News
December 2013 | ||
 Scientists find a groovy way to influence specialisation of stem cells18 December 2013Researchers at the School of Engineering and Materials Science have shown for the first time that the specialised role stem cells go on to perform is controlled by primary cilia, tiny hair-like structures protruding from a cell. Stem cells are capable of becoming any cell type within the body through … [more] | ||
 Dr Karin Hing talks about synthetic bone graft materials12 December 2013Queen Mary has led the development of bone substitute materials which are now used in 100,000's of patients across the globe. Two spin out companies from Queen Mary, Progentix Orthobiology and ApaTech (acquired in 2010 by Baxter International) have commercialised research into these important biomaterials. In 2010, the bone substitute materials sold … [more] | ||
 Dr Steve Dunn talks about the impact of his research11 December 2013Dr Steve Dunn has received widespread media coverage as a result of his latest research. Find out more about about it through his YouTube video. | ||
 Congratulations to the MSc and PhD graduates11 December 2013The SEMS postgraduate graduation ceremony took place in the Great Hall this morning. SEMS would like to congratulate all of the students who graduated today and to wish them the best of luck for their future careers. If you have any pictures from the event, you can tag SEMS on … [more] | ||
 Flight and control from a solar copter?10 December 2013With the world looking for alternative energy sources, the possibility of using solar energy to power vehicles has been investigated through projects such as Solar Impulse and Helios. SEMS is also helping to push the boundaries of solar power innovation where amongst those interested is a team of five MEng … [more] | ||
 MEng students investigate the effects of bird strike6 December 2013A bird striking the aircraft poses a significant threat to aviation safety, with frequent collisions reported. When a bird strike occurs, the structural integrity of the aircraft is compromised and can lead to expensive repairs. Therefore, the effects of bird strikes on leading edge components must be investigated to further … [more] | ||
 The Peer Assisted Study Group (PASS) welcomes you5 December 2013PASS is a course based mentoring scheme where 1st and 2nd year students are given the opportunity to explore their problems with higher-year students in a friendly and informal environment in order to help them settle in to university life, SEMS and their studies. If you want any help with … [more] | ||
 Post-Application Open Day Success4 December 2013The first of this year’s post-application open days took place on Monday 4th December in the Octagon where over 60 prospective SEMS students were in attendance. The A-Level students had the opportunity to put queries to the Programme Directors and academics, the admissions team and the student representatives. They also … [more] | ||
November 2013 | ||
 Engineering Professors' Council and Hammermen of Glasgow Essay competition26 November 2013The Engineering Professors' Council and Incorporation of Hammermen of Glasgow are running an essay competition for students - with the a first prize of £1,000 and 2 runners-up prizes of £500 each. This is the the 20th Anniversary Student Award, first announced last month. To enter, we invite students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, … [more] | ||
 EPSRC Science Photo Competition 201325 November 2013The EPSRC Photo competition launched in October and there is still chance to share your research through pictures. The competition is open to all EPSRC-supported researchers and students. Prizes will be awarded in a range of categories; the overall winner of the competition will be awarded £500 worth of camera/photography … [more] | ||
 Dr Karin Hing scores silver!18 November 2013In recognition of the personal achievement that she has made throughout her academic career, Dr Karin Hing has been awarded the prestigious Kroll Medal and Prize from the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3). Dr Hing is a senior lecturer here at SEMS. She is the director of the … [more] | ||
 Prizes! And more opportunities for students to network15 November 2013The biannual Industrial Liaison Forum was held on Thursday October 24th in the Octagon with over 50 industrialists from over 40 organisations in attendance. The annual SEMS Prize Day ceremony for the academic year of 2012-2013 took place where almost 50 students received prizes totalling approximately £8000. There were a number of multiple award … [more] | ||
 More contacts made between SEMS and the industrial sector14 November 2013Over 150 SEMS students benefited from visits to our industrial partners. The trips took place last week and some of the organisations involved include NPL, Astrium, Ford, ApaTech, TWI, 3T RPD and Advance Health Care. Visits such as these provide a great number of opportunities for our students who get the … [more] | ||
 Students set to compete at Silverstone Race Circuit11 November 2013Queen Mary Racer, the heart of the Formula Student Society, is QMUL’s flagship motorsport team. It comprises over 40 students from a range of schools within the university and is led by Habiba Yasmin, 3rd year Medical Engineering student. The team is challenged to design and engineer a single-seat race … [more] | ||
 Mechanical engineering students win the James Dyson Award7 November 2013A group of undergraduates from the University of Pennsylvania have been awarded £30,000 for their Titan Arm. The four students developed an exoskeleton which acts to increase upper body strength and may be used one day to help patients with back injuries. The James Dyson Award is open to applicants in 18 … [more] | ||
 Big beats bolster solar cell efficiency6 November 2013Playing pop and rock music improves the performance of solar cells, according to new research from scientists at Queen Mary University of London and Imperial College London. The high frequencies and pitch found in pop and rock music cause vibrations that enhanced energy generation in solar cells containing a cluster … [more] | ||
October 2013 | ||
 Prestigious research prize awarded to Dr Chavaunne Thorpe21 October 2013The Savio L-Y. Woo Young Researcher Award has been given to Dr Chavaunne Thorpe in acknowledgement of her contributions to the field of connective tissue research and subsequent clinical applications. As part of the award, the International Symposium of Ligaments and Tendons (ISL&T) has identified Chavaunne as a young … [more] | ||
 Can eating cat food cure urinary problems?18 October 2013Kidney stones are immensely painful to us and our feline friends. They can also lead to kidney infections and block the flow of urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Sometimes, surgical intervention is required. Similar to the stents that are used to open up clogged arteries in the heart, … [more] | ||
 Engineering and Business students team up in the name of entrepreneurship17 October 2013Sixth form students at a Camden school are benefiting from the expertise of two very different groups of Queen Mary students. Our engineering students have teamed up with the business-minded folk as part of Queen Mary Enactus in order to inspire sixth form students about how engineering can be used … [more] | ||
 Photo competition for all EPSRC students and post-docs16 October 2013The first ever Science Photo Competition from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has been launched with £1500 worth of prizes to be won. The theme of the competition is Research in Action and there are five categories: People, Weird and Wonderful, Discovery, Innovation and Equipment. The idea of … [more] | ||
 Engineering students fight back!16 October 2013Well that didn’t take long. Our MEng students are already fed up with the stereotype that engineers are boring and dull people. Although everyone at SEMS knows that this is about as far from the truth as you can get, the general public are not picking up on this … [more] | ||
 Help to debunk ‘scientific’ adverts14 October 2013Sense About Science want early stage researchers* to raise public awareness about the misleading ‘science’ used in the media to support the claims of products. Those interested are asked to help Voice of Young Science (VOYS) in their far-reaching and high-impact campaigns. The current campaign is targeting the supermarkets which … [more] | ||
 Ambassador application forms due 21/10/1314 October 2013The deadline for those wishing to become a SEMS student ambassador is now approaching. Student ambassadors work with the Outreach and Recruitment team in the main SEMS office and duties include: - assisting with school visits to SEMS - speaking to prospective students at Open Days - giving informative tours … [more] | ||
 Dragon's Den for young entrepreneurs: SEMS student takes second9 October 2013A student from Queen Mary University of London’s Design and Innovation programme has won a prize of £3,000 at the annual Innovation Hothouse competition, which showcases the very best in final year student design projects. Klayton Palmer, a Design and Innovation student from SEMS, impressed the panel of judges with … [more] | ||
 Electricity from Wood Burning stoves? SEMS explains7 October 2013The not-for-profit, education-inspired organisation, Faculti, have published a video of Prof Chris Lawn on their website. In the video, Chris speaks about how a thermoacoustic engine can be used to provide a constant supply of electricity using only the heat energy from a wood burning stove. The SEMS based research … [more] | ||
September 2013 | ||
 Launch of new Modelling and Simulation Website27 September 2013A new website has been designed by researchers in SEMS which brings together all of the computational and mathematical analysis that takes place within the School. Traditionally, the computational modelling that takes place at universities can cover a very broad range of topics and can often appear to be unrelated. … [more] | ||
 Best Doctoral Thesis in Biomechanics awarded to SEMS PhD student, Dr Angelo Karunaratne24 September 2013Congratulations to Dr Angelo Karunaratne, who has been awarded the Best Doctoral Thesis in Biomechanics, at the 19th Congress of the European Society of Biomechanics (ESB2013), held at the University of Patras, Greece on 25th – 28th August 2013. The Best Doctoral Thesis in Biomechanics is a new award from ESB which … [more] | ||
 Clare Thompson passes her PhD22 September 2013Congratulations to Clare who has completed her PhD investigating the effect of mechanical and thermal stress on chondrocyte (cartilage cell) primary cilia structure and function. Clare's PhD was funded through a grant from the BBSRC. She is continuing her research as a post doc on an AO Foundation grant in … [more] | ||
 First to Measure Nanoscale Neuronal Activity - SEMS Research Team18 September 2013A new technique that allows scientists to measure the electrical activity in the communication junctions of the nervous systems has been developed by a researcher at Queen Mary University of London. The junctions in the central nervous systems that enable the information to flow between neurons, known as synapses, are … [more] | ||
 Samuel Asare Passes his PhD10 September 2013Samuel Asare has completed his PhD on predicting the fatigue failure of elastomer components. The examiners were impressed by the candidate’s "strong performance in the viva". Samuel's supervisor, James Busfield, comments that, "Sam has shown remarkable perseverance to complete his PhD having left to support his young family and … [more] | ||
 Clare Thompson wins prize for best presentation at British Society for Matrix Biology conference5 September 2013At the recent British Society for Matrix Biology (BSMB) meeting in Cardiff, Clare Thompson was awarded a prize for the best oral presentation by a young investigator. The theme of the meeting was \'Under pressure: the cell\'s response\' with presentations describing the response of cartilage, tendon and other … [more] | ||
 Synthetic polymer developed at SEMS could stop the spread of HIV3 September 2013A precisely designed macromolecule that mimics the binding of HIV to immune system cells could be used to stop the virus from physically entering the body, according to a new study led by a materials scientist at Queen Mary University of London. The researchers created the large molecule with several … [more] | ||
August 2013 | ||
 QMUL Materials Science degrees top of the Russell Group according to 2013 NSS20 August 2013The results of the 2013 National Student Survey show that the 'Materials Science and Engineering' degree programme at QMUL is ranked first in London and first of all the Russell Group Universities. This reflects the quality of the degree programme with 94% of students satisfied with teaching on this degree. Materials Science … [more] | ||
Engineering excellence at QMUL according to National Student Survey19 August 2013The results of the 2013 National Student Survey NSS) show that the engineering degree programmes offered at QMUL are some of the best in the country. The 2013 National Student Survey (NSS) conducted a nationwide poll of final-year undergraduates asking them about various aspects of their student experience, including their overall satisfaction. … [more] | ||
 Queen Mary scientists discover promising protein to treat osteoarthritis12 August 2013New research from the School of Engineering and Materials Science at Queen Mary University of London, suggests that a protein found predominantly in healthy cartilage, a type of tissue that allows the smooth movement of joints, could hold the key to treating osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a painful condition that results … [more] | ||
July 2013 | ||
Adam Marinovic Wins First Prize in Poster Competition.12 July 2013Adam Marinovic, a PhD student with Dr Magdelena Titirici, has won the first poster prize in the "Environmental Materials Section" of the 11th International Conference on Materials Chemistry in Warwick organized by the Royal Society of Chemistry. The authors are Adam Marinovic and Magdalena Titirici and the title of the … [more] | ||
 Materials Alumnus recognised in the Queen's Birthday honours List 201310 July 2013We are pleased to announce that a Materials alumnus has received recognition in the Queen's Birthday Honours List 2013. Professor Neil McNeill Alford graduated in 1980 with a PhD in Geomaterials. Professor Alford is currently Head, Department of Materials, and Vice-Dean (research), Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College London and has been awarded … [more] | ||
 SEMS technicians' work on display at the Royal Society Summer Exhibition9 July 2013Two technicians in the School of Engineering and Materials Science, Dennis Ife and Doug Thomson, built the exhibition tank for a project displayed at the Summer Science Exhibition 2013. For the summer exhibition the team developed an activity around the idea of impulsivity. Dennis and Doug built a tank – but this … [more] | ||
Hui-Jiuan Chen successfully defended her PhD thesis4 July 2013Congratulations to Ms Hui-Jiuan Chen who successfully defended her PhD thesis 'Nanoparticle-medicated heating for non-invasive thermal therapies' on 4th July 2013. Hui-Jiuan was supervised by Professors Dongsheng Wen and Gleb Sukhorukov. [more] | ||
Qiangying Yi successfully defends PhD thesis1 July 2013Congratulations to Qiangying Yi who successfully defended her PhD thesis 'UV-triggered Encapsulation and Release by Multilayer Microcapsules'. Qiangying was supervised by Professor Gleb Sukhorukov. | ||
June 2013 | ||
Guangchang Wu wins best poster at ECCMR 2013.28 June 2013Guangchang Wu has won the best poster competition at the European Conference on Constitutive Modelling of Rubber held in San Sebastian, Spain. Chang's poster was concerned with "The effect of asperity geometry on the abrasion of rubber." James Busfield, Chang's supervisor, commented, "With dozens of posters to choose a winner … [more] | ||
 New red blood cell simulator invented at Queen Mary28 June 2013Prof Williams and colleagues in the School of Engineering and Materials Science at Queen Mary, have developed the world’s most precise computer simulation of how red blood cells might travel around the body to help doctors treat people with serious circulatory problems. Red blood cells have the important task … [more] | ||
 QMUL engineering students battle to become Britain's greenest drivers18 June 2013Two engineering students from Queen Mary, University of London will jump behind the wheel for the first stages of a non-stop driving challenge across the length of Britain in a bid to be crowned the nation’s most economical driver. Teams from 46 universities across England, Scotland and Wales will compete … [more] | ||
New funding for innovative virtual lab teaching aid18 June 2013Tina Chowdhury in the School of Engineering and Materials Science at QMUL has been awarded grant funding from the EPSRC and Westfield Trust to develop an interactive teaching aid called the Virtual Tissue Lab (VTL). The new platform will be used to teach basic lab knowledge and skills including Health & … [more] | ||
SEMS MEng group make the news across the world17 June 2013After appearing on the Discovery channel in the States the Solarcopter group have now had an article has appeared in the Daily Star, the Bangledeshi news website. | ||
 SEMS awarded Bronze award at Athena Swan event6 June 2013On Thursday the 6th of June Dr Steffi Krause represnted SEMS at the Royal Society of Edinbrugh to accept the Bronze Athena Swan Award. After talks by Professor Dame Julia Higgins, Emeritus Professor of Polymer Science in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London, and Professor Christine Magges, … [more] | ||
May 2013 | ||
 SEMS MEng Project Group Awarded Third Prize in International Aeronautics Competition24 May 2013SEMS MEng Project Group Awarded Third Prize in international aeronautics competition that will be delivered at the Paris Air Show on Thursday June 20. One hundred and thirty two students from 23 colleges and universities around the globe registered in October 2012 to the Price Induction competition. The contest asked students to imagine … [more] | ||
 Dr Karabasov presents keynote lecture at Multiscale Modelling & Computing Workshop22 May 2013Sergey Karabasov presented the keynote lecture at the Multiscale Modelling & Computing Workshop held in the Lorenz Centre, Leiden. His talk was entitled \'High resolution methods and algorithms for multiscale modelling in fluid mechanics - from aeronautics to nano-scale flows' [more] | ||
Henri Huijberts and Hazel Screen are both awarded Drapers Teaching Fellowships15 May 2013The Drapers’ Teaching Fellows Scheme was launched at QMUL this year to recognise and reward excellence in teaching and the support of student learning. The school is delighted to announce that two of only the first three inaugural Drapers Teaching Fellowships for the entire college have been awarded to our … [more] | ||
Queen Mary QS world rankings.9 May 2013A highly-regarded global analysis of almost 3,000 universities ranks 19 subjects taught at Queen Mary, University of London as among the world’s best. The third edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject evaluated over 8,000 programmes from thousands of universities before ranking 678 institutions in total. Engineering and Materials Science appeared … [more] | ||
SolarCopter team continues to receive media attention7 May 2013Co.EXIST, a part of the Fast Company magazine, has published an article about the Solarcopter MEng project. Fast Company is a full-color business magazine that releases 10 issues per year and focuses on technology, business, and design. So far this is one of their three most prestigious media appearances. [more] | ||
April 2013 | ||
 MEng project of a small jet aircraft design is in the final stage of an international student contest25 April 2013The Qu-Jet 128 D design produced by the MEng project of a small jet aircraft has reached the final stage of an international student competition along with ten other student designs from Brazil, Philippines, UK and USA,. All designs used the DGEN turbo-fan engines of Price Induction which organizes this event. … [more] | ||
SolarCopter featured on The Daily Planet Show (Discovery Channel)9 April 2013The SolarCopter MEng groups have had more media coverage, this time appearing on the Discovery Channel's The Daily Planet Show. Jibran Ahmed is interviewed about the project, the applications for the helicopter and the future of the project. The presenter describes it as 'the first in the world!'. [more] | ||
March 2013 | ||
 Solarcopter MEng group appear in Gizmag28 March 2013The SolarCopter Team, after being announced as the best MEng Project Group at the Industrial Liaison Forum, have now been featured on gizmag. The article talks about the process the students have been through and has already got some debate going. “The Solarcopter was inspired from the love of flight, … [more] | ||
![[Top Row] Abul, Mandeep, Sukhdit, Zein, Gagandip, Ali, Habiba and Aziz [Bottom Row] Juned, Dr Screen, Anna and Todun](/content/news/images/f175a0ac662af46d79ba791f462aa190.jpg) SEMS students recognised at the Annual PASS Mentoring Celebration and Awards25 March 2013The PASS team held its annual awards ceremony on 19th March, celebrating the contributions from students across college to the mentoring and support of their peers. The majority of the SEMS PASS team were able to attend to receive their awards, all seen in the group photo. Congratulations and thanks … [more] | ||
Saira Chaudry successfully defends PhD Thesis20 March 2013Congratulations to Saira Chaudry who successfully defended her PhD thesis 'A biomechanical characterisation of eccentric and concentric loading of triceps surae complex'. Saira was supervised by Dr Hazel Screen. | ||
Lifting Off-Implementing the Strategic Vision for UK Aerospace19 March 2013Chancellor of Exchequer has announced the Government’s massive £2 billion investment in the UK aerospace sector. The new UK aerospace technology institute (ATI) will have four main fields: Aerodynamics, Propulsion, Aero-structures, Advanced Systems. Chancellor of the Exchequer The Rt Hon George Osborne MP said he had seen firsthand the contribution … [more] | ||
 Solar Copter MEng Project Group wins NPL Best Group Project Prize 20136 March 2013The Solar Copter MEng Project Group was awarded the Best Project Prize for 2013 sponsored by the National Physics Laboratory (NPL) at the recent Industrial Liaison Forum. Congratulations to Aly Abidaili, Jibran Ahmed, Shakir Ahmed, Irmantus Burba, Pourshid Jan Fani, George Kwofie, Kazimierz Wojweoda and their supervisors Dr. Hasan Shaheed Prof. … [more] | ||
 Alumni Focused Industrial Liaison Forum6 March 2013SEMS welcomed back over 25 alumni to our Industrial Liaison Forum on March 6, 2013. The forum consisted of a poster presentation in the morning by all MEng project groups and the best 75 BEng individual projects including a number of visiting project sponsors such as Alcoa and Jaguar LandRover . This was followed by … [more] | ||
 Alexander Daykin-Iliopoulos was awarded the TWI Best Individual Project Prize at the recent Industrial Liaison Forum6 March 2013Alexander Daykin-Iliopoulos was awarded the Best Individual Project Prize sponsored by The Welding Institue at the recent Industrial Liaison Forum for his BEng final project titled Computational and experimental analysis of the Virgin Galactic Space Ship Two. Congratulations to Alexander and to his project supervisor Fariborz Motallebi. [more] | ||
February 2013 | ||
 Lotus F1 Visit20 February 20139 students from Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering with final year projects in Formula 1 design and Dr. J.-D. Müller visited the Lotus Formula 1 factory in Enstone, Oxfordshire on Feb 20. The group was shown around the manufacturing hall, race car assembly bays, windtunnel facilities and CFD simulation centre by a CFD … [more] | ||
 Congwei Wang wins the IoM3 Young Persons’ Lecture Competition London Heat19 February 2013Congwei Wang, a PhD student in SEMS supervised by Dr Asa Barber, has won the London round of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining’s Young Persons’ Lecture Competition. Congwei beat strong competition from both Imperial College and UCL to the award by delivering his lecture on deformation mechanisms … [more] | ||
 Lewis Tunnicliffe wins the Best Young Scientist Award6 February 2013Lewis Tunnicliffe, a PhD student in SEMS, was awarded the Best Young Scientist Award at the Tiretechnology Gala Dinner. The annual dinner is attended by more than 600 people and is considered to be something like the 'Oscars' for the tyre industry. Lewis won the prize for his pioneering work on … [more] | ||
January 2013 | ||
Wondering how your next hard drive might outperform your current one?31 January 2013New research resulting from collaboration between Madrid, Parma, QMUL (Joe Briscoe and Steve Dunn) and Cambridge show that it is possible to modify magnetic polarization using an electric field applied to a ferroelectric material. Remarkably this was found to happen in 0.1p capacitors found in almost all electronic equipment like … [more] | ||
 SEMS research team feature in Wiley's 'Best Of' list21 January 2013A publication by a research group at SEMS and Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU) has succeeded in being considered as some of the most accessed and best published research from 2012 in a blog by Wiley Online Library. The journal paper, accessed using the link below, investigates the effect that roughness has … [more] | ||
 PASS Presentation at the Teaching & Learning Day17 January 2013SEMS and EECS PASS organisers, Todun and Nabil, participated in a presentation on PASS at the Teaching and Learning Conference on 17.1.13, chaired by Professor Simon Gaskell. Todun and Nabil answered a range of questions from the floor and were a credit to their Schools. [more] | ||
 Ines Jimenez-Palomar successfully defends PhD thesis on small scale bone mechanics11 January 2013Congratulations to Ines Jimenez-Palomar in successfully defending her PhD thesis. Ines worked on the mechanical properties of bone at small length scales with her thesis titled ‘Mechanical Properties of Bone at the Sub-lamellar Level’. Ines is previous winner of the RMS Begineer’s Competition and an MRS ‘Science as Art’ … [more] | ||
 Ranjan Vepa Receives Awards4 January 2013Dr Ranjan Vepa was presented with an award by The Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) for fostering collaboration between QMUL and BIT in his role as a Visiting Fellow . Dr Vepa delivered a series of lectures on: Design, Modelling, Control and Simulation of UAVs. Dr Vepa and MA Zhahir were … [more] | ||