Biomedical Physics
Axial slices through an intervertebral disc of an equine sample
A 3D MRI image showing contrast perfusion (blue) of an equine sample, illustrating vascularisation
This is a multiphoton image of the lamprey annular cartilage using a combination of imaging modalities.
Finite Element model of a strip of cartilage under tension. The colours show the variation in stress inside the cartilage.
Polarised light image of cartilage from the equine fetlock joint. The signal originates from collagen, and shows a clear preferential orientation and woven interconnectivity.
Physics has for decades played a crucial role in the development of new techniques for medicine and is becoming increasingly important in understanding the behaviour of biological systems.
Applying physics to human biology
With many years of experience in Magnetic Resonance Imaging, we are now establishing complementary expertise in the development and application of optical imaging and vibrational spectroscopy. Physics relates to a wide range of fundamental questions in modern biology.
Our current activities range from studies of the cell membrane, through investigations of the ways in which cells sense and respond to physical signals, to integrative studies on touch perception. This work helps us to understand processes that may be involved in diseases ranging from diabetes to cancer, and hence to develop novel therapeutic approaches.
The HAPTEX project
HAPTEX was an EU-funded project on multimodal perception of textiles in virtual environments. Its main goal was to develop a complete virtual reality system for visuo-haptic interaction with virtual textiles
