The Medical Engineering Research Group (MERG) consists of scientists from Anglia Ruskin, physicians from Mid-Essex Hospitals Trust and Springfield Ramsay Hospital and collaborators from industry, who have combined forces to address common debilitating clinical problems, such as osteoarthritis and venous ulcers.

Our collaboration with the Hospital for Special Surgery aims to advance research on realignment surgery, to delay the onset of osteoarthritis and the need for knee replacement, and to assist with the design of our new Medical Engineering Laboratory in our Postgraduate Medical Institute.

Our research themes fall into three distinct categories: orthopaedic; vascular disease; medical devices.

Supervision and support

We have a newly purpose-built medical engineering laboratory, located on the first floor of our Postgraduate Medical Institute, to allow a range of research, teaching and clinical activities in the areas of computational and experimental biomechanics, biomaterials, gait and posture analysis.

We provide a good mix of experienced supervisors, consisting engineers and clinicians from Mid-Essex Hospitals Trust, Broomfield Hospital and Springfield Capio Hospital to mentor PhD students on multi-disciplinary research projects.

Our close research collaboration on osteoarthritis and rehabilitation with the Hospital for Special Surgery - the US number one rated orthopaedic hospital - also allows our PhD students to receive additional mentoring from the US.

Facilities

Our specialist facilities include: medical imaging and engineering simulation packages (such as MIMICS, COMSOL, ABAQUS, ANSYS, CATIA), materials (Bose Electroforce), mechanical (Instron) testing machines and a scanning electron microscope for the modelling of joint tissues and predicting performances of surgical techniques and implant designs; a Vicon motion tracking system and AMTI force plates to acquire high quality kinematics and kinetics during posture, locomotion and functional/athletic tasks; Novel emed-X plantar force measurement system and pedar in-shoe plantar to investigate foot pathologies and insole designs; a Tekscan pressure measurement system to assess knee joint contact forces; a combined photoplethysmography and Doppler system to assess venous function.

Funding

Aside from self-funding or funding by your employer, charities and trusts (competitively sought after, as are Research Council Awards), career, graduate, and professional study loans may be available. Click: www.family-action.org.uk for information on educational trusts, or www.direct.gov.uk for bank loans at competitive rates. Alternatively, visit your local high-street bank for more information.

Career development and training

Our research students have followed different career routes. Some stayed in academia and progressed as research fellows and lecturers/senior lecturers, others moved to industry in the research and development division.

• Dr Rajshree Mootanah, PhD, MBA
• Professor Kevin Cheah, FRCS
• Professor John Dowell, FRCS
• Dr Howard Hillstrom, PhD (Collaborator from HSS)
• Dr David Wilcox, PhD
• Professor Paul Ingle, MSc
• Dr Rob Walker, PhD

Candidates seeking admission to the degree of MPhil or MPhil with possibility of transfer to PhD will normally be required to hold a first or upper second class honours degree of a university, or any other institution of higher education in the UK with degree-awarding powers or a qualification which is regarded by Anglia Ruskin as equivalent to a first or upper second class honours degree.