MPhil in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering

University of Leeds

Masters degrees by research are useful for many careers which include elements of research but which do not specifically require a PhD (e.g. in the commercial sector). These Masters degree programmes also offer the chance to experience what it would be like to study for a full PhD if you are unsure whether a PhD is right for you in the first instance. Perhaps most importantly, a Masters qualification may be useful for those who wish to study for a PhD but whose graduate qualifications are not appropriate.Within the Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Research Group we aim to target the repair, regeneration or replacement of skeletal tissues. The group's interests lie primarily, but not exclusively, in bone, cartilage, teeth and complex tissue. Research strands within the group encompass- biomaterial development and characterisation (both traditional dental materials and also scaffolds/constructs for tissue engineering), interactions between biomaterials and cells in vitro and in vivo using a range of animal models, comparison of different stem cell populations and the way they respond to environmental triggers such as cytokines and mechanical stimuli, molecular mechanisms of ageing, non-viral gene therapy for osteochondral tissue engineering.