About
Dr
Tina Sadat Hashemi
Postdoctoral Researcher
DCU
Dr. Tina Hashemi is a Postdoctoral Researcher at I-Form, based at Dublin City University (DCU). She completed her PhD at DCU, where her research focused on developing surface treatment strategies to enhance the corrosion resistance of magnesium-based biodegradable orthopaedic implants. Prior to her doctoral studies, Dr. Hashemi worked as a Design Engineer at the Research Centre for Science and Technology in Medicine in Tehran. In this role, she developed patient-specific surgical instruments for procedures such as osteotomy and total knee replacement. She also holds a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering with a specialisation in Biomechanics, where her research focused on the biomechanical effects of orthopaedic surgeries through computational modelling. At I-Form, Dr. Hashemi’s current research builds upon her PhD work and is aimed at advancing coating strategies to control the degradation behaviour of magnesium-based implants.
Research Interests (Lay Summary)
Dr. Tina Hashemi brings over a decade of experience in biomedical engineering, with core expertise in product design, computational modelling, surface engineering, and corrosion. Her current research focuses on the development of magnesium-based medical implants.
Magnesium alloys are gaining increasing attention as promising next-generation implant materials due to their biocompatibility, osteoconductivity, and biodegradability. Notably, their Young’s modulus closely matches that of natural bone, reducing the risk of stress shielding—a common issue in conventional orthopaedic implants. However, a significant challenge remains: the rapid degradation of Mg-based implants, which can lead to premature mechanical failure and excessive hydrogen gas release, potentially compromising clinical performance. Dr. Hashemi’s research addresses these limitations through the development and optimisation of advanced surface treatment techniques.
Technical Summary
From a clinical standpoint, achieving a controlled degradation rate is crucial to ensure that magnesium-based implants provide sufficient mechanical stability throughout the bone healing process before being gradually resorbed. One promising strategy to address this is the incorporation of bioactive calcium phosphate coatings, as calcium phosphate is a natural component of bone tissue. These coatings have shown considerable potential in orthopaedic applications by enhancing corrosion resistance, improving cell adhesion and proliferation, and promoting osteointegration at the implant site. In this research, a composite calcium phosphate coating will be applied to commercial WE43 magnesium wedge-shaped implants using advanced coating techniques. The findings will establish a foundational knowledge base for future preclinical and clinical studies, helping to advance the clinical translation of magnesium-based implants for real-world orthopaedic applications.