QMUL School of Engineering and Materials Science News

Engineering students present scholarship research with Dr Rehan Shah and team at SEDA Conference

rehan.shah@qmul.ac.uk (Rehan Shah) — Mon, 25 May 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Maneeha Siddiki and Leonie Faulker, second-year design engineering undergraduate students, along with Dr Rehan Shah, and a cross-institutional team of multi-disciplinary colleagues comprising Dr Matthew Cole (Hartpury University) and Dr Noleen Chikowore (University of Leeds) presented their collaborative scholarship research project "AI in Academia': Auditing educational developers' use of and attitude towards GenAI in HE and FE" at the SEDA Spring Conference held at Liverpool John Moores University on Friday 22nd May 2026.

The project, funded by a SEDA (Staff and Educational Development Association) Research and Evaluation Grant focuses on auditing educational developers across multiple UK institutions to shape future AI guidance and contribute to ongoing research by leveraging a diverse team across multiple institutions, both within the HE and FE sectors. It specifically aims to explore how AI is currently used in practice by educational developers, what their attitudes towards AI integration in education are and what the existing gaps in their knowledge, competence, and confidence of AI use are.

The study employed a multi-phase, iterative approach to review existing literature to scope AI applications in educational development, surveyed educator staff to audit AI usage across multiple UK HE and FE institutions and conduct multiple rounds of cross-institutional staff focus groups to gather qualitative insights on attitudes and behaviours towards AI use for teaching and learning practices. Key outputs of the project include creation of open-access infographics to be showcased through the SEDA online blog and magazine, a research paper for SEDA's flagship Innovations in Education and Teaching International journal, in addition to dissemination at institutional conferences such as the upcoming QMUL Festival of Education in June 2026.

Queen Mary Impact Fund awarded to Dr Deepshikha and Team to advance responsible AI-enabled assessment

d.deepshikha@qmul.ac.uk (Deepshikha Deepshikha) — Sun, 24 May 2026 23:00:00 +0100

EduMark AI has secured a £9,000 Queen Mary Impact Fund award for the project, “EduMark AI: Advancing Responsible AI-Enabled Assessment Through Pilot Readiness and Sector Adoption.”

The Queen Mary Impact Fund is a highly competitive internal funding scheme that supports projects with strong potential to translate research, innovation and knowledge exchange into meaningful real-world impact. This award recognises the strength of EduMark AI as a responsible, scalable and sector-relevant educational innovation.

EduMark AI is an educator-led artificial intelligence platform designed to improve the efficiency, consistency and quality of assessment and feedback while keeping human academic judgement at the centre. The platform provides rubric-aligned, personalised and timely feedback under educator oversight, helping to address growing challenges around marking workload, feedback quality and assessment scalability in higher education.

The project team includes Dr Deepshikha as Lead Applicant, with Dr Riasat Islam from the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) and Dr Giuseppe Viola from the School of Engineering and Materials Science (SEMS) as co-applicants. The funded project will support the next stage of EduMark AI’s development, focusing on pilot readiness, institutional implementation and sector adoption. The work will include strengthening the platform for wider use, supporting integration with institutional assessment workflows, building further evidence for evaluation, and identifying potential early-adopter institutions.

Speaking about the award, Dr Deepshikha said:

“I am delighted to receive the Queen Mary Impact Fund award for EduMark AI. This is a highly competitive and significant funding route, so this recognition is an important milestone for the project and the wider team. EduMark AI aims to support educators and students through responsible, transparent and human-centred use of AI in assessment and feedback. I am excited to continue developing the project in alignment with Queen Mary’s commitment to innovation, inclusion and educational excellence.”

The award will enable EduMark AI to move from educational innovation towards broader institutional and sector impact. By supporting pilot readiness, evaluation and adoption planning, the project will help position Queen Mary as a leader in responsible AI-enabled assessment and feedback.

Dr Deepshikha selected for inaugural Google Higher Education Faculty AI Fellowship for EMEA

d.deepshikha@qmul.ac.uk (Deepshikha Deepshikha) — Sun, 24 May 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Dr Deepshikha from the School of Engineering and Materials Science at Queen Mary University of London has been selected for the inaugural Google Higher Education Faculty AI Fellowship for EMEA.

The Fellowship, launched in 2026, was awarded following a highly competitive selection process. According to Google for Education, the inaugural cohort was selected from "some of the most forward-thinking minds in academia globally," with successful applicants chosen because they "don't just see the potential of AI, they see the responsibility that comes with it."

Dr Deepshikha’s selection recognises her leadership in responsible AI-enabled assessment and feedback, particularly through her work on EduMark AI, an educator-controlled platform designed to support rubric-based marking, personalised feedback and human-in-the-loop academic judgement. Her work aligns closely with Queen Mary’s strategic priorities around educational innovation, digital transformation and inclusive student success.

The Google Higher Education Faculty AI Fellowship is designed to move participants beyond functional use of AI tools towards strategic leadership. Through the programme, Fellows will refine an institutional "Impact Challenge" and explore how AI can be used not only to improve local practice but also to create scalable solutions for higher education globally.

Dr Deepshikha said:

“I am honoured to be selected as part of the inaugural Google Higher Education Faculty AI Fellowship for EMEA. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to international conversations on how AI can be used responsibly and meaningfully in higher education. My work focuses on ensuring that AI supports, rather than replaces, academic judgement, while improving feedback quality, assessment literacy and student confidence. I am particularly looking forward to working with colleagues across the EMEA region to explore scalable, ethical and student-centred approaches to AI in assessment and learning.”

The fellowship comes at a significant time for higher education, as universities move from experimental AI use towards more integrated approaches to governance, curriculum design, assessment and student support. With students increasingly using AI as part of their learning processes, institutions are being challenged to move beyond detection-based responses and towards models that support AI literacy, academic integrity and authentic learning.

Dr Deepshikha's selection further strengthens Queen Mary's growing national and international profile in AI-enhanced learning, teaching, and assessment.

The first cohort's work will be developed through a series of sessions across 2026, culminating in the in-person Institute at Google London.

Scientists generate electricity from ambient moisture using everyday ingredients

d.papageorgiou@qmul.ac.uk (Dimitrios Papageorgiou) — Wed, 20 May 2026 23:00:00 +0100

An international research team led by scientists at Queen Mary University of London has developed an innovative method to power wearable electronics using ambient moisture and simple, non-toxic materials commonly found in the kitchen.

In a study published in Nano Energy, researchers from Queen Mary, the University of Warwick, Imperial College London, and Universitas Mercatorum report a highly stable, biodegradable Moisture-Electric Generator (MEG). The device is fabricated from food-grade materials including gelatin, sodium chloride (table salt), and activated carbon, and harnesses humidity, typically a major challenge for electronics, as its energy source.

This approach represents a significant shift in electronic design, transforming atmospheric moisture from a limitation into a functional energy input.

A Sustainable Alternative to Conventional Power Sources

With global electronic waste (e-waste) continuing to rise, the development offers a potentially low-impact alternative to conventional batteries and energy systems. The MEG is manufactured using a simple, water-based process and relies on widely available, non-toxic materials, supporting more sustainable and circular approaches to electronics.

The technology works by absorbing water molecules from the surrounding air or from human skin. As the gelatin-salt solution dries, it self-organises into a three-layered structure. When exposed to humidity, this architecture enables ion movement within the material, generating a continuous and stable electrical output of approximately 1 volt per unit for periods exceeding 30 days.

By connecting multiple units in series, the research team demonstrated scaled performance of up to 90 volts and 5.08 mA, sufficient to power small electronic devices such as a 40-light LED string.

Dr Ming Dong, Postdoctoral Research Associate at Queen Mary University of London’s School of Engineering and Materials Science and first author of the study, said:

“Generating high voltages typically requires complex manufacturing processes or scarce materials. This work shows that it is possible to achieve strong performance using simple, sustainable components. By combining gelatin and salt, we have created a generator that operates using ambient humidity as its sole energy source.”

Dual Function: Power Generation and Sensing

In addition to energy harvesting, the material demonstrates potential as a sensitive, skin-compatible sensor. Because its electrical output responds to small changes in moisture, the system can detect physiological signals linked to humidity variations.

The researchers demonstrated that the device can monitor breathing patterns in real time and detect changes associated with speech through variations in exhaled moisture. It also shows promise for touchless proximity sensing, opening opportunities for integration into wearable health monitoring systems and human–machine interfaces, without requiring a battery.

Biodegradable by Design

A key advantage of the technology is its environmentally benign end-of-life profile. Unlike conventional electronics that rely on plastics and heavy metals, the MEG is designed to degrade safely.

After use, the device can either biodegrade in soil within a few weeks or be dissolved in water, enabling recovery and reuse of its components without hazardous chemicals. This positions the technology as a potential contributor to circular electronics, where materials can be safely returned to the environment or recycled.

Dr Dimitrios Papageorgiou, Reader in Functional Polymers and Composites at Queen Mary and corresponding author of the study, said:

“Our goal was to rethink how electronic materials are designed and manufactured. This research demonstrates that high-performance energy devices can be made from low-cost, environmentally friendly materials. The ability of a gelatin-based system to generate meaningful electrical output highlights the potential scalability of this approach.”

The open-access paper, titled "A biobased moisture-electric generator with self-stratified architecture for physiological sensing and energy harvesting," was published in Nano Energy on 19 May 2026.

Full Journal Citation: Dong, M., Zhang, H., Bilotti, E., Cataldi, P., & Papageorgiou, D. G. (2026). A biobased moisture-electric generator with self-stratified architecture for physiological sensing and energy harvesting. Nano Energy, 155, 112040.

Queen Mary welcomes Professor Peter Collins and students from Iowa State University

c.panwisawas@qmul.ac.uk (Chinnapat Panwisawas) — Tue, 19 May 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Dr Chinnapat Panwisawas and his research group members have welcomed Professor Peter Collins, Stanley Chair in Interdisciplinary Engineering and Professor, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Iowa State University, USA who had led the 12 undergraduate students at Iowa State to visit Queen Mary on Tuesday, 19th May 2026.

Professor Collins delivered a seminar on 'Progress in Additively Manufactured Gradient Materials: Predicting, Making, and Qualifying'. His research interests involve: physical metallurgy; advanced characterisation techniques; quantification of defects and crystal orientation across length scales; advanced materials processing with special interest in additive manufacturing; and the mechanical behaviour of non-ferrous materials, including establishing composition-microstructure property relationships. He has conducted basic and applied research on metal-based additive manufacturing for over 20 years, emphasising qualification strategies and gradient materials. He has received multiple awards for teaching and his research, and has ~100 publications, 50+ invited talks, multiple US patents, and most recently has joined as co-author of the 14th edition of the textbook 'DeGarmo’s Materials and Processes in Manufacturing'.

His talk described how multiple gradients could be achieved, and some technical advances in the modelling associated with achieving sufficiently precise gradients. To develop the predictive tools necessary for design engineers to incorporate spatially varying properties, he greatly presented an effort to predict the processing-materials state-properties-performance relationships in Ti-based gradient structures where both composition and aging temperatures are spatially controlled. He presented a new concept of feasibility diagrams for processing to feasibility diagrams of inspectability to complimenting qualification (including post-manufacture nondestructive evaluation (NDE)).

Dr Panwisawas has started some initial research discussion and collaboration in the gradient materials with Professor Collins to jointly develop research programmes in the near future.

Dr Deepshikha awarded Global AI Skills 4 Women Scholarship in partnership with Microsoft

d.deepshikha@qmul.ac.uk (Deepshikha Deepshikha) — Tue, 12 May 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Dr Deepshikha has been selected as one of just 150 global recipients of the AI Skills 4 Women Scholarship, delivered by Founderz in partnership with Microsoft, a competitive programme that drew nearly 90,000 applicants from more than 169 countries.

Her selection represents significant international recognition of leadership and impact in artificial intelligence and responsible innovation.

As part of the award, Dr Deepshikha will receive full access to a twelve-month online programme in AI and innovation, designed to equip emerging leaders driving real-world AI applications and responsible digital transformation.

The recognition aligns closely with Dr Deepshikha's ongoing work in AI-enhanced education. As Principal Investigator of the EduMark AI project, she is advancing approaches that improve the quality, consistency, and efficiency of assessment and feedback through responsible, human-in-the-loop AI.

Reflecting on the award, Dr Deepshikha said:

"I am delighted to receive this scholarship and grateful for the opportunity to deepen my expertise in artificial intelligence and innovation. This programme aligns powerfully with my ongoing work on AI-enhanced assessment and feedback, and with my wider commitment to using AI ethically to support educators and improve student learning."

The scholarship will help Dr Deepshikha expand her portfolio of educational innovations, including her research on AI-powered assessment literacy and personalised feedback systems to enhance student success in higher education. The achievement underscores Queen Mary's growing contribution to innovation in digital education and the responsible application of artificial intelligence on the global stage.

Queen Mary researchers secure £2 Million UKRI funding to improve care for dialysis patients

a.wilkes@qmul.ac.uk (Ayden Wilkes) — Mon, 11 May 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London, together with NHS and industry partners, have secured approximately £2 million from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the EPSRC Healthcare Technology Translation Partnership programme to develop a wearable monitoring technology for patients under dialysis treatment.

The four-year project aims to improve early detection of dialysis related complications, a major cause of hospital admissions and treatment disruption. The wearable device is designed to support monitoring at home, helping clinicians identify potential problems earlier and improve patient care.

The project is led by Professor Lei Su from the School of Engineering and Materials Science, QMUL, with co-leads Mr Ben Lindsey from Barts Health NHS Trust, Dr Matt Bartlett from the Royal Free Hospital, and Dr Qianni Zhang from the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science.

The research builds on previous work by the Queen Mary team in wearable healthcare technologies. The project will include patient co-design activities, volunteer studies, and early-stage clinical testing, with dialysis patients and carers helping to shape device usability and accessibility throughout the programme.

Beyond dialysis care, the researchers believe the technology could support wider healthcare applications, including remote patient monitoring and long-term management of chronic conditions.

The team hopes the project will lay the foundation for larger clinical studies and future deployment within the NHS and beyond.

PhD Researcher showcases AI-Driven Airside Operations research

xinwei.wang@qmul.ac.uk (Xinwei Wang) — Mon, 11 May 2026 23:00:00 +0100

On 7th May 2026, first-year PhD researcher Clarizze Cuntapay, supervised by Dr Xinwei Wang and Dr Jun Chen at Queen Mary University of London, presented her research at the 2026 Digital Environment Research Institute (DERI) Research Day, themed From Foundations to Societal Impact.

Clarizze showcased a poster presenting her recent work on the development of a machine learning-based regression framework for predicting airport turnaround times from an airside operations perspective. The research aims to support more efficient and data-driven airport operations through the application of artificial intelligence techniques.

The DERI Research Day celebrated the growing role of AI across a broad range of disciplines, including transport, healthcare, and AI-related legislation. The event programme featured keynote speeches, lightning talks, poster presentations, demonstrations, and panel discussions involving both academic researchers and industry professionals. These sessions encouraged dialogue on how AI can be responsibly and effectively integrated into research and wider society.

The event brought together attendees from across the university community, including undergraduate and postgraduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and academic staff. The diverse audience created an engaging environment for interdisciplinary discussion and knowledge exchange.

This event was a valuable opportunity for discussion of Clarizze’s current PhD work and was a beneficial platform for sharing ideas with her peers and gathering key insights from professionals. The poster generated positive reception and, importantly, stimulated constructive discussions to help inform future developments in the project.

Overall, the event successfully showcased the breadth of research being conducted at Queen Mary University of London and highlighted the diverse ways in which AI is being applied across disciplines to address significant real-world challenges.

Dr Rehan Shah wins QMSU Sustainability Champion Education Award 2026

rehan.shah@qmul.ac.uk (Rehan Shah) — Thu, 07 May 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Dr Rehan Shah received the Queen Mary Students Union (QMSU) Education Award for 'Sustainability Champion of the Year' at the recent 2026 education awards ceremony hosted at the Drapers Hall in London. The award celebrates a member of teaching or academic staff who has incorporated sustainability into their teaching or activities for students this year.

Dr Shah was awarded this prize (which included a certificate and a trophy) for his pioneering work over the past three years focusing on embedding ethics and sustainability within mathematics problems through the first and second-year undergraduate mathematics modules he leads in the School for all engineering students. As part of this ongoing scholarship research project (which has featured two engineering undergraduate students as co-creators), Dr Shah has, with their support, developed a comprehensive toolkit of resources featuring exercise problems, solutions, visual posters and formative practice quizzes, which have been implemented and evaluated by student responses received through dedicated surveys in these modules.

In his speech, Dr Shah was immensely grateful to his student co-creators, Malmi Mahagamage and Meherun Soud, as well to all the students in his modules, who nominated, recognised and appreciated his work in this project and said:

"Thank you so very much for this QMSU Sustainability Champion award for this year. I am extremely grateful to all my Year 1 and 2 undergraduate students from my mathematics modules who nominated me for this award and I am very pleased that they enjoyed and benefitted immensely from the integration of ethics and sustainability concepts within mathematics problems, a scholarship research project which I have been working on, supported by two very able current undergraduate researchers, for the past three years at Queen Mary.

In addition to impacting over 800 undergraduate students every year across our large modules, we have also been able to generate institutional impact through incorporation of this work into Queen Mary Academy's flagship sustainability STEAM short course and wider external impact through collaborations with the universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh to produce forthcoming journal papers and an educator handbook. Thank you once again to QMSU and to all our students at Queen Mary."

Russell Binions PhD Symposium welcomes Director of Leverhulme Trust

a.wilkes@qmul.ac.uk (Ayden Wilkes) — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Tuesday 21st April saw another successful annual Russell Binions PhD Symposium. This year, Anna Vignoles, director of the Leverhulme Trust - a major grant-making organisation, joined the event to present awards to PhD students for the Best Paper award.

Russell Binions Memorial PhD Research Symposium is an annual conference organised for PhDs and PDRAs at the School of Engineering and Materials Science (SEMS) at Queen Mary University of London, to practise presenting at conferences as a core part of their PhD programme, with the involvement of PDRAs in training and organisation.

The Symposium is in memory of Dr Russell Binions (1979-2017) who was an engaging and enthusiastic colleague, highly popular teacher, and Former Deputy Director of Materials Division.

In 2026, 39 Third-year PhD students from three Research Centres – Centre for Bioengineering, Centre for Intelligent Transport and Centre for Sustainable Engineering – have presented their PhD projects. With the attendance from about 100 academic staff, postdoctoral researchers and PhD students across SEMS, we were successful to host such a productive, comprehensive and stimulating research environment to support all researchers at SEMS.

Dr Chinnapat Panwisawas, Deputy Director of Postgraduate Studies said "We celebrated the success of our students by recognising the best papers per research Centre for the last 12 months by current SEMS PhD students and the two best presentations per research Centre, as decided by centre PDRAs and academics after the talks. This event marks a significant point in the progression of their academic careers."

Dhyey Joshi presents international collaborative research at Belle II VTX Workshop in Germany

g.viola@qmul.ac.uk (Giuseppe Viola) — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Last week, Queen Mary Centre for Undergraduate Research (QMCUR) member and second-year mechanical engineering undergraduate Dhyey Joshi presented at the 2nd General VTX Workshop, hosted at the DESY campus in Hamburg, Germany. This prestigious three-day event gathered researchers from around the globe to discuss the upgrading plans of the Belle II iVTX detector.

As part of a collaborative, multi-partners research project involving an international team, Dhyey’s research focuses on refining a fallback active liquid cooling solution for the iVTX, ensuring a robust backup should any issues arise with the primary Thermal Pyrolytic Graphite (TPG) system. Based on ANSYS thermal simulations, his work optimises critical parameters such as fluid flow rate and glue conductivity. Condensing six months of rigorous work into a compelling 15-minute presentation, during his talk, Dhyey shared key findings on the comparison of coolants like liquid water and paraffin, identifying the latter as a limiting factor for cooling. He also provided structural insights for the cooling system design, demonstrating that a single curved pipe results in uneven cooling on one side. By improving these variables through iterations, his work culminates in a significantly more efficient cooling system.

Building on his previous experience presenting at Posters in Parliament and joint conferences with the University of Westminster, Dhyey's presentation was met with widespread acclaim, testifying to his outstanding achievements and the invaluable research activities conducted at QMCUR. Furthermore, the collaborative environment of the workshop sparked new cross-disciplinary insights that Dhyey is eager to implement to push his research even further.

Reflecting on the experience, Dhyey commented:

"Attending the Belle II VTX workshop at DESY was a significant milestone for this project. Presenting my work to the wider Belle II team was a fantastic opportunity to discuss progress, receive valuable feedback, and better understand how my work connects with the broader particle detector development effort. I am incredibly grateful to Professor Oliver Fenwick and Professor Adrian Bevan for enabling this opportunity through their continued support and encouragement throughout this project."

QMCUR extends its warmest congratulations to Dhyey for this tremendous achievement on the international stage. Special thanks also to Professor Oliver Fenwick and Professor Adrian Bevan for their excellent supervision and continued support of undergraduate research.

Dr Rehan Shah awarded grant to present applied mathematics research at international conference

rehan.shah@qmul.ac.uk (Rehan Shah) — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Dr Rehan Shah has been awarded funding from the Quarterly Journal of Mechanics and Applied Mathematics Fund (QJMAM) administered by the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) to attend and present his latest research at the International Council for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ICIAM) being held in July 2027 at The Hague, Netherlands.

Dr Shah will present research findings through a mini-symposia talk from his latest work focusing on the problem of a rod deforming on a torus, which is soon to be published as a third paper in a series (first two papers: Shah and van der Heijden, 2023 and Shah and van der Heijden, 2024, both in the Journal of Mechanics and Physics of Solids), stemming from his collaboration with Prof Gert van der Heijden from University College London.

The work outlines the development of a comprehensive geometrically-exact theory for an end-loaded elastic rod constrained to deform on rigid tubular surfaces. As applications of the theory, the problem of a rod constrained to lie on a toroidal surface is investigated under the influence of axially applied end loads subject to frictionless and frictional contact, finding critical loads to depend on the friction parameters. This scenario is typically encountered during the tubular buckling of drill strings in curved borewells, in the inspection of curved pipelines by inspection robots navigating elbow joints and in the structural organisation of closed, toroidal DNA condensates in bacteriophages, viruses and sperm chromatin.

The theory is utilised to derive the governing equilibrium equations for the problem, in order to procure solutions to various nonlinear boundary-value problems, using a combination of analytical and numerical approaches. The results obtained include the determination of critical compressive and torsional buckling loads and post- buckled solutions for the the buckling of a rod pushed into a 90-degree bend (quarter torus) of a pipe system and the geometrical twist-bend instabilities observed in liquid crystal toroids under shrinking toroidal radius.

Dr Rehan Shah selected for mathematicians retreat programme at Isaac Newton Institute, Cambridge

rehan.shah@qmul.ac.uk (Rehan Shah) — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Dr Rehan Shah has been selected and invited for the Isaac Newton Institute's (INI) academic mathematicians' retreat programme in Cambridge this summer from 28 June to 4 July 2026.

INI Retreats offer mathematical scientists a welcoming and conducive space for a week-long retreat to re-immerse themselves in research or make progress on a project away from their usual commitments. Researchers are based in INI’s bespoke building in Cambridge and provided with office space and accommodation in INI flats.

Dr Shah will use the retreat to work on his ongoing mathematics scholarship research project that is dedicated to understanding the need for the consideration of wider societal aspects within mathematics and to outlining some of the ways in which we can incorporate the teaching of ethics and sustainability within mathematics courses at university. The final output involves the compilation of a teaching resource toolkit, which will be published by Open Book Publishers, as an open-access book, containing a set of varied mathematical problems across different topics with key ethical and sustainability aspects embedded within them for use by lecturers and educators.

This groundbreaking book offers the first-ever comprehensive collection of resources for embedding ethics and sustainability into undergraduate mathematics education. Designed for use in first and second-year university courses in mathematics and related STEM fields, such as physics, engineering, computer science, and economics, it features a unique selection of exercises, homework problems, and project ideas that seamlessly integrate ethical and sustainable considerations into standard mathematical content. Rather than treating ethics and sustainability as an add-on, each problem is crafted so that students must engage with its ethical and sustainable dimensions as part of their mathematical reasoning. This dual focus helps cultivate not only technical proficiency, but also ethical awareness and critical thinking, which are key transferable skills for real-world sustainable problem-solving. In addition to problem sets, essay topics, and project ideas, the book includes an introduction to ethics in mathematics, ideas for a standalone lecture course on the topic, an exposition of embedded ethics, and connections to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. It will serve as both a teaching tool and a platform for sustainable innovation in curriculum design, promoting a more responsible and reflective approach to mathematics. As an open-access resource, it will enable educators to expand and adapt its content, encouraging collaboration and growth to pave the way for a more critically engaged undergraduate mathematics education.

This project is a collaboration between Dr Shah, Dr Maurice Chiodo (Assistant Research Professor in the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge) and Mr Dennis Mueller (Research Affiliate in the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge). This retreat will therefore allow him the perfect opportunity to not only re-immerse myself in completing the writing of this book (due by end of July 2026), but also allow him to organise in-person discussions with his Cambridge-based collaborators.

Dr Wei Tan shares latest research at Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy Hub Assembly

wei.tan@qmul.ac.uk (Wei Tan) — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Dr Wei Tan attended the Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy Hub Assembly in April 2026, delivering a compelling talk on mechanics-guided polymer coatings for mitigating leading-edge erosion on offshore wind turbine blades — one of the most costly and persistent maintenance challenges facing the offshore wind industry.

His presentation addressed a critical industry pain point: leading-edge erosion currently costs the UK alone an estimated £270 million per year in operations and maintenance, a figure projected to rise to £500–600 million annually by 2030 as the offshore wind fleet expands.

Dr Tan's research introduces a novel design principle centered on viscoelastic damping, enabling protective coatings to dissipate the high-cycle impact energy that drives erosion at the blade leading edge. This mechanics-informed approach marks a significant advance over conventional coating strategies, offering a pathway to substantially extend blade service life and reduce the frequency and cost of offshore interventions.

The presentation generated extensive and insightful discussion among delegates, reflecting broad recognition of the work's relevance and potential impact across the offshore renewables community. Researchers, industry professionals, and policymakers engaged with the findings, underscoring the timeliness of Dr Tan's contributions as the UK accelerates its offshore wind ambitions.

The Supergen ORE Hub Assembly serves as a premier forum for sharing cutting-edge research and forging collaborations across offshore wind, wave, and tidal energy, underpinned by the Hub's mission to drive ambitious, collaborative research that accelerates innovation in the sector.

Dr Deepshikha secures £35,000 Prestigious Innovate UK ICURe Explore Award for EduMark AI

d.deepshikha@qmul.ac.uk (Deepshikha Deepshikha) — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Dr Deepshikha from the School of Engineering and Materials Science (SEMS) has secured a place on the highly competitive Innovate UK ICURe Explore Programme for her education technology venture, EduMark AI, with support valued at up to £35,000. For a scholarship-led education innovation project, this represents one of the most significant external awards available at this stage of development.

The ICURe Explore Programme is one of the UK’s leading innovation commercialisation programmes, designed to help research-led ventures validate market demand, engage customers, and accelerate routes to market. Selection is highly competitive and recognises projects with strong commercial potential and scalable impact.

EduMark AI is an AI-powered, human-in-the-loop assessment platform developed to help universities improve marking efficiency, consistency, and student feedback quality. The platform enables educators to generate rubric-aligned draft grades and structured feedback while retaining full academic oversight of all final decisions. The project began with support from Queen Mary’s Drapers’ Fund for Innovation in Learning and Teaching and later received the Queen Mary’s President and Principal’s Prize (2025) for educational excellence and innovation.

Early pilot studies have shown promising results, including significant reductions in marking time and strong positive responses from both educators and students.

Through the ICURe Explore Programme, Dr Deepshikha will now undertake structured customer discovery with universities and education leaders, validate commercial models, and prepare the platform for wider institutional adoption.

Dr Deepshikha said: “This award is a major milestone for EduMark AI and reflects the growing importance of responsible AI solutions that support educators rather than replace them. I am proud that a project developed within SEMS is now being recognised nationally for its commercial and educational potential.”

This success shows how SEMS is contributing to interdisciplinary innovation by combining engineering thinking, digital transformation, and real-world educational impact.

Engineering student presents scholarship research with Dr Rehan Shah at UCL Education Conference

rehan.shah@qmul.ac.uk (Rehan Shah) — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Sara Hamandi, a second-year engineering undergraduate student, along with Dr Rehan Shah, and a cross-institutional team of multi-disciplinary colleagues comprising Prof Anne Preston (Professor of Interdisciplinary Education, UCL) and Mr Craig Martin (Subject Liaison Librarian, UCL) presented their collaborative scholarship research project "SEED-AI: Designing Social Enterprise Education through AI–Enabled Student–Community Partnerships" at the UCL Education Conference held at the Institute of Education on Wed 15 April 2026.

The project, funded by a RAISE (Researching, Advancing and Inspiring Student Engagement) Network Research Grant focuses on the co-design of a new, shared social entrepreneurship framework featuring Queen Mary and UCL students working together with E17 Films, a local East London community organisation  to develop socially driven entrepreneurial ideas using ethical and creative applications of Generative AI. The project team comprises two student co-researchers, a community partner, and two academic staff members and has employed a participatory design methodology to collaboratively design the structure, assessment, and GenAI learning activities for the framework. 

The work builds on existing student–community engagement work at Queen Mary and UCL East and responds to student interest in learning that is locally relevant, socially impactful, and future-focused. By co-creating the curriculum with students and communities, the aim is to model a more democratic and socially responsible approach to educational design. The final module framework will provide a transferable model that other institutions and academic staff can adopt to support student partnership, ethical GenAI use, and community-engaged curriculum development. The subsequent outputs will also be showcased at the QMUL Festival of Education in June 2026, followed by the flagship RAISE conference at Northumbria University in September 2026.

EduMark AI: Queen Mary-wide pilot to support assessment and feedback

d.deepshikha@qmul.ac.uk (Deepshikha Deepshikha) — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +0100

EduMark AI, an educator-controlled platform designed to support assessment and feedback, is now being piloted across Queen Mary University of London.

Developed by Dr Deepshikha and team in the School of Engineering and Materials Science, EduMark AI was created to address one of the most pressing challenges in higher education: the growing workload associated with marking and feedback, and the need to maintain academic quality, fairness, and consistency. The platform aims to reduce the time burden of assessment while improving the clarity, structure, and timeliness of the feedback students receive. A core principle underpinning the pilot is that academic judgement remains fully with the educator; all marks and feedback are reviewed and approved by staff before release.

Earlier pilot work has shown promising results, including an approximate 60% reduction in marking time and more structured, actionable feedback for students. Student responses have also been encouraging, with participants highlighting the clarity, specificity, and usefulness of the comments they received.

The Queen Mary-wide pilot marks an important next step for EduMark AI. Academics from across the University are now being invited to express interest in participating, with training and guidance sessions to follow for those who wish to integrate the platform into their marking workflows.

This is an opportunity for colleagues to explore how AI can support assessment in a practical, ethical, and pedagogically sound way.

We would be delighted to hear from educators who are interested in piloting EduMark AI in their modules.

To take part, please complete the participation form.

For further information about EduMark AI, please contact Dr Deepshikha at d.deepshikha@qmul.ac.uk.

NATS joins final year project presentations at Queen Mary

xinwei.wang@qmul.ac.uk (Xinwei Wang) — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Final Year Project students in the School of Engineering and Materials Science (SEMS) recently had the opportunity to present their work in a professional setting, as part of a group presentation session held on Monday 13th April.

We were delighted to welcome Dr Marc Thomas from NATS (the UK’s leading air traffic service provider), who joined the session as an external industry expert. His participation provided students with valuable insights into real-world expectations and practices in the aviation sector.

During the session, student groups presented their project progress and approaches, receiving constructive feedback not only from academic staff but also from an industry perspective. This external engagement helped students better understand how their work aligns with current operational challenges and industry needs, particularly in the area of aircraft turnaround time predictions at airports.

The session forms part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen links with industry and to enhance student learning through authentic, practice-oriented experiences. We are grateful to Dr Thomas and NATS for their continued support and collaboration.

Dr Rehan Shah publishes review of popular science book for IMA magazine

rehan.shah@qmul.ac.uk (Rehan Shah) — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Dr Rehan Shah, in his role as QMUL Academic Representative of the Institute of Mathematics (IMA), has published a book review of the popular book 'Not Just For the Boys: Why We Need More Women in Science' by Athene Donald, Professor Emerita of Experimental Physics and Master of Churchill College, University of Cambridge, which focuses on the pertinent issue of analysing and addressing gender equity in STEM disciplines. This has been published in the April 2026 issue of the IMA's flagship magazine Mathematics Today.

The book looks back at how society has historically excluded women from the scientific sphere and discourse, what progress has been made, and how more is still needed. Athene Donald, herself a distinguished physicist, explores societal expectations during both childhood and working life using evidence of the systemic disadvantages women operate under, from the developing science of how our brains are (and more importantly aren't) gendered, to social science evidence around attitudes towards girls and women doing science.

It also discusses how science is done in practice, in order to dispel common myths: for example, the perception that science is not creative, or that it is carried out by a lone genius in an ivory tower, myths that can be very off-putting to many sections of the population. A better appreciation of the collaborative, creative, and multi-disciplinary nature of science is likely to lead to its appeal to a far wider swathe of people, especially women. This book examines the modern way of working in scientific research, and how gender bias operates in various ways within it, drawing on the voices of leading women in science describing their feelings and experiences. It argues the moral and business case for greater diversity in modern research, the better to improve science and tackle the great challenges we face today.

The themes discussed align very well with Dr Shah's own scholarship research work within the School on diversifying the STEM (particularly mathematics) curricula as well the core mission of the Faculty's Centre for Academic Inclusion in Science and Engineering (CAISE), of which he is the Deputy Director and School Lead for.

Dr Deepshikha awarded Senior Fellowship of Advance HE

d.deepshikha@qmul.ac.uk (Deepshikha Deepshikha) — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +0100

The School of Engineering and Materials Science is delighted to share that Dr Deepshikha has been awarded Senior Fellowship of Advance HE (SFHEA), in recognition of her sustained leadership and impact in teaching and supporting learning in higher education.

Senior Fellowship is a significant professional recognition that acknowledges a sustained record of effectiveness in higher education, particularly in leadership, influence, and the enhancement of teaching and learning. This recognition reflects Dr Deepshikha’s significant contributions to educational practice, curriculum development, innovation in assessment and feedback, and wider academic leadership.

Reviewers praised Deepshikha's application for providing consistently strong evidence of leadership and influence, particularly through her reflective approach, collaboration with colleagues, and commitment to enhancing student learning. Her reflection on leadership was highlighted as a particular strength, notably her ability to bring colleagues together across challenging areas of enhancement, including building trust, refining evaluation approaches, and leading innovation in AI-supported assessment and feedback, while continuing to develop her leadership practice over time.

Dr Deepshikha has made a notable contribution to education through innovative teaching practices, scholarship activity, and work to improve assessment and feedback. Her growing profile in educational innovation, including work on active learning and AI-enhanced assessment, continues to support both the student experience and wider sector conversations about the future of higher education.

This recognition marks an important milestone in Dr Deepshikha’s academic and professional journey and further reflects SEMS’ commitment to excellence in education, innovation, and student-centred teaching.

We congratulate Deepshikha on this wonderful achievement and look forward to her continued contributions to teaching excellence in SEMS and beyond.

International Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Conference comes to Queen Mary

e.avital@qmul.ac.uk (Eldad Avital) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +0100

The 17th IEEE International Conference on Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (ICMAE 2026) will take place at Queen Mary University of London this July, bringing leading researchers and industry experts to the School of Engineering and Materials Science. The conference, sponsored by IEEE, will run from 15–18 July 2026 and will continue its tradition as a global forum for advances in aerospace and mechanical engineering.

Academics, researchers and students are invited to submit abstracts or papers by 25th April, with accepted contributions published in indexed conference proceedings.

The event builds on strong momentum from previous highly successful meetings in Europe, including Rome (2025), Zagreb (2024) and Porto (2023), and more than 170 submissions have been received until now. Notably, at last year’s conference in Rome, Queen Mary School of Engineering and Materials Science (SEMS) MEng students presented innovative research on a low Reynolds number rotor, with applications in both propulsion and energy harvesting.

The conference highlights the School’s research excellence in aerospace and mechanical engineering, as well as its ability to attract high-impact international events. It also provides an opportunity to showcase the school’s strengths and to strengthen international collaboration. For further local information, please contact Dr Avital.

QMCUR at BCUR2026: Learning, Dissemination, and Legacy Outcomes

g.viola@qmul.ac.uk (Giuseppe Viola) — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Continuing its recent tradition, Queen Mary Centre for Undergraduate Research (QMCUR) participated in the British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR), hosted by the University of Glasgow on 1st and 2nd April 2026.

The conference proved to be an exciting experience for the energised atmosphere typical of these events. The rich conference programme included outstanding keynote speakers, formative workshops, and a pleasant cultural visit to the Hunterian Museum.

A special mention must be given to the truly remarkable keynote presentation, 'Earthed. Neutral. Live: Folding the River of Research' by Prof Alison Phipps from the University of Glasgow, which explored the banality of evil and how it can be addressed epistemically and hermeneutically. Listening to this talk was an absolute privilege for all the lucky attendees; it was a rare educational message infused with intellectual depth and a highly refined sense of aesthetic morality. It should have been broadcast worldwide!

Subsequently, the conference showcased high-quality research and excellent presentations delivered by outstanding students from across the UK and several international institutions.

The QMCUR team presented four research projects out of the seven abstracts submitted and accepted, with some presenters unable to attend for personal reasons. The contributions included two oral presentations and two posters:

Oral Presentation 1: “Seeing Through Touch: A Wearable Sensory Substitution System to Aid Navigation of the Visually Impaired”, presented by Bohdan Skulimovskyi (3rd Year Robotics Engineering), who is leading his team towards significant progress. His depth of knowledge and confident delivery were remarkable.
Oral Presentation 2: “Miniaturising Pharma: Design and Early-Stage Development of 3D-Printed Microfluidic Lab-on-Chip Platforms”, presented by Rindhiya Shankhar (3rd Year Biomedical Engineering) supervised by Prof Julien Gautrot and Davide Carta, who handled a large audience and probing questions with impressive maturity, upholding her recent award at Posters in Parliament 2026.
Poster 1: “Bioimpedance Measurements and Brain Tissue Phantoms for Cancer Neuroscience”, by Sheena Varghese (3rd Year Biomedical Engineering), supervised by Dr Chris Chapman, attracted considerable interest, prompting numerous questions driven by the audience’s interest on brain tumour detection.
Poster 2: “Vision-Based Stiffness-Controllable Dynamic Range Force Sensor for Tissue Palpation”, by Hashir Hamid (3rd Year Computer Science) and Taima Holden (2nd Year Robotics Engineering), supervised by Dr Abu Bakar Dawood, presented new recent results that sparked insightful discussions on their significance and future directions.

The entire QMCUR team highlighted the excitement and memorable nature of their experience at the event.

The conference concluded with a pivotal moment for QMCUR: the official handover from the BCUR 2026 organising team to host the next edition at Queen Mary. This initiative received support from the Queen Mary Vice‑Principal for Education during the national bidding phase.

Planning for BCUR 2027 has now officially begun. The event will be hosted by QMCUR with the support of all its students, SEMS, the QM Events Team, the QM Marketing Team, other key figures from Queen Mary, and the advice of the BCUR National Executive Committee. Hosting this conference represents a significant legacy for undergraduate research and will enhance national and international visibility, not only for QMCUR and SEMS but for the entire university, in promoting research‑based education. QMCUR will strive to make it a memorable event for all participants.