Ruxandra Cocu, a second-year Biomedical Engineering student and part of the Queen Mary Centre for Undergraduate Research (QMCUR), has secured an RS Student Fund grant to start a project on the development of oxygenation membranes for wearable artificial lungs.

Her research could make respiratory support more accessible outside hospital intensive care units.

Ruxandra’s innovative design uses a special multi-layered membrane that helps the body take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. Her long-term plan is to fabricate the membranes with an optimised structure to achieve optimum blood flow conditions, as well as evaluating their gas transfer performance, blood-material interaction, and the long-term stability of the device.

Her plan is undeniably ambitious and challenging, yet it is also scientifically and technologically exciting. Its multidisciplinary approach offers the potential to generate valuable expertise and capabilities that could drive the development of next-generation respiratory aids.

The project will be supervised by Dr Colin Crick and supported by QMCUR.

Huge congratulations to Ruxandra, and best of luck to her for a successful project!