Daniela Carta

Daniela Carta is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Chemistry at the University of Surrey, within the Department of Chemistry in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. She serves as International Student Coordinator for the Department of Chemistry and coordinates multiple advanced chemistry modules including CHE3045 Topics in Physical Chemistry and CHEM027 Advanced Topics in Physical Chemistry.

Dr. Carta received her Chemistry degree with First-Class Honours (110/110 cum laude) from the University of Cagliari, Italy, followed by a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Kent, Canterbury, UK, where she researched sol-gel materials for biomedical applications. She completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCertHE) at the University of Surrey.

Her primary research focuses on the development of phosphate-based glasses and gels for tissue engineering applications, utilizing in-solution techniques like coacervation and sol-gel synthesis for bone regeneration and wound healing. Dr. Carta's work bridges materials science, chemistry, and biomedical engineering, with particular emphasis on creating bioresorbable materials that can deliver therapeutic ions in a controlled manner. Her research has significant implications for regenerative medicine, particularly in developing alternatives to traditional antibiotic treatments for wound infections.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent trajectory in developing phosphate-based biomaterials with controlled release properties. Her work increasingly focuses on incorporating therapeutic metallic ions (such as silver, copper, zinc, and iron) into glass structures to enhance antibacterial properties while maintaining biocompatibility. The research demonstrates progression from fundamental material characterization to increasingly complex applications in wound healing and bone regeneration, with several studies now incorporating ex vivo testing on human tissue.

• Fellow of Higher Education Academy, UK
• Member of Royal Society of Chemistry
• Member of RSC Biomaterials Chemistry and RSC Chemical Nanoscience and Nanotechnology groups
• Member of the Society of Glass Technology
• Member of EU Networks: Skin Engineering and Modelling (NETSKIN), Network on porous semiconductors and oxides (NETPORE), Tendon Regeneration NETwork (TENET)

Dr. Carta has successfully secured substantial research funding from major UK research councils including EPSRC, UKRI, MRC, and the Royal Society of Chemistry. Her current supervision includes four PhD students as primary or secondary supervisor, with two recently completed PhD projects focusing on phosphate-based glasses for tissue regeneration and antibacterial applications. She has also mentored multiple postdoctoral researchers specializing in glass synthesis and characterization.

Her research is conducted within collaborative networks spanning multiple UK institutions including University of York, Aston University, Queen Mary University, UCL, and University of Kent, as well as international partners in Germany, Austria, and Italy. These collaborations enable comprehensive characterization of materials using advanced techniques including synchrotron radiation at Diamond Light Source.