Insigneo Newsletter - June 2026

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 2026

The Insigneo Showcase 2026 took place at the University of Sheffield's The Wave building on 18 June 2026 and was attended by over 200 guests from across academia, healthcare and industry. 

Professor John Flint, Deputy Vice-President for Research at the University of Sheffield, opened this year’s Insigneo Showcase, highlighting the institute's continued growth and strengths in building partnerships in the UK and abroad. He also spoke about the institute’s focus on large collaborative grants and local strategic priorities which contribute to developing the regional ecosystem for healthtech research, innovation, translation and manufacturing.

Professor Jim Wild and Professor Damien Lacroix, Insigneo Co-Directors, gave an overview of the institute's successes and objectives for the next year.  Dr Alberto Marzo highlighted successes from the Insigneo Academy, which is addressing the need to increase Early Career Researcher (ECR) involvement in research and develop our next generation. 

£1.6 Million boost for Sheffield researchers to develop new treatment for debilitating jaw disease

New research project aims to improve outcomes and reduce antibiotic reliance for patients affected by medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw.

A research team led by Insigneo member Cheryl Miller, Director of Research and Innovation, School of Clinical Dentistry, has secured £1.6 million in funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Healthcare Technology Translation Partnership Scheme to accelerate the development of a pioneering treatment for a debilitating jawbone condition.

The multidisciplinary research team includes Insigneo members Christine Le Maitre, Paul Hatton, Vanessa Hearnden, Hanya Mahmood and Graham Stafford. The team are developing a new biomaterial which can tackle the two biggest challenges in MRONJ: bone healing and infection control. This new material contains zinc, to prevent infection and calcium phosphate to support the repair of the damaged bone. 

Next-generation of ankle replacements given major award boost at Sheffield

Image credit: Dr David Williams, Cardiff University

Insigneo Institute researchers at the University of Sheffield have been awarded a £12m Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) grant for their work on ankle osteoarthritis, bridging the gap between engineering and healthcare.

Ankle osteoarthritis affects a significant portion of the adult population globally and most commonly occurs after an injury. Unlike hip or knee replacements, which are common operations in the UK, the ankle is a far more complex joint with a number of small bones and tendons surrounding it making surgical intervention much more difficult to achieve. Current available methods lack targeted investment meaning that even when surgeries are successful, patients are often left with chronic pain or limited movement. Consequently, both patients and surgeons tend to postpone the procedure, viewing surgery only as a last resort. 

The project is led by Insigneo members Professor Claire Brockett (Project Lead), Dr Pinaki Bhattacharya and Dr Vee San Cheong, alongside colleagues from the School of Medicine and Population Health: Professor Christine Le Maitre and colleagues from the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.

2026 IEEE International Conference on Robotics & Automation

Insigneo Research Theme Director for Smart Devices and Sensors, Dr Dana Damian, and Insigneo member Dr Shuhei Miyashita from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, together with their research groups, attended the IEEE flagship robotics conference, the 2026 IEEE International Conference on Robotics & Automation, which took place from 1–5 June in Vienna.

They presented papers on:

•  "A Wirelessly Powered Robotic Capsule Chain for Large Volume Gastrointestinal Liquid Sampling", 
• "Wirelessly Powered Zero Net Magnetic Torque Motor for Tissue Regenerating Robotic Implant"

University of Sheffield strengthens top 100 global standing with 10-place rise in QS World University Rankings 2027

The University of Sheffield has risen 10 places in the QS World University Rankings 2027 to be ranked 82nd in the world and 14th in the UK, reinforcing its position as a world-leading university.

The QS World University Rankings are among the most widely recognised independent assessments of higher education institutions globally. This year’s rankings evaluated more than 1,500 universities worldwide, assessing performance across indicators including academic reputation, research impact and citations, employer reputation and outcomes, student experience, sustainability, and levels of international staff, students and research collaboration.

This latest rise in the rankings further consolidates the University’s established position among the world’s elite institutions. It reflects the collective efforts of staff, students and alumni in building the University’s reputation and impact around the world. 

Yorkshire MedTech Translational Funding Summer Call

Thinking of applying for this round of the MedTech Place Based Impact Accelerator?

Find out more about the translational funding options at our webinar on Monday 13 July 10 am - 12:30 pm to look at the three funding streams in detail.  You can register for the session here.

Turn your MedTech research into impact with up to £120k in translational funding

Ready to take your MedTech project beyond the lab? If you've already completed the foundational research, the Yorkshire MedTech Impact Accelerator is offering funding to help you explore the commercial potential of your work and translate it into a real-world solution. 

This is your chance to take the next step. We are offering:

• Project Funding: Secure between £15k and £120k to advance your idea from its research foundation through to market analysis and proof of concept.
• Innovation Secondments: Accelerate knowledge sharing with a funded three-month secondment with an industry or clinical partner.  Rolling call now open

Key Deadlines for Project Funding:

• Expressions of Interest: Friday 31 July 2026
• Full Application:  Monday 31 August 2026

This is a fantastic opportunity to bring your research to life. We welcome applications from across the university, especially from those we haven't engaged with before.  

Find Out More and Apply Here

Insigneo Early Career Researcher community

Our Early Career Researcher ECR group is open to all Insigneo Members who are PhD students, postdocs, fellows, lecturers and those who self-define as an ECR.

Find out more and join

If you are not already a member of the Insigneo Institute and would like to join you can read more about the benefits and apply here: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/insigneo/membership. 

ECR fellowship/grant writing Workshop

We run regular ECR fellowship/grant writing workshops (every ~2 months).

The aim is to allow ECRs to discuss with their peers any fellowship/ grant applications they might be preparing and to receive feedback in an informal setting. During each session we have one to two members presenting their work, followed by a round table discussion. This group is reserved for Insigneo ECR members who are seriously considering or are in the process of writing their first grant or applying for a fellowship. Please contact Damien Lacroix (d.lacroix@sheffield.ac.uk) or Neil Stewart (neil.stewart@sheffield.ac.uk) to express your interest in participating.

Opportunity for an ECR to join our committee as the lead for social events!

In this role, you will play a key part in fostering community connections by organizing engaging social and networking events.

If you’re passionate about building a vibrant community and have creative ideas for bringing people together, we’d love to have you on board.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us by emailing Sarah Black (sarah.black@sheffield.ac.uk).

If you have any queries, please contact m.matella@sheffield.ac.uk or sarah.black@sheffield.ac.uk 

The Insigneo ECR Committee
(Malwina Matella, Neil Stewart, Juntong Lai, Hazem Toutounji, Sarah Needleman, Silvia Dirstaru, Sarah Black, Sarah Hollely, chaired by: Damien Lacroix)

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

Find out more about Insigneo membership and our members here: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/insigneo/membership 

I joined University of Sheffield in 2019 as a Postdoctoral Research Associate working with Professor Tim Skerry and Dr Gareth Richards to investigate novel interactions between receptor activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs) and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and their signalling consequences, especially in the context of cancer. We are developing novel therapeutic strategies targeting these signals to improve survival in diseases with unmet clinical need such as pancreatic cancer and metastatic prostate cancer.  I'm currently developing photodynamic therapeutic agents for oral cancer on a YCR-funded project led by Professor Helen Bryant. 

My undergraduate and MSc studies gave me a strong grounding in biomedical sciences and oncology that supported my PhD research project supervised by Professor Tim Skerry and Dr Gareth Richards (2015-2019), funded by Wellcome Seeding Drug Discovery Awards. I developed first-in-class small molecule antagonists against adrenomedullin-2 receptor as novel anti-cancer agents, currently in the preclinical stage of drug development. Most notably, these small molecule antagonists not only reduce the growth of breast and pancreatic cancer cells but also have anti-tumour effects on stromal cells in the tumour microenvironment.

I completed my PhD at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, where my research focused on the design and development of smart powered prosthetic legs, biomechanics, musculoskeletal modelling, and human–machine interaction. My doctoral work led to the development of a novel smart powered prosthetic ankle and resulted in a granted patent for a powered prosthetic ankle incorporating a magnetorheological damper to enhance mobility, stability, and adaptability for individuals with lower-limb amputations.

Following my PhD, I was awarded the prestigious National Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), a Government of India funding agency. Through this fellowship, I served as Principal Investigator on an independent research project focused on intelligent prosthetic hand design, predictive modelling, and the comparative evaluation of active and passive prosthetic systems using musculoskeletal simulation and robotics-based approaches.

My current research is conducted in collaboration with the University of Sheffield and Imperial College London, where I investigate the biomechanics of human musculoskeletal tissues, with a particular focus on the iliotibial band (ITB), using advanced experimental and computational approaches. This work combines cadaver-based experimentation, biomechanical modelling, medical imaging, and data-driven analysis to improve our understanding of human movement and support the development of next-generation rehabilitation technologies and medical devices.

My broader research interests lie at the intersection of biomechanics, rehabilitation engineering, artificial intelligence, haptics, and robot-assisted assistive technologies. I am particularly passionate about translating engineering innovations into clinically relevant solutions that improve mobility, independence, and quality of life for individuals with disabilities and musculoskeletal disorders.

This summer, I will be undertaking an Insigneo Summer Research Placement under the supervision of Dr Atousa Moayedi and her team, contributing to the ChildBone project. The project investigates the morphological and mechanical properties of paediatric bone to better understand bone fragility and the effects of metabolic bone disease. Through this placement, I look forward to gaining experience in medical image analysis, biomechanics and translational research aimed at improving paediatric musculoskeletal health.

Beyond research, I serve as the founding President of the ISPE Student Chapter at the University of Sheffield, the first ISPE-affiliated Pharmaceutical Engineering Student Committee in the UK. In this role, I work with students, academics and industry professionals to promote pharmaceutical engineering and create opportunities for professional development and networking.

Looking ahead, I hope to pursue further studies in biomedical engineering, with a particular interest in biomaterials, biomechanics and tissue engineering. I am passionate about interdisciplinary collaboration and applying engineering principles to address healthcare challenges.

Do you have news to share with us?

If you would like us to include information and/or events to this newsletter please email: insigneo@sheffield.ac.uk (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

Please see our useful resource detailing Training and Development Opportunities relevant to Insigneo research themes, including events, conferences and seminars from the University and across a huge range of institutions and organisations. Please note that some are internal to the University of Sheffield.

Insigneo events

15 September
Joint AI in cancer research workshop - save the date!

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

Other events

29-30 June
Human + machine: clinician-led AI for tomorrow's healthcare - 2nd Annual Global AI Conference 2026 

2 July
Health Research from Home grant writing retreat

6 - 8 July
EIT2026 – 26th International Conference on Biomedical Applications of Electrical Impedance Tomography

8 July
Health Research from Home Webinar: Consumer wearables to support physical activity and health during the transition to parenthood

1 - 4 September
VPH 2026

15 - 16 October
Inaugural National Paediatric Translational Research Conference

2027

25 - 30 April
Quantitative Musculoskeletal Imaging (QMSKI) Workshop and International Symposium on Ultrasonic Characterization of Bone (ISUCB) 2027, Iceland - Abstract submission: 1 September 2026 - 13 November 2026

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

Publications

Assessing the reproducibility of a subject-specific finite element modelling pipeline for the human metastatic vertebrae (Scientific Reports) R. Roger, R. Ghosh, Y. Cai, F. Gibson, Á. Lazáry, L. Guo, D. Lacroix, E. Dall’Ara

Sensitivity analysis of musculoskeletal parameters and motion variability on the mouse tibial loading (Journal of Biomechanics) T. Valerio, E. Dall’Ara

Quantifying local strain field and deformation in active contraction of bladder using a pretrained transformer model: A speckle-free approach (Results in Engineering) A. Asadbeygi, A. M. Robertson, Y. Tobe, M. Zamani, S. D. Stocker, P. N. Watton, N. Yoshiumra, S. C. Watkins

Coronary Microvascular Resistance as a Predictor of the Placebo-Controlled Response to Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions)  D. J. Taylor, E. Yones, T. Newman, R. Gosling, I. Halliday, X. Xu, H. Saxton, K. Czechowicz, A. Narracott, A. M. Biancardi, R. Hose, M. J. Shun-Shin, J. P. Gunn, R. Al-Lamee, P. D. Morris

Wearable devices and cardiovascular health: revolutionizing remote monitoring and disease prevention (European Heart Journal) A. M. Hughes , D. J. Taylor, P. D. Morris, E. L. Brittain

Large language models for simplifying radiology reports: a systematic review and meta-analysis of patient, public, and clinician evaluations (The Lancet Digital Health) S. Alabed,  A. Anderson, A.Maiter,  A. Hughes, N. McAnenly, M. Salehi, M. Sharkey, K. Dwivedi,  A. Hokmabadi, F. Alahdab, M. Stevenson, N. Ma,  R. Gaizauskas, T. J. Chico,  A. J Swift, J. J. Li, J. Kleesiek, C. Langlotz

What BPM Researchers Should Know About Visual Analytics (Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing) M.-C. Villa-Uriol

Addressing Directly-Follows Graphs Limitations with Visualization of Event Sequences (Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing) L. Montana, M. Resinas, M.-C. Villa-Uriol