Professor Sandra Downes

Sandra Downes joined the School of Material Sciences in April 2005, appointed to the Chair in Biomaterials with an Associate Chair in the Faculty of Life Sciences. Her aim is to develop a new group in the University that will focus on the development of novel materials for tissue regeneration and repair. She has worked in the field of Biomaterials for more than 20 years, having held positions in the academic, industrial and healthcare sector. Much of her work has focussed on gaining an understanding of how the body interacts with implanted materials, leading to the development of more biocompatible materials. Her contributions to the field include publications and studies on; osteogenic bone cements, drug delivery of bioactive agents from biomaterials, biocompatibility, bioactive ceramics, polymers and composite materials. She has a strong interest in hard-to-heal tissues such as chronic wounds and non-healing tissues such as degenerative cartilage. Her expertise and experience span the fields of Biochemistry, Physiology, Cell/Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Biomechanics and Material Science.

• Novel materials for cartilage repair
• Biodegradable polymers
• Biological composites
• Growth factor delivery
• Cell engineering in connective tissue repair

• Heath DJ, Downes S, Verderio E, Griffin M (2001). Characterisation of tissue transglutaminase in human osteoblast-like cells Journal of Bone and Mineralisation Research 16: 1477-85.
• Rizzi SC, Heath DJ, Coombes AG, Bock N, Textor M, Downes S (2001). Biodegradable polymer/hydroxyapatite composites: surface analysis and initial attachment of human osteoblasts. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research; 55: 475-86.
• Gough JE, Scotchford CA, Downes S (2002). Cytotoxicity of glutaraldehyde cross-linked collagen/poly (vinyl alcohol) films is by the mechanism of apoptosis. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research 61: 121-30.
• Coombes AG, Verderio E, Shaw B, Li X, Griffin M, Downes S (2002). Biocomposites of non-cross-linked natural and synthetic polymers. Biomaterials 23: 2113-8.
• Wyre RM, Downes S (2002). The role of protein adsorption on chondrocyte adhesion to a heterocyclic methacrylate polymer system. Biomaterials 23: 357-64.
• Ford JL, Jones P, Downes S (2002). Cellularity of human annulus tissue: an investigation into the cellularity of tissue of different pathologies. Histopathology 41: 531-537.
• Scotchford CA, Gilmore CP, Cooper E, Leggett GJ, Downes S (2002) Protein adsorption and human osteoblast-like cell attachment and growth on alkylthiol on gold self-assembled monolayers. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research 59: 84-89.
• Coombes AGA, Rizzi SC, Willliamson M, Barralet JE, Downes S, Wallace A (2004) Precipitation casting of polycaprolactone for applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery. Biomaterials 25: 315-325