Beth is an I-Form postgraduate researcher at Dublin City University. Her current focus is in the field of biomaterials. Beth completed her undergraduate degree at Technological University Dublin in 2020 with a BSc in Chemical Sciences and Medicinal Chemistry. Her previous research experience has focused on cyclodextrin nanoparticle drug delivery systems and she is currently conducting research into the influence of surface coatings on the biofunctionalisation of additively manufactured metallic orthopaedic implants.
Research Interests (Lay Summary)
Beth began her research Master’s project with I-Form in 2020 and is currently conducting research in the area of functional coatings for metallic orthopaedic implants. There has been a growing interest in the improvement of orthopaedic devices to treat bone fractures, as cases of degenerative bone diseases have been on the rise. Beth’s particular area of interest is in reducing the degradation and improving the functionality of magnesium implants using functional coatings.
Technical Summary
Modern research has focused on controlling the degradation of magnesium orthopaedic implants in the body to allow the full regrowth of bone and avoid complications such as stress shielding. One promising solution to this problem is the surface treatment of the implants with functionalised coatings. The coatings of interest in this project form the inorganic component of bone and have been shown to promote the growth of bone on the surface of magnesium implants in simulated biological conditions.
Beth’s research focuses on the design and characterisation of a novel coatings on magnesium implants, and the analyses of the degradation and bioavailability of the coated implants, as well as the cytocompatibility.
Expertise
Additive Manufacturing Post Processing, Mechanical Characterisation, Powder Characterisation, Surface Engineering