Professor Sheila MacNeil
BSc (Hons), PhD
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
Emeritus Professor
Professor of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering


- Profile
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Sheila is Emeritus Professor of Tissue Engineering with expertise in tissue engineering of soft tissues (skin, oral mucosa, urethra and cornea) with a focus on translating research to the clinic. She has over 550 peer-reviewed articles and an h-index of 57.
Since 1992 she has worked with clinicians in 葫芦影业, delivering autologous keratinocytes to burns patients and developed and commercialised improved delivery of skin cells to patients with MySkin鈩 and Cryoskin鈩 (autologous and allogeneic cell therapy for wound healing). In the last decade she has focussed on three translational project areas. The first with NHS Urologist Professor Chris Chapple in 葫芦影业 to develop tissue engineered oral mucosa for reconstruction of urethral strictures and to develop alternative materials for support of the weakened tissues of the pelvic floor. The second project is developing cell delivery membranes for corneal defects working with colleagues in India. The third project is developing novel biomaterials to promote angiogenesis in chronic wounds working with Dr Muhammed Yar in Pakistan.
The research collaboration with India has led to a simplification in the treatment of corneal scarring which has reduced the cost by 90% and most importantly increased accessibility of this technique to patients. This has led to a change in clinical practice in India and has attracted considerable publicity.
She received the UK Society of Biomaterials President鈥檚 medal for her contributions to Biomaterials in both the UK and overseas in September 2014 and the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) Chapman Medal for Biomedical Materials and Biomaterials Innovation in 2018.
Sheila retired in September 2018 but remains research active.
- Qualifications
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BSc (Hons) Physiology, Aberdeen University 1972
PhD, Physiology, 葫芦影业 University 1976
- Research interests
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Sheila鈥檚 research currently spans four interdisciplinary themes:
- 3D in vitro models of skin, oral mucosa, cornea and vagina
The group has a 20 year history of developing 3D models of soft tissue to look at a range of problems including wound healing, angiogenesis and bacterial infection. The skin model is currently used to study skin contraction in adult and paediatric burns patients using autologous fat. - Developing cell delivery membranes for corneal defects working with colleagues in India
The most recent outcome of this research has led to a significant improvement in how patients receive treatment for corneal scarring 鈥 the new simplified technique is more accessible to more patients and only costs 10% of the previous technique. News story. - Developing alternative materials for support of the weakened tissues of the pelvic floor
This project has led to patented technology now licenced to a spin out company Symimetics. Work is ongoing to develop material into a device for a first in women study for the surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence. - Developing novel biomaterials to promote angiogenesis in chronic wounds
Working with Dr Muhammed Yar in Pakistan to deliver a 2dDRribose sugar capable of inducing angiogenesis and promoting wound healing.
- 3D in vitro models of skin, oral mucosa, cornea and vagina
- Publications
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Edited books
Journal articles
Chapters
Conference proceedings papers
Presentations
- Grants
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- 2021-2024 Tissue engineered in vitro models to transform the pre-clinical development pathways for pelvic floor repair materials used in surgical treatment of women with urinary incontinence. Royal Society / Turkish Government. 拢79,000.
- 2021-2024 British Council and Pakistan Institute for Higher Education. 拢250,000 in total.
- 2020-2021 . 拢92,299.
- 2018-2021 Exploration of the use of patients own fat to reduce burns graft scarring and contraction, S.MacNeil,V,Hearnden, N. Green and V. Giblin. 葫芦影业 Hospitals Charity. 拢207,150
- 2018-2021 Membrane microdomains as a target for antimicrobial drug discovery, PN Monk, S MacNeil, LJ Partridge, E Karunakaran, P Thokala, TE Bartlett. MRC-GCRF. 拢1 397 587
- Professional activities and memberships
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- Awarded the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) Chapman Medal for Biomedical Materials and Biomaterials Innovation (2018).
- Awarded the President's Prize from in recognition of long standing service to biomaterials science both in the UK and internationally (2014)
- Member of EPSRC Peer Review College (2010 onwards)
- Member of UK Tissue and Cell Engineering Society (TCES) (2009 onwards)
- Member of Swiss National Science Foundation NRP 63 - Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine (2008 onwards)
- NC3R Grant Reviewing Panel (2008 - 2011)
- MRC Small Grant Reviewing Panel (2006-2007)
- Member of EPSRC Grant Reviewing College (2003-2006)
- Member of BBSRC Engineering and Biological Systems Panel (2000-2003)
- Member of MRC Regenerative Medicine Research Committee
- Women in Engineering
We interviewed Sheila for the Faculty of Engineering's Wall of Women when she was Professor of Tissue Engineering. Here are Sheila's interviews:
The Wall of Women profiles were taken over a 4/5 year time period and are a snapshot of what our engineers were doing at that time.