Professor Will Shu
Biomedical Engineering
Personal statement
Professor Will Wenmiao Shu is the Hay Chair in Biomedical Engineering and Director of Research at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Strathclyde (Glasgow). He obtained his PhD at the Engineering Department (specialised in Electrical Engineering and Nanoscience), University of Cambridge. Following his postdoctoral work at Cambridge University, he worked at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh's School of Engineering and Physical Sciences as a lecturer (2007-2012) and a Reader (2012-2016) of Biomedical Microenginering. His research interests cover a range of biomedical engineering topics including 3D biofabrication, bioprinting, biosensors, microsystems and their applications for regenerative medicine. He led the research to demonstrate the first bioprinting of human embryonic stem cells (h-ESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (h-iPSCs), paving the way for their applications on animal-free drug testing and 3D printed organs. He was one of the founding members (and now an emeritus member) of Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Young Academy and held a visiting position at Stanford University. He is an editorial board member for IOP Biofabrication Journal and served as a board director of the International Society for Biofabrication (ISBF).
Prize And Awards
- Best Oral presentation prize: Development of a 3D perfused bio-artificial microvascular network.
- Recipient
- 7/10/2024
- Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (FRSM)
- Recipient
- 10/2024
- Best presentation award in 'Supporting the Replacement of Animals in Science' at BioMedEng24.
- Recipient
- 6/9/2024
- Real-time Digital Twin Assisted Surgery (DTAS)
- Recipient
- 29/3/2023
- Scottish Edge Award: Top Winner Round 18
- Recipient
- 12/2021
- Global Surgical Training Challenge Discovery Award
- Recipient
- 2021
Publications
- Printing cell embedded sacrificial strategy for microvasculature using degradable DNA biolubricant
- Shi Jiezhong, Wan Yifei, Jia Haoyang, Skeldon Gregor, Cornelissen Dirk Jan, Wesencraft Katrina, Wu Junxi, McConnell Gail, Chen Quan, Liu Dongsheng, Shu Wenmiao
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol 64 (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202417510
- "Disguise strategy" to bacteria : A multifunctional hydrogel with bacteria-targeting and photothermal conversion properties for the repair of infectious bone defects
- Li Kexin, Xie En, Liu Chengyuan, Hu Jie, Chen Qianglong, Li Jiaying, Wang Huan, Meng Qingchen, Liu Dachuan, Meng Bin, Liang Ting, Ma Jinjin, Yuan Zhangqin, Wang Lijie, Shu Wenmiao, Mao Haijiao, Han Fengxuan, Li Bin
- Bioactive Materials Vol 47, pp. 343-360 (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioactmat.2025.02.002
- Digital twin assisted surgery, concept, opportunities, and challenges
- Asciak Lisa, Kyeremeh Justicia, Luo Xichun, Kazakidi Asimina, Connolly Patricia, Picard Frederic, O'Neill Kevin, Tsaftaris Sotirios A, Stewart Grant D, Shu Wenmiao
- npj Digital Medicine Vol 8 (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-024-01413-0
- Biofabrication and biomanufacturing in Ireland and the UK
- Murphy Jack F, Lavelle Martha, Asciak Lisa, Burdis Ross, Levis Hannah J, Ligorio Cosimo, McGuire Jamie, Polleres Marlene, Smith Poppy O, Tullie Lucinda, Uribe-Gomez Juan, Chen Biqiong, Dawson Jonathan I, Gautrot Julien E, Hooper Nigel M, Kelly Daniel J, Li Vivian S W, Mata Alvaro, Pandit Abhay, Phillips James B, Shu Wenmiao, Stevens Molly M, Williams Rachel L, Armstrong James P K, Huang Yan Yan Shery
- Bio-Design and Manufacturing Vol 7, pp. 825-856 (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s42242-024-00316-z
- Near real-time estimation of blood loss and flow-pressure re-distribution during unilateral nephrectomy
- Cowley James, Kyeremeh Justicia, Stewart Grant D, Luo Xichun, Shu Wenmiao, Kazakidi Asimina
- Fluids Vol 9 (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.3390/fluids9090214
- Dynamic healing-assembly for biocompatible, biodegradable, stretchable and self-healing triboelectric nanogenerators
- Shen Ao, Xuan Huixia, Jia Yujie, Gu Shijia, Neisiany Rasoul Esmaeely, Shu Wenmiao, Sun Wei, You Zhengwei
- Chemical Engineering Journal Vol 491 (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2024.151896
Professional Activities
- Health and Care Futures: thematic areas workshop
- Invited speaker
- 30/5/2024
- Springer Nature (Publisher)
- Peer reviewer
- 11/2016
- 2016 International Conference on Biofabrication
- Chair
- 31/10/2016
- 2016 International Conference on Biofabrication
- Keynote/plenary speaker
- 30/10/2016
- 13th Annual Norwegian Stem Cell Network Conference, Oslo September 15th, 2016
- Keynote/plenary speaker
- 15/9/2016
- 16th Annual Meeting of Tissue and Cell Engineering Society, UCL, London.
- Keynote/plenary speaker
- 4/7/2016
Projects
- 3D Bioprinting of Vascularised Hepatic Cancer Model for Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) Research (International Exchanges 2024 Cost Share (NSFC)
- Wu, Junxi (Principal Investigator) Shu, Will (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2025 - 31-Jan-2026
- Engineering Functional Human Tissue
- Eastham, Sarah (Research Co-investigator) Wu, Junxi (Principal Investigator) Shu, Will (Co-investigator)
- A 3-year studentship to develop a 3D microvascular model with blood-brain barrier function.
- 01-Jan-2024 - 01-Jan-2027
- Development of bioactive graphene based scaffolds for tissue repair
- Shu, Will (Principal Investigator) Wu, Junxi (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2025
- Real-time Digital Twin Assisted Surgery
- Shu, Will (Principal Investigator) Connolly, Patricia (Co-investigator) Kazakidi, Asimina (Co-investigator) Luo, Xichun (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2027
- Real-time Digital Twin Assisted Surgery (DTAS)
- Shu, Will (Principal Investigator) Kazakidi, Asimina (Co-investigator) Luo, Xichun (Co-investigator) Connolly, Patricia (Co-investigator) Stewart, Grant D (Co-investigator) Tsaftaris, Sotiris (Co-investigator) O'Neil, Kevin (Co-investigator)
- EPSRC Transformative Healthcare Technology (THT) Phase 2 grant (EP/X033686/1)
Award: ~£4M, fEC: ~£4.9M (1 of only 5 funded projects in the UK) - 01-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2027
- BIO-ART: Multiscale understanding of BIOfilms and microBIOmes in Acute Recurrent Tonsillitis (Fellowship for Catriona Douglas, NHS)
- McConnell, Gail (Principal Investigator) Hoskisson, Paul (Co-investigator) Shu, Will (Co-investigator)
- 09-Jan-2023 - 08-Jan-2026