PPI for in silico medicine – is there a best practice?
Workshop lead: Dr Marlène Mengoni, University of Leeds
Time: 11 – 12.30m, Thursday 9 September
Location: W3.05, Level 3
Patient and public involvement (PPI) is recognised as best practice in healthcare research and is an essential requirement to receive funding from many funders in the UK.
While there are extensive guidelines by NIHR and medical charities for PPI activities associated to clinical research, there is little guidelines for preclinical research and in particular little appreciation of how research in the field of in silico medicine can make the most of patient involvement. This workshop will aim to identify potential roles of PPI in in silico medicine research.
This workshop will be a 2-parts workshop of a total of 90 minutes: (1) short presentations from stakeholders (~30 minutes); (2) facilitated roundtable discussions on challenges and priorities (~60 minutes).
(1) Representatives of NIHR PPI groups, patient associations, clinicians, and the Avicenna Alliance PPI task force will be invited to present their outlook of the benefits of PPI in research. We will aim to provide a diverse panel of expertise to reflect the complex space of both PPI and in silico research in the UK.
(2) The Avicenna Alliance PPI task force (of which the workshop organiser is a member) is in the process of producing guidance on how-to and why developing PPI activities for in silico medicine research. We will use the draft guidelines available by summer 2022 to facilitate roundtable discussion on a range of topics in relation to PPI. This will provide a framework for discussion to provide a UK-lens on current practice and desirable guidelines in the field.
The workshop will be led by Dr Marlène Mengoni (University of Leeds), who is a board member of the UK chapter of the VPH institute and a member of the Avicenna Alliance PPI task force. Patient-involvement experts from the University of Leeds (Drs Jen Edwards and Claire Brockett) will also contribute to develop the workshop and facilitate discussions. Dr Jen Edwards is developing a Leeds based diabetic foot PPI group and has experience in several different PPI activity formats. Dr Claire Brockett has been involved in a number of PPI focus groups around ankle instability and ankle arthritis, and has recently co-authored a paper alongside patient experts around perspectives of ankle surgery.
The workshop is co-organised by the Avicenna Alliance PPI task force and the UK chapter of the VPH institute, with input from the inSilicoUK network.
CHIMERA Workshop: Using AI and Mechanistic Models to Optimise Treatment of Patients under Ventilation in ICU settings
Workshop lead: Nick Ovenden, UCL
Time: 1.15 – 2.00, Thursday 8 September
Location: W3.05, Level 3
In the framework of the CHIMERA project (EPSRC funded) the goal is to create a forum to discuss what the clinical needs are for critically ill patients (from small babies to adults) who need ventilation and to discuss how mathematical models, data science and AI can help clinicians treat these patients -and make literally life or death decisions. We will also present a wealth of data available in UCL hospital partners, that can underpin these models and we will open a discussion with the hope to facilitate collaborations.
The scope for integrating lived-experience insights in the design and implementation of research
Workshop lead: Tinashe Munyebvu, University of Southampton
Time: 3.45 – 5.00, Thursday 8 September
Location: W3.05, Level 3
Are you an engineer designing and conducting research in the healthcare field? Doyou have lived experience of the healthcare issue you are researching? Have you considered the challenges that those with lived-experience face? Have you asked?
In recent years, public involvement has become a key component in the development of healthcare research. As a discipline which bridges the gap between engineering and healthcare, biomedical engineering remains largely technology-driven rather than user-driven. Where consultation, collaboration and co-production between engineers, clinicians, surgeons, and healthcare practitioners is common, the same is not frequently observed between engineers and members of the public impacted by their research.
Join our workshop to find out how establishing an active and equal partnership with members of the public can address the challenges and needs of the research being conducted. Find out how our team of engineers, health scientists and public contributors from the University of Southampton, are working together to inform, plan, conduct and disseminate osteoarthritis-related engineering research. During the workshop, we use an active learning approach and case studies to demonstrate the value of the lived-experience perspective in the development of biomedical engineering research. We also share the principles behind public involvement, our experience as engineers new to this approach and how you can incorporate these insights into your own bioengineering research.
“Nothing about me, without me” is the core principle of various patient advocacy groups championing patient-centred care and decision making. It insists that patients have a right to have as much of a say in the research about them as the researchers involved. Do you want to implement the same principle within your own research?
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the Advanced Biomedical Materials Centre for Doctoral Training
Workshop lead: Dr Tom Shearer, University of Manchester
Time: 9.30 – 10.45, Friday 9 September
Location: W3.05, Level 3
In the Advanced Biomedical Materials (ABM) Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) at the Universities of Manchester and Sheffield, our approach to equality diversity and inclusion (EDI) encompasses student-led, cultural and personal change projects alongside faculty-led, systemic EDI mainstreaming. In this workshop, we will focus on the student-led projects and discuss our experiences and lessons-learnt with the aim to share best practice in EDI education for postgraduate research (PGR) students in biomedical engineering.
Our EDI strategy consists of three main components: a review of all aspects of running a CDT from an EDI perspective, a programme of PhD supervisor and student EDI training, and PhD student-led EDI projects. We will begin the workshop with an overview of this strategy, led by Dr Tom Shearer, who will explain the changes we have made to our processes as a result of our EDI review, the structure and organisation of our EDI training programme and the aims of our student-led project initiative.
Next, Dr Chrissi McCarthy will explain the key principles of our approach, which uses fairness and inclusion as its key values, and the importance of building trust and how inequality and power impact the PhD student experience. These principles form the core of our training programme and we aim to reinforce them in each session.
Finally, two of our PhD student EDI project groups will present their work and discuss the impact it has had on the CDT and the PGR community. The first project is a calendar of social events that was designed to increase cohort cohesion and build an inclusive environment, which is particularly important given the social isolation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. It focuses on designing events that are inclusive of people from all communities and that do not exclude specific groups, such as, for example, those that do not drink alcohol.
The second project is an EDI-focused discussion group called PhDiscuss. This project has already built up a significant online following with its programme of thought-provoking seminars on topics including whether the academic community can ever be truly diverse and whether loneliness is an inevitable part of a PhD. Our student-led projects have been a great success. The initiative provides training in project management for our students and develops their thinking in relation to EDI, but most importantly, it harnesses their creativity to produce greater outcomes than can be achieved by staff alone.
(Frugal technologies) Individualised Medicine Approach: 3D modelling of the Human Body as a Method of Teaching
Workshop lead: Dr Viktorija Makarovaite, University of Kent
Time: 1.00 – 2.30, Friday 9 September
Location: W3.05, Level 3
The overall workshop will be a tutorial session on how to utilise free software for 3D body modelling. I will showcase how to take CT/MRI data and transform it into a 3D printable model for teaching or device development research. I’ll take the workshop participant through the full process of how to develop individualised body models and how to adjust them for teaching purposes. I will also show how to take the developed 3D model data and utilise it for research applications to improve device development and customisation. This will include providing examples of how I’ve used this technology within our biomedical engineering program and research. For example, my undergraduate students develop prosthetic devices that are individualised to each patient case. This allows them to approach medical device prototyping from an individualised medicine approach. An individualised medicine approach is the future of medical technology.
Career Paths for Early Career Researchers: Academia and Industry
Time: 1.00 – 2.00, Friday 9 September
Location: C3.09, Level 3
Finding your way at the early stage of a research career can be difficult. Choosing an academic or an industrial path, identifying a new research area or a market opportunity, and securing fellowships or seed funding require careful thinking and planning. This highly interactive panel discussion will provide different perspectives and first-hand experiences from a very diverse panel of academic and industry leaders and the opportunity to ask questions.
Leveraging Next-Gen Multiscale Imaging at Central Facilities for Biomedical Engineering Research
Workshop lead: Dr Himadri Gupta, Queen Mary University
Time: 3.45 – 5.00, Friday 9 September
Location: W3.05, Level 3
High-brilliance multiscale imaging techniques at central facilities (e.g., synchrotrons) can now provide unparalleled structural and temporal resolution of biological and biomaterial structures in close-to-physiological conditions. Examples included multiscale phase-contrast tomography to analyse lungs of Covid-19 patients (bit.ly/HiP-CT-videos), and imaging supramolecular dynamics in joints during loading [1,2]. These next-generation techniques open exciting opportunities for bioengineers but also present significant challenges. These include i) mimicking real-world bioengineering use cases ii) integrating multiple imaging modalities iii) bridging the gap between central facilities and clinic and iv) increasing awareness in the bioengineering community on how to use these methods.
Here we propose a workshop at BioMedEng2022 to overcome these challenges. Our team leads the ImagingBioPro UKRI multidisciplinary network, bringing >250 members from biomedical, life science and physical/engineering fields to develop next-generation imaging methodologies for bioengineering, which can be translated to the clinic.
In this workshop we will introduce the principles of multimodal imaging techniques (e.g., phase contrast CT, X-ray scattering), challenges in adaptation to real-world bioengineering use-cases and in correlative clinical translation. Our format, with talks by technique experts, moderated discussion, and flash presentations by ECRs, will facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration.
Kindly supported by our sponsors:
Gold sponsor: Biomedical Engineering Steering Group
The Joint Biomedical Steering Group currently comprises of representatives from the IET, IMechE, IPEM, IOP, IOM3, BCS, FCI and the BioMedEng Association. It strives to provide a forum for member driven communities in Biomedical Engineering in the UK to come together to highlight upcoming events, make sure these are cross-advertised when suitable, and capitalise on cross discipline opportunities
Gold Sponsor: Jellagen
Jellagen Ltd is a medical technology company manufacturing next-generation collagen derived from jellyfish for medical and scientific research applications. Our mission is to commercialize Collagen Type 0 based on its many advantages over mammalian sources, while also exploring new therapeutic opportunities which arise from the unique qualities of Collagen Type 0 as a biomaterial. The Jellagen business model is based upon our deep belief in building sustainable sources for critical biomaterials which do not carry the environmental and human health risks of traditional collagen sources.
Gold Sponsor: ThermoFisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific helps customers accelerate life sciences research, solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics, and increase laboratory productivity. Our Thermo Scientific™ Amira™ Software solution supports advanced 2D–5D bioimaging workflows in research areas ranging from structural and cellular biology to tissue imaging, neuroscience, preclinical imaging, and bioengineering.
ThermoFisher product demo:
Advanced Biomedical 3D Image Processing and Analysis using Amira Software
In this demonstration, you will learn advanced image analysis workflows in Amira software from data import, image pre-processing, visualization & 3D volume rendering, image segmentation, AI-based deep learning and machine learning as well as batch processing for biomedical imaging.
Amira software handles multi-channel, time-series, large biomedical images in different file formats and from different imaging modalities i.e. light-sheet, confocal, electron microscopy, CT, MRI and etc.
Stop by at our booth or make an appointment with our Amira expert for a demonstration at your convenience.
Gold Sponsor: Merck
We are Merck, a vibrant science and technology company.
The life science business of Merck, represents more than 300,000 products, improving quality of life for patients and fostering the success of customers. We are making future safer, devices smarter, and technology more sustainable. Our tools, services and digital platform make research simpler and help to deliver breakthroughs more quickly.
Silver sponsor: COMSOL
COMSOL is a global provider of simulation software for product design, engineering, and research in technical enterprises, labs, and universities. COMSOL Multiphysics® is an integrated environment for creating physics-based models and simulation applications. Simulation experts use COMSOL Server™ and COMSOL Compiler™ to deploy applications to design teams and customers worldwide.
Free IP review session sponsor: GJE
Gill Jennings & Every LLP (GJE) is the recommended intellectual property (IP) firm of the BioMedEng Association. GJE provides a comprehensive patents, trade marks and designs service to ensure your innovation stays secure. We take pride in providing world-class IP protection with a high quality service. For BioMedEng22, GJE have awarded a free IP review session as a prize for the abstract relating to the research project having a commercial and industrial aspect considered to have good potential for IP protection. The prize session involved guidance on how best to maximise the value of any potential IP in the winner’s innovation, and any existing IP, to support their commercial plans, including the possibility of filing patent applications.
ECR poster prize sponsor: MDPI
