John G. Hardy & the Biomaterials Science and Engineering Research Group
Welcome to the website of John G. Hardy and the Biomaterials Science and Engineering Research Group
We are smart creative people who develop materials for a variety of technical and medical applications (and specialise in those that interact with electricity, light and magnetism). We are particularly interested in bioelectronics (e.g. conducting polymers) and biophotonics for regenerative medicine.
Our highly interdisciplinary research involves expertise in a combination of chemistry, engineering, materials science, pharmacy and biology. We assemble and develop multidisciplinary teams of researchers working in a highly collaborative fashion towards transdisciplinary outcomes. We appreciate high quality discipline-specific training and enjoy applying this knowledge to solve problems at the interface of different disciplines. We enjoy engaging with folks in other disciplines (e.g., arts, design, management science, social sciences) as we recognise that collaboration maximizes opportunities for real world impact.
We are driven to translate our intellectual property to the market to obtain the maximum impact (economic, environmental, health, societal) from our efforts.
We are highly collaborative and enjoy interacting with academics, charities, industry and the public sector (e.g., National Health Service (NHS)).
Research Culture
We develop smart materials (often polymer-based), and specialise in those that interact with electricity, light and magnetism. We enjoy the highly interdisciplinary nature of our research (projects typically involve chemistry, biology, engineering and physics), and engagement with industry and the National Health Service (NHS) is frequent, productive and warmly welcomed. We believe that diversity is an important factor in the success of society and warmly welcome researchers in all diversity groups from across the world.
Engagement and Collaboration with Industry
We enjoy working with industry to assist in the development and understanding of materials for a variety of technical and biomedical applications. We have years of experience in chemistry (analytical, materials, polymers and synthesis), engineering (biomedical, chemical), materials science and pharmacy. We offer access to a range of excellent equipment and the expertise to analyse the resulting data. We are happy to plan projects openly discussing the range and scope of deliverables to suit our collaborator's needs. We offer opportunities for both short-term and long-term collaborative work (evidenced by conference presentations, intellectual property, publications in the scientific literature, and technical notes with industrial collaborators). Interactions with industry includes consultancy, governmentally supported competitive grants (e.g., Konfer, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships), collaborative research grants supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), etc. The contractual and financial arrangements are managed by the Partnerships and Enterprise Team at Lancaster University, typically via our Partnerships and Business Engagement Managers.
Location
Lancaster University is consistently highly ranked and is located on a beautiful campus in the North West of England close to the stunning Lake District National Park which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lancaster is well connected to the rest of the UK and has a beautiful castle in the city centre.