Vanessa Hearnden

Dr. Vanessa Hearnden is a Senior Lecturer in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering at the University of Sheffield's School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering. She leads the Materials for Health research group and has served as Course Director for the MEng in Biomaterials Science and Engineering. Her career spans roles as module lead for Tissue Engineering and Biology, personal tutor for Bioengineering students, and committee member of the Tissue and Cell Engineering Society and the Senate University Research Ethics Committee.

Dr. Hearnden's research focuses on harnessing autologous patient materials like adipose tissue to enhance soft tissue wound healing and treat pathologies. She develops 3D tissue-engineered models for oral mucosa, skin, and tonsil studies while advancing biomaterials through assays like angiogenesis and macrophage interaction analysis. Her work bridges clinical needs with interdisciplinary collaborations in Plastic Surgery, Oral Medicine, and Urology.

Recent publications highlight her expertise in adipose-derived therapies for wound healing, bisphosphonate toxicity mitigation, and scaffold fabrication techniques. She contributes to journals as Associate Editor for Frontiers in Medical Technology: Regenerative Medicine and collaborates globally. Teaching roles span BEng/MEng Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science, and MSc Bioengineering programs.