معرفی
Professor Divya Chari is a faculty member at Keele University, holding the title of Professor of Neural Tissue Engineering in the School of Medicine (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences). She serves as Director of Internationalisation and leads the Neural Tissue Engineering Keele (NTEK) Research Group. Key collaborators include Dr Shery Huang and Prof George Malliaras (Cambridge Nanoscience Centre), Prof Richard Emes (Nottingham University), and Dr Boris Polyak (Bar Ilan University).
- Academic Background: D.Phil in Neuroscience (Oxford University), MSc and BSc in Medical Physiology (AIIMS, New Delhi)
Research Focus:
- Stem cell sprays for neurological injuries
- Electroactive hybrid materials for neural repair
- Magnetic nanoparticles for gene delivery and imaging
- Hydrogel and polymer scaffolds for neural regeneration
- In vitro neural injury models to reduce animal testing
- Immunotherapy effects on neural development
Recent Publication Trends: Her 2020-2023 work emphasizes clinical-grade biomaterials, neuromimetic culture environments, and translational models combining nanoparticle gene delivery with canine/rodent injury models. A 2023 book chapter details high-fidelity TBI models for biomaterial screening.
Scientific Awards & Funding:
- British Council Going Global Partnerships grant (2023)
- MRC equipment award for neurophysiology research (2023)
- EPSRC Healthcare Technologies grants for electroactive bioprostheses (2019, 2023)
- Royal College of Physicians Wolfson clinical intercalation award (2020)
- Academy of Medical Sciences/Wellcome Trust INSPIRE grant (2019)
Grants & Projects: Leads EPSRC-funded initiatives on 3D bioelectronic interfaces and MAGNETIC nanoparticle systems. Collaborates with industry partners like nanoTherics Ltd and BioGel X Ltd. Supervises clinical MPhil/PhD projects on hydrogel implantation and nanoparticle-based therapies.
Labs & Teams: Director of the NTEK research group, working with Keele's Advanced Data Analysis Centre, Proteomics Unit, and Electron Microscopy Unit. Collaborates with University Hospital of North Midlands for human tissue models.
