Stuart Reid, PhD, FRSE
Professor, Department and Royal Society Industry Fellow
in Biomedical Engineering
Director of the Extreme Performance Optical Coatings,
University of Strathclyde, Scotland
Professor Stuart Reid is Head of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde, and leads a multidisciplinary team working across astrophysics, quantum technology, and stem cell research. He has spent the last 22 years developing technology, particularly ultra-low loss optical coatings, for gravitational wave detectors, and is co-inventor of “nanokicking”, where precise nanoscale vibrations are used to control the behavior of adult stem cells which can be used to grow bone in the lab from a patient’s own cells.
“From Black Holes to Broken Bones”
Bone is the second most transplanted tissue after blood, yet surgeons are reliant on taking bone from the patient’s own hip to repair bone elsewhere in the body. A team of researchers at the Universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow have produced a new stem cell culture system which stimulates the growth of bone in the lab. The “Nanokick” bioreactor utilizes precise nanoscale vibration to mechanically stimulate stem cells into becoming osteoblasts, removing the need for traditional osteo-inductant reagents such as growth factors. The potential for this technology to help repair non-union fractures associated with landmine injuries is being explored within the first in-human studies planned in 2025. Wearable devices have also been investigated as a possible intervention for the prevention/reversal of bone loss following spinal injury. This talk will provide an overview of the status of the nanovibrational stimulation research and the future prospects for scaled-up stem cell manufacturing and related cell therapies.
Friday January 24, 2025, 11:00AM-12:00PM, LIB-110
University of North Texas Health Science Center
Fort Worth, Texas