Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford

Congratulations to Dr Joram van Rheede, post-doctoral researcher at the IBME, on the publication of his latest paper titled, "A clinical grade neurostimulation implant for hierarchical control of physiological activity." Read more about his work in the post below.

WE ARE HIRING! A fantastic opportunity to work with Prof Johannes Weickenmeier has opened up at The Podium Institute for a 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 or a 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴, depending on experience.  You will be part of an interdisciplinary team and will focus on understanding how aging, trauma, and neurodegenerative diseases affect the brain’s form and function. The role involves investigating the biological and mechanical mechanisms behind both healthy and accelerated brain aging, with the goal of developing predictive, multiphysics-informed models. The broader vision of the research group is to translate these insights into clinical practice by identifying distinct patterns of brain change associated with age, injury, and disease. The ideal candidate will be expected to dedicate their time to the field of Brain Health Across the Lifecycle, and explore key research areas such as identifying biomarkers that distinguish healthy from accelerated aging, modelling cortical tissue degeneration, analysing longitudinal medical imaging data, and examining links between head trauma and conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Your work will contribute to a deeper understanding of how physical forces and biological processes interact over time to shape brain health outcomes. Experience with standard finite element simulation tools is essential. Beyond technical skills, you’ll play a leadership role in driving research projects, fostering collaborations, mentoring junior team members, and securing funding to expand the programme. Step into a role where your research can shape the future of brain health and inspire real-world change. For application details, click here: https://lnkd.in/eJPkK_ys #podiuminstitute #wearehiring #brainhealth   Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford University of Oxford, Department of Engineering Science

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐎𝐱𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝-𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 IBME researchers are contributing to a major new initiative to tackle one of medicine’s greatest challenges: chronic pain. The EPIONE programme, a six-year initiative supported by £11 million in EPSRC funding, will develop personalised technologies that directly modulate brain activity to reduce or abolish pain. Led by Prof Tim Denison FREng and Professor Ben Seymour, EPIONE brings together expertise in biomedical engineering, neuroscience, and clinical medicine. Patients living with chronic pain will play a key role in shaping the design of these new innovations. The team will develop several world-first technologies, including: - Adaptive brain implants that respond to pain signals in real time - ‘Closed-loop’ drug delivery systems that adjust medication automatically - Non-invasive ultrasound and magnetic stimulation techniques - ‘Smart’ therapy systems that help patients retrain their brains to manage pain As Professor Denison explains, the goal is to move beyond fixed-dose treatments: “EPIONE will develop ‘smart’ therapies for chronic pain that monitor the body and adjust treatment dynamically, rather than delivering fixed doses.” IBME researchers will work alongside collaborators from Cambridge, Glasgow, UCL, NHS pain clinics, and industry partners including Oxford spinout Amber Therapeutics. Learn more about the Oxford Pain Network: oxfordpainnetwork.org This research is funded by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) Research Grant Scheme under the reference number UKRI1970.

IBME faculty member, Prof Eleanor Stride, is featured on the UK Focused Ultrasound Foundation's Investigator Profiles. Learn more about her interest in focused ultrasound and the use of microbubbles for imaging, therapy, and drug delivery.

Applications for 2026 entry are open! We are excited to invite you to our upcoming online Studentship Information Event on Monday 13th October from 1-2pm UK time. Please register to attend our webinar here: https://lnkd.in/ewzZ8Q_v This event will provide a great opportunity to discover more about The Podium Institute for Sports Medicine & Technology and to learn about our research studentships available for 2026/27. Join us online for an introduction from our founding director Prof. Constantin Coussios OBE FREng FMedSci, and you'll have the opportunity to hear from current Podium Institute DPhil students sharing their experiences with the application process, graduate life and study in Oxford. The Podium Institute combines Oxford’s longstanding tradition in sports and education with the very best of cross-disciplinary scientific, medical, and technological research. Podium forms part of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford, which has a 15-year track-record of combining medicine and technology to achieve adoption and healthcare impact, and draws on world-leading expertise across the medical and technological sciences, including clinical neurosciences, orthopedics, population health and machine learning. We look forward to your participation! For more information please visit our page Podium Studentships - How to Apply. For general enquiries, please email: [email protected] University of Oxford, Department of Engineering Science  University of Oxford #podiuminstitute #oxfordstudentships #engineeringstudentships

Glad to see our Prof Eleanor Stride in the latest #BBC The Documentary episode, “The Engineers: Exploring the Human,”. In this episode, she joins an international panel of innovators redefining medical technology. Professor Stride discusses her pioneering work using drug-loaded microbubbles that can be activated at specific target sites in the body, a breakthrough approach with the potential to improve cancer therapies, tackle antimicrobial resistance, and reduce side effects. Presented by Caroline Steel, the episode also features experts in brain implants and ingestible robotics from around the world. Watch it here 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/dqH8kgQ5

Beyond Antibiotics Programme Grant Update Throughout the months of August and September 2025, IBME researchers and collaborators were involved in the following notable activities, in an effort to share the results of our research towards addressing the threat of antimicrobial resistance, as part of the Beyond Antibiotics project. Prof Jennifer Rohn was featured on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme where she discussed the MHRA approval for gepotidacin, the first-in-class new antibiotic for uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTI). Bacteria require two separate mutations to become resistant to this new antibiotic, which makes it a useful addition to antibiotics available to treat UTI. Clips from Prof Rohn’s interview appeared across social media channels, including X. Consultant Urologist and doctoral student, Bob Yang, delivered a workshop titled, “Combating Recurrent UTIs: Latest Developments in Embedded Infections and UTI Vaccines” at the ICS-EUS 2025 conference in Abu Dhabi. The session reviewed the science behind intracellular bacterial reservoirs and explored the clinical evidence and applications of the UTI vaccine called Uromune. Ideas for future uses of UTI vaccines were explored. The workshop was attended by 30 clinicians and urologists. Prof Eleanor Stride appeared on the BBC “The Documentary’” podcast’s episode titled, “The Engineers: exploring the human”. Prof Stride described her work using drug-loaded microbubbles and activating them at specific target sites. This work has applications for treating bacteria in biofilms, which are often involved in antimicrobial resistance, and cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy. Through this targeted activation, effectiveness can be improved while minimising side effects for the rest of the body.  Visit the Beyond Antibiotics site to access the resources: https://lnkd.in/dX-mnT88

𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐈𝐁𝐌𝐄 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 We are delighted to announce that Professor Robin Cleveland has been appointed Director of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford, succeeding Prof. Constantin Coussios OBE FREng FMedSci, who has led the Institute since 2016. Under Professor Coussios’ directorship, IBME grew significantly in scale and scope, going from 16 to 30 academics and from 200 to 300 researchers as well as expanding into eight strategic areas including: biomaterials, bioelectronics, sports technologies and bionanotechnology. He also became founding director of the The Podium Institute for Sports Medicine and Technology, and co-founded OrganOx, the University’s first spin-out to be acquired for over £1 billion. These initiatives have brought substantial research funding and translational impact to the IBME, strengthening its position as a global leader in biomedical engineering. Incoming Director Professor Robin Cleveland is a Tutorial Fellow at Magdalen College, University of Oxford and a leading researcher in biomedical ultrasound. His work spans therapeutic applications including transcranial ultrasound neuro-stimulation, ultrasonic drug delivery, and kidney stone treatment using laser and shock wave lithotripsy. He is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America and brings over a decade of Oxford experience, following earlier roles at Boston University and the University of Washington. Professor Cleveland is committed to fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across engineering and medical sciences, both within Oxford and beyond. We thank Professor Coussios for his exceptional leadership and warmly welcome Professor Cleveland as he leads us through this new chapter at the IBME. Read more about their reflections and future plans in our full news story https://lnkd.in/gpkaneQQ #OxfordBiomedicalEngineering #IBMEOxford #Leadership #TranslationalResearch #EngineeringScience

Congratulations to Holly Passant for winning the Qualcomm Prize for her successful Master's project in Biomedical Engineering. This work was supported by Dr Michael Gray and colleagues at Magdalen College, University of Oxford.