As a biophysicist with expertise in scanning probe microscopy, I am interested in understanding how the nanoscale properties of tissues shape their macroscale behaviour. One of my main focuses has been to introduce nanometrology to the filed of medical research and dentistry in particular. As such, I am driving now long-standing collaborations with various UCL groups (London Centre for Nanotechnology, Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering and UCL Institute of Orthopaedics).

The first part of my research portfolio concerns the field of ageing research, and especially the understanding of ageing in connective tissue at the nanoscale. The second part of my research portfolio involves the utilisation of advanced probes for determination of the properties of tissues (such as collagen) and materials that will advance both biomarker identification and the development of biomaterials. Both these research areas are implicitly interlinked, making my overall research stands at the Life-Science interface as defined by RCUK and aligned to two of UCL Grand Challenges: Human Wellbeing and Global Health.

- Impact of Ageing on collagen biomechanical response at the fibrillar scale

- Characterisation of collagen in biopsy samples from patients diagnosed with Elhers Danlos, Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Fibrosis or Dentinogenesis Imperfecta.

- Fundamental understanding of the collagen fibrillar ultrastructure

- Mechanical impact of crosslinks on collagen fibril stability

- Denaturation pathways of collagen