Alvaro MATAHead of the Group
Costa Rica
Research Scope
Alvaro Mata’s research aims to integrate supramolecular chemistry with engineering principles to develop creative and innovative ways to use biomolecules to build intelligent and functional biomedical devices. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Kansas, a Master’s Degree from the University of Strathclyde, and a Doctor of Engineering Degree from Cleveland State University. During his doctorate he worked at The Cleveland Clinic with Prof. Shuvo Roy and from 2005-2008 as a Postdoctoral Fellow with Prof. Samuel Stupp at Northwestern University. From 2008-2013 he was Head of the Nanotechnology Platform at Parc Científic Barcelona in Spain and from 2014-2017 he was the Director of the Institute of Bioengineering at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). He is currently Professor of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering at QMUL.
Biography
| 2016 – present: | Professor of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, QMUL, UK. |
| 2014 – 2017: | Director of the Institute of Bioengineering, QMUL, UK. |
| 2013 – 2016: | Associate Professor, School of Engineering & Materials Science, QMUL, UK. |
| 2008 – 2013: | Head of the Nanotechnology Platform, Parc Científic Barcelona, Spain. |
| 2005 – 2008: | Postdoctoral Fellow, Prof. Samuel Stupp, Northwestern University, USA. |
Education
| 2000 – 2005: | D.Eng., Bioengineering. Cleveland State University, The Cleveland Clinic, USA. |
| 1998 – 1999: | M.Sc., Bioengineering, University of Strathclyde, UK. |
| 1994 – 1998: | B.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, University of Kansas, USA. |
Honours and Awards
2018: Top 50 most read publications in Nature Communications 2018, Chemistry and Materials Science.
2018: Member of the UK Regenerative Medicine Platform – Smart Materials Hub.
2018: Member of the Editorial Board of International Materials Reviews.
2017: Member of the Editorial Board of Regenerative Biomaterials.
2017: Member of the Editorial Board of Methods and Protocols.
2017: Member of the Strategic Alliance Committee of TERMIS-EU.
2016: Member of the Board of the Biomedical Engineering Division at IMechE.
2015: Frontiers Innovator Award, Wellcome Trust.
2015: Member of Board of Centre for Inflammation and Therapeutic Innovation at QMUL.
2014-16: External Examiner of the MRes in Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London.
2012: ERC Starting Grant, European Research Council.
2010: Ramon y Cajal Award, Ministry of Science and Innovation, Government of Spain.
2009: Torres Quevedo Award, Ministry of Science and Innovation, Government of Spain.
2007: MRS Award for an oral presentation at the MRS Spring Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
2006: Baxter Early Career Development Award in Bioengineering.
2005: Costa Rican National Technology Award Clodomiro Picado Twight.
2004: Graduate Student Award for Applied Science at The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
2002: Graduate Student Award for Applied Science at The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
Media Recognition
2018 – The ERC highlights our work on hierarchical mineralisation. https://erc.europa.eu/projects-figures/stories/regenerating-bones-and-teeth
2018 – The Times reports on our mineralisation platform for enamel regeneration. www.thetimes.co.uk/article/new-hope-for-old-teeth-as-scientists-try-to-regrow-enamel-npv6xzbld
2018 – Sky News reports on our mineralisation platform for enamel regeneration. https://news.sky.com/story/scientists-claim-they-can-regenerate-tooth-enamel-to-prevent-decay-11392540
2018 The Naked Scientists radio interview. https://www.thenakedscientists.com/podcasts/short/regenerating-tooth-enamel
2018 – The Telegraph reports on our mineralisation platform for enamel regeneration. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/06/02/scientists-develop-method-could-help-regenerate-tooth-enamel/
2018 – The Times of India reports on our co-assembling-printing biofabrication platform. www.india.com/news/agencies/london-lst10-science-printing-tissues-new-printing-technique-uses-cells-to-recreate-biological-structures-2904040/
2017 – Phys.org report on our 3DEAL fabrication technique. https://phys.org/news/2017-12-molecular-technology-recreate-complex-chemical.html
2017 – Features by RegMedNet Methods series. https://youtu.be/C7xJLznhZ5k , https://youtu.be/-8oHfDMd44Y
2016 – Interview by The President of Costa Rica. https://youtu.be/YhqCmN_gTy8
2016 – Interview by the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. www.wakehealth.edu/Research/WFIRM/News/Podcast.htm
2016 – Forces TV highlights our work on tissue engineering from the bottom-up (after min 3). http://forces.tv/18689077
2016 – Donald Ingber Public Lecture in London. https://vimeo.com/164723531/cc0a62ec08
2015 – NowThis reports on our Nature Chemistry 2015 paper. www.facebook.com/NowThisNews/videos/919977778092347
2015 – Chemistry World reports on our peptide-protein co-assembly system. http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2015/09/self-assembly-healing-protein-scaffold-cell-growth
2015 – Phys.org: Report on our Nature Chemistry 2015 paper. http://phys.org/news/2015-09-self-assembling-material-artificial-arteries.html
2105 QMUL News. Summary of the dynamic properties exhibited by our self-assembling material. qmul.ac.uk/media/news/items/se/164051.html
2015 Institute of Bioengineering launch event at QMUL on October 7th, 2015. www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4nSRzTtfU0
2014 Science Daily. Highlight to our work on use of teeth proteins to grow bone. sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140702122426.htm
2014 Young Bioengineers. Engaging school children with bioengineering research. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIHrtoSJT08
contact details
Queen Mary University of London
Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS