Professor Eileen Ingham

Profile

Following graduation in Biochemistry & Microbiology at Leeds in 1975, I undertook my PhD (1979) and Postdoctoral training in Clinical Immunology (Leeds General Infirmary) during which time I developed as a translational biomedical researcher working in close collaboration with clinicians, NHS professionals, microbiologists and biochemists to gain insight into the pathogenesis and treatment of skin diseases, a theme which continued as I progressed to lecturer, senior lecturer and chair in 2000. During the 1990`s I recognised an opportunity to utilise my expertise and insight in medical immunology to contribute to challenges in medical engineering. This led to further success as a multidisciplinary scientist working in collaboration with engineers and clinicians for the past 25 years. I was a co-founder of the Institute of Medical & Biological Engineering (iMBE) at the University of Leeds.

My expertise and international reputation is in the field of biocompatibility of medical implants, in particular the biological consequence of exposure to prosthetic wear debris (polyethylene, ceramic and metal particles), tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Research in the latter has focussed upon the development of functional acellular biological scaffolds from xenogeneic and allogeneic natural tissues. I have published over 300 peer reviewed journal publications and 20 invited reviews in international journals. My papers have been cited over 11,000 times with an H-factor of 58. I am inventor on 8 patent families. I was elected to Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2016, recognised as leading woman in SET related to medicine during Suffrage Science in March 2013 and awarded Woman of Outstanding Achievement, from the UK Resource Centre for Women in SET 2011. I was finalist in the EU Inventor of the Year Award (Research Category) 2018, finalist in the EU Women`s Innovator Award, 2011 and finalist for BBSRC Innovator of the Year Award 2009. iMBE received the Queens Anniversary Award for Higher Education for research in joint replacements and regenerative therapies in 2012. I have a long standing collaboration with the NHS National Blood & Tissue & Eye Services to whom we licensed platform technologies for the decellularisation of allografts. I have supervised circa 80 PhD/MD research students to successful completion (40 as primary supervisor).  I am an academic founder of Tissue Regenix Group PLC, a University spin-out company founded in May 2006 which is commercialising acellular biological scaffold technology. The company was AIM listed in 2010.

Research interests

Research activities are conducted through the multidisciplinary Institute of Medical & Biological Engineering in collaboration with Professor John Fisher (https://www.imbe.leeds.ac.uk)

Research and innovation activities are funded through major programme and centre grants.

NIHR Leeds Biomedical Research Centre http://leedsbrc.nihr.ac.uk/

EPSRC funded IKC in Medical Technologies http://medical-technologies.leeds.ac.uk/

EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Medical Devices http://mede-innovation.ac.uk/

Current research is focussed upon acellular biological scaffolds for tissue repair and regeneration in musculosketal and cardiovascular systems. Specifically:

1. Stratified bioprocesses for the manufacture of composite (bone-soft tissue) acellular biological scaffolds for tissue repair and replacement in the knee joint 
2. Understanding the regenerative capacity of acellular biological scaffolds in vitro and in vivo, in particular the role of macrophages in the regenerative process
3. Development of novel sterilisation methods for biological grafts
4. Development and application of in vitro pre-clinical natural knee models for the functional evaluation of novel regenerative therapies

Qualifications

• BSc, PhD 1979, Leeds.