Sara McNamee

Dr. Sara McNamee is a Research Associate at Ulster University, affiliated with both the School of Engineering and the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment. She conducts engineering research at the Belfast campus (2-24 York Street, Belfast, BT15 1AP) and Jordanstown Campus (Shore Road, BT37 0QB Newtownabbey).

Dr. McNamee's research focuses on the intersection of biomedical engineering, artificial intelligence, and medical diagnostics. Her work centers on developing advanced methods for point-of-care diagnostic devices, particularly focusing on lateral flow assays enhanced with AI technologies. Key areas of investigation include:

• Application of recurrent neural networks and deep learning for medical image analysis
• Development of high-sensitivity detection methods for thyroid-stimulating hormone and cardiac biomarkers
• Integration of nanomaterials like gold nanoshells in diagnostic devices
• Quantitative analysis of lateral flow immunoassays using CMOS sensors and AI
• 3D-printed biomedical resins for biochip applications

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward combining advanced imaging techniques with artificial intelligence to improve the sensitivity and accuracy of point-of-care diagnostic tools. Dr. McNamee's work has particular relevance to improving accessibility of medical diagnostics through portable, cost-effective technologies, contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to good health and well-being.

Dr. McNamee has published 20 research outputs since 2012, with recent work appearing in high-impact journals such as Biosensors, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, and IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine. Her research has accumulated 418 citations with an h-index of 13 according to Scopus metrics.

She collaborates extensively with researchers at Ulster University, particularly with colleagues including McLaughlin, Finlay, and Ng, demonstrating strong interdisciplinary connections between engineering, computer science, and medical diagnostics.