speed up discovery of new medicines

Artificial intelligence that could reduce the cost and speed-up the discovery of new medicines has been developed as part of a collaboration between researchers at the University of Sheffield and AstraZeneca.

The new technology, developed by Insigneo research theme director for healthcare data/AI Professor Haiping Lu and his PhD student Peizhen Bai from Sheffield’s Department of Computer Science, with Dr Filip Miljković and Dr Bino John from AstraZeneca, is described in a new study published in Nature Machine Intelligence.

The study demonstrates that the AI, called DrugBAN, can predict whether a candidate drug will interact with its intended target protein molecules inside the human body. 

Interview: artificial Intelligence and pulmonary hypertension care explained

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already being used in many aspects of life, and it has potential to make a big difference in the way that diseases like pulmonary hypertension are managed too. But what does it all mean when it comes to healthcare? 

This interview, produced by PHA UK, put questions from their members to Dr Andy Swift, Insigneo research theme director for healthcare data/AI and Cardiothoracic Radiologist working with the Sheffield Pulmonary Vascular Disease Unit.

Cardiovascular Modelling: Basic Science to Clinical Translation conference

On 13 - 14 December 2022, Insigneo member Dr Alberto Marzo was convener for the Le Studium conference titled 'Cerebral blood flow modelling: Basic Science to Clinical Translation'.

The event aimed to highlight current and emerging research trends in the characterisation of cerebral blood flows, both computationally and experimentally, its correlation with vascular disease and its application to unsolved clinical challenges.  The event aimed to raise awareness of research in this field and promote discussion to identify new research topics, identify key expertise and foster new research collaborations.

The event saw participation from internationally recognized experts in the area of cardiovascular modelling and ultrasound imaging from academia, healthcare and industry including Insigneo's Deputy Director, Professor Damien Lacroix, who gave a public talk on 'Notre jumeau numérique ou comment personnaliser diagnostics et traitements (Our digital twin or how to personalize diagnostics and treatments)', and several PhD students from Insigneo including Ning Wang, Nada Ghorab and Giulia Pederzani.

The conference was held at the Hôtel de Ville de Tours, France and was co-hosted by Le Studium Institute for Advanced Studies and the iBrain Lab at the University of Tours.

500th patient implanted with an Endotronix Cordella pulmonary artery pressure monitor

500th patient implanted with an Endotronix Cordella pulmonary artery pressure monitor based on research undertaken at The University of Sheffield's Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

New government strategy to boost NHS access to innovative medical technology

Patients across the UK are set to benefit from access to safe, effective and innovative equipment and medical devices as part of the first ever medical technology (medtech) strategy published 3 February 2023.

The blueprint for boosting NHS medtech will focus on accelerating access to innovative technologies, such as the latest generation of home dialysis machines that enable patients to manage their own health at home and in their day to day lives.

It also sets out steps which need to be taken to ensure patients can access safe, effective and innovative technology through the NHS, which can help diagnose, treat and deliver care more quickly, freeing up clinician time. The NHS spends £10 billion a year on medtech including syringes, wheelchairs, cardiac pacemakers and medical imaging equipment such as X-ray machines.

 $60 m funding to undertake FDA approval studies for arterial denervation system

Congratulations to Insigneo director for smart devices and sensors Dr Alex Rothman who has secured a further $60m to undertake FDA approval studies for the arterial denervation system developed for the treatment of systemic and pulmonary arterial hypertension based on research undertaken at The University of Sheffield's Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Professor Allan Pacey receives prestigious honour for fertility research

Professor Allan Pacey is only the 38th Honorary Member of The British Fertility Society in its 50 year history. The prestigious award recognises his life-changing research on infertility, as well as his influential voice in the field through radio, film, television, and live events.

Professor Ali Khurram awarded Golden Microscope Award

Professor Ali Khurram, from the  University of Sheffield's School of Clinical Dentistry, has been awarded the The Pathological Society's 2022 Golden Microscope Award which recognises excellence in pathology training and teaching.  

Dr Hamza Zafar is a finalist in the Fellows competition at Technology and Heart Failure Therapeutics

Dr Hamza Zafar is a finalist in the Fellows competition at Technology and Heart Failure Therapeutics where he will present his work developing a novel device for the remote measurement of interstitial fluid pressure.

New members

We would like to introduce some of our new members who have joined the Insigneo Institute recently:

My project is looking at surgical robotics and machine learning, working alongside my supervisors Professor Sanja Dogramadzi and Dr Sean Anderson.

I graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2020 with an Meng in Bioengineering. During my undergraduate degree I focused on the design of medical devices and completed my master's dissertation on the use of convolutional neural networks in diagnosing invasive ductal carcinoma in patients.

From there, I worked as a consultant at PA Consulting in Cambridge for two years. Whilst I was there, I worked on a number of medical device and health and life sciences projects, particularly in the diagnostics sector.

In 2022 I returned to the University of Sheffield to begin my PhD as I wanted to continue working on medical products from a research side. My project focuses on using digital twins to simulate fracture surgery, aiming to model both the robot and the patient. Machine learning will be used in both image segmentation and in training the robot to perform the surgery autonomously. I am working alongside Sheffield Children's Hospital and with orthopaedic surgeon Mr Sanjeev Madan to collect image and surgical data to use in the model. This research will hopefully enable fracture surgery to have better outcomes for the patient and become more accessible.

I work in Pam Liversidge B13, feel free to come and say hello if any of my research topics interest you

Charlie earned her BSc in Biochemistry, followed by a PhD in neuroepigenetics at the Sheffield Institute of Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield.

Following this, she worked in  research and innovation, working with academia and industry to foster collaborations. After this, she moved to the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) to grow their medical and healthcare offerings.

Charlie, and David King, Insigneo research theme director for smart devices and sensors, recently provided Insigneo members with a tour of the AMRC's Factory 2050.  The visit also included a series of talks focused on innovation in the medical & healthcare sector. If you'd like to find out more contact Charlie at c.s.appleby-mallinder@amrc.co.uk 

Post-doc roles at Leeds covered pre-clinical wear testing of hip and knee replacement, exploring different material combinations. A university fellowship enabled Claire to develop a new research area focused on bioengineering of the foot and ankle introducing new industrial and clinical collaborations to bring together tribological studies of natural tissue and total ankle replacement, mechanical studies of ligaments and repair materials, and biomechanical studies of patients with ankle replacement and fusion. An EPSRC discipling hopping grant in 2019 also allowed Claire to spend time with clinicians and patients, and develop some skills in qualitative data and thematic analysis.

Claire is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has been involved in public engagement activities throughout her career, also gaining a PGCert in Practical Science Communication.

Following completion of my MSc in Advanced Computer Science at the University of Sheffield, I joined the Department of Computer Science as a researcher in the area of Human Computer Interaction, Data Visualisation and user interface development.

I subsequently pursued my PhD, titled ‘Visualising Large Semantic Datasets: A generic, scalable and aesthetic approach’. My PhD thesis focused on applying interactive visualisations and User-Centered Design techniques to support exploration of large semantic datasets.

I briefly worked in the Centre for Assistive Technology and Connected Healthcare as a research scientist before joining the Department of Computer Science in 2014 as a postdoctoral researcher to continue my research on large scale data analytics.

I joined Sheffield Hallam University as a lecturer in Computing in September 2017, and subsequently joined the Information School in the University of Sheffield as a lecturer in October, 2018.

My research experience is based on the manufacturing, characterisation and in vitro testing of biomaterial devices for tissue engineering applications.

I have a bachelor's degree in Chemistry from The University of Alicante, a Master´s degree in Biomaterials from The University Autónoma of Madrid and I did my PhD in The Institute of Bioengineering at the University of Elche (Spain). Following my PhD I moved to England and I worked for one year as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sheffield in a Wellcome Trust funded project. I then secured a competitive EPSRC E-TERM Landscape Fellowship and from the 1st of January 2014 I have been working as a Lecturer in Dental Materials and Manufacturing Science at The School of Clinical Dentistry in Sheffield.

My research is focused on developing machine learning (AI) methods to address some of the fundamental health challenges. These methods include predictive modelling, explainable AI, health equity and bias, synthetic data, as well as causal inference.

Application areas of my work include the use of large-scale, longitudinal health records, biomarkers, imaging, multi-omics and routine care data to optimise treatment strategies, improve patient care, and provide novel insights to health institutions. Apart from clinical data, I also work on incorporating human behaviour data, such as those generated from wearable devices, with a strong focus on mental health.

Through my work I established close collaborations with some of the leading clinical institutions in the US, including Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and Harvard School of Public Health as well as several European institutions. These collaborations and my research work is supported by competitive funding provided by the European Commission, Italian Ministry of Health as well as commercial partnerships.

More information can be found at my university profile page, or my personal website at https://venetosmani.com

I am always happy to explore collaboration opportunities in these or related areas.

My supervisors are Professor Jim Wild and Dr Neil Stewart and I am part of the MRC DiMeN Doctoral Training Partnership. Before joining the University of Sheffield, I studied physics at the University of Birmingham, where I obtained my MSci.

My research focuses on developing methodology and modelling techniques for dissolved-phase hyperpolarised xenon-129 magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy for the assessment of pulmonary gas exchange. This involves pulse sequence development, machine learning, numerical simulation and development of novel reconstruction methods.

I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Biology from Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Derna, Libya in 2007, with honors (1st Prize, Merit). I then served as a research assistant and obtained my master in plant Physiology from Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt in 2019. Now, my PhD research focuses on OCT imaging of a plant’s early infection, in collaboration with the departments of Chemistry, Animal, and Plant Science, and Engineering.

Objectives of the project
In order to detect early crop infection, we propose to use Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) as a novel imaging tool to provide cross-sectional and three-dimensional non-invasive in vivo monitoring of plant microstructure in real-time. Using this technique, we hope to detect spores before the crop shows any visible signs of infection and learn more about the different infection stages. Once the technique passes the proof-of-concept stage, the goal is to evaluate its use in the field.

On 28 March, I will give a research presentation at the SSRC23 (Student Sustainability Research) conference in Leeds, and a poster as well.

Do you have news to share with us?

If you would like us to include information and/or events to this newsletter please email: news@insigneo.org (the newsletter will be issued during the 2nd week of the month, excluding January and August). 

Insigneo members - please let us know when your students are graduating so that we can celebrate their success!

Please ensure that you submit items for inclusion with a minimum of one week's notice.

Guest Lectures, Conferences & Seminars

We will share a link to our Online Training Opportunities document here each month.

Insigneo events

6 March
Insigneo research theme workshop (all themes): multi-disciplinary projects/proposals. Insigneo members check your google calendar for joining details.

The tentative agenda for the meeting is the following:

12:30-12:35 intro from organisers

12:35-13:00 pitches from registered participant (or groups)

13:00-13:30 lunch/networking

13:30-13:45 All: identifying potential topics

13:45-14:15 Small Groups: from topic to title; team; lead; timeline

14:15-14:30 All: groups to report back and wrap up

10 March
Insigneo seminar: Professor Rebecca Shipley and Prof Simon Walker-Samuel, UCL

17 March
Insigneo seminar: Modeling and validating device-induced thrombosis and thromboembolization

14 July 2023
Insigneo Showcase

A selection of Insigneo seminar recordings are available to view on our YouTube channel.

Other events

13 February
Sano seminar: Combining medicine with data science - a true story from a scientific and practical perspective

14 February
ScHARR Mini Master Classes in Health Research - Clinical Risk Prediction: What are we predicting and why

17 February
IICD Department Research in Progress Meeting: Alex Rothman - 'Allosteric SMURF1 inhibition augments BMP signaling to reduce pulmonary vascular remodeling'. Please contact Sarah Black (sarah.black@sheffield.ac.uk) for connection details.

21 February
N8 CIR: Introduction to Synthetic Data for Researchers

22 February 
Research IT Forum: Stanage HPC launch - this event is for the University of Sheffield staff & students only.

27 February
Sano seminar: Deep learning for computer-assisted perinatal care

28 February
N8 CIR: Python GPU Programming Workshop - part 1

1 March
Joint workshop with Sheffield Children's Hospital - save the date

The Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health are in the early stages of organising a joint workshop with the Children's Hospital to look at opportunities for greater research collaboration and the appetite for developing a Sheffield/South Yorkshire network themed on childrens and young persons health and wellbeing.  We have identified 1 March 2023 as a potential date, and are in the process of planning the event and identifying interested academics and clinicians. Please hold the date (12.30 to 16.00) and await further circulation.

6 March
VPH Institute webinar: So you have a PhD in In Silico Medicine. Now what?

6 - 7 March
RSE workshop: git & GitHub through GitKraken - from Zero to Hero! - open to researchers and research students from across all faculties at the University of Sheffield.

7 March
Sheffield Cancer Research Away Day - open to researchers from across all faculties at the University of Sheffield.

9, 16, 23 & 30 March
HDR UK webinar: Bringing Medical Devices to Market

13 & 20 March
HDR UK webinar: Data Wrangling workshop

21 - 22 March 
AI UK 2023, London - save the date

24 March
12th Annual Mellanby Centre Research Day, Sheffield

13 - 14 April
Bone Research Society (BRS) Annual Meeting, Liverpool

14 April
N8 CIR: Python GPU Programming Workshop - part 2

17 - 20 April
BIOREME: A Study Group in Mathematical Modelling - Developing the next
generation of lung function measurement, Sheffield

20 April
Training workshop - Quality management for medical technology development projects

Sheffield University Regulatory Expert in Residence Clare Lankester will be hosting an event with Richard Hall from QMS Consultancy on the morning of Thursday 20th April to discuss the principles of quality management within medical technology development programmes, and how they can be implemented in early stage projects. He will be particularly talking about design documentation and how it can be adapted across the TRLs.

Who should attend: Teams and individuals interested in or currently working on developing new medical technology destined for clinical translation.

Please use the sign up form here if you are able to attend.

14 - 15 September
BioMedEng23, Swansea - save the date 

For a full list of upcoming events visit: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/insigneo/overview/events

Vacancies

Lecturer in Robotics (closing date: 22/02/23)
Lecturer in Machine Learning (closing date: 28/02/23)
Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Computer Vision -two posts (closing date: 06/03/23)
Fully-funded 3.5-Year PhD studentship - Developing a deep learning tool for texture analysis of placenta abnormality during pregnancy (closing date: 10/03/23)
Fully-funded 3.5-Year PhD studentship - Using paired CT/MRI images to create finite element model of metaphyseal fracture in young children (closing date: 10/03/23)

Publications

Mobility recorded by wearable devices and gold standards: the Mobilise-D procedure for data standardization (Scientific Data) L. Palmerini, L. Reggi, T. Bonci, S. Del Din, M. Encarna Micó-Amigo, F. Salis, S. Bertuletti, M. Caruso, A. Cereatti, E. Gazit, A. Paraschiv-Ionescu, A. Soltani, F. Kluge, A.Küderle, M. Ullrich, C. Kirk, H. Hiden, I. D’Ascanio, C. Hansen, L. Rochester, C. Mazzà, L. Chiari 

Quantifying the impact of shape uncertainty on predicted arrhythmias (Computers in Biology and Medicine) C. Corrado, C. H. Roney, O. Razeghi, J. A. S. Lemus, S. Coveney, I. Sim, S. E. Williams, M. D. O’Neill, R. D. Wilkinson, R. H. Clayton, S. A. Niederer

Effect of radiation-induced damage of trabecular bone tissue evaluated using indentation and digital volume correlation (Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials) A. Karali, E. Dall’Ara, J. Zekonyte, A. P. Kao, G. Blunn, G. Tozzi

Comparison of linear and nonlinear stepwise μFE displacement predictions to digital volume correlation measurements of trabecular bone biopsies (Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials) P. Stefanek, A. Synek, E. Dall’Ara, D. H. Pahr

Biomechanics and Tribology of Total Ankle Replacement (Foot and Ankle Clinics) C. Brockett

Characterization in respect to degradation of titanium-coated polypropylene surgical mesh explanted from humans (Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials) N. T. H. Farr, B. Klosterhalfen, G. K. Noé

Automatic development of 3D anatomical models of border zone and core scar regions in the left ventricle (Computerized Medical Imaging and Graphics) M. Mamalakis, P. Garg, T. Nelson, J. Lee,  A. J. Swift, J. M. Wild, R. H. Clayton

Imaging biomarkers of lung ventilation in interstitial lung disease from 129Xe and oxygen enhanced 1H MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) M. Tibiletti, J. A. Eaden, J. H. Naish, P. J.C. Hughes, J. C. Waterton, M. J. Heaton, N. Chaudhuri, S. Skeoch, I. N. Bruce, S. Bianchi, J. M. Wild, G. J.M. Parker

On the similarities of representations in artificial and brain neural networks for speech recognition (Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience) C. Wingfield, C. Zhang, B. Devereux, E. Fonteneau, A. Thwaites, X. Liu, P. Woodland, W. Marslen-Wilson, L. Su

Reducing the Complexity of Musculoskeletal Models Using Gaussian Process Emulators (Applied Sciences) I. Benemerito, E. Montefiori, A. Marzo, C. Mazzà

Design and validation of a multi-task, multi-context protocol for real-world gait simulation (Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation volume) K. Scott, T. Bonci, F. Salis, L. Alcock, E.Buckley, E. Gazit, C. Hansen, L. Schwickert, K. Aminian, S. Bertuletti, M. Caruso, L. Chiari, B. Sharrack, W. Maetzler, C. Becker, J. M. Hausdorff, I. Vogiatzis, P. Brown, S. Del Din, B. Eskofier, A. Paraschiv-Ionescu, A. Keogh, C. Kirk, F. Kluge, E. M. Micó-Amigo, A. Mueller, I. Neatrour, M. Niessen, L. Palmerini, H. Sillen, D. Singleton, M. Ullrich, B. Vereijken, M. Froehlich, G. Brittain, B. Caulfield, S. Koch, A.-E. Carsin, J. Garcia-Aymerich, A. Kuederle, A. Yarnall, L. Rochester, A. Cereatti, C. Mazzà for the Mobilise-D consortium

Healthcare resource utilization and quality of life in patients with sarcoidosis-associated pulmonary hypertension (Pulmonary Circulation) A. Lawrie, N. Hamilton, S. Wood, F. Exposto, R. Muzwidzwa, L. Raiteri, A. Beaudet, A. Muller, R. Sauter, N. Pillai, D. G. Kiely