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Student enquiries email: biomedeng@unsw.edu.au phone: +61 2 9385 3911 mail: Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering University of New South Wales Sydney, AUSTRALIA 2052 courier: Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering 5th floor, Samuels Building University of New South Wales Gate 11, Botany Street, Randwick New South Wales, AUSTRALIA

News and events Dr Penny Martens receives Young Tall Poppy Award arren (right) at the awards ceremony.   Congratulations to Dr Penny Martens, a lecturer at GSBmE, who received a NSW Young Tall Poppy Science Award at a recent presentation at the Powerhouse Museum. These prestigious awards recognise the brightest early career researchers who have not only achieved significant scientific milestones, but have also demonstrated excellent communication skills and involvement in outreach activities. As a Young Tall Poppy, Penny will serve as a role model and ambassador for science within the broader community. Penny's work focuses on the development of new synthetic materials which can be used to repair or replace organs and tissues which have become damaged or diseased. Because these materials are compatible with biological systems, they can be used to deliver drugs or even living cells to the repair site. Their chemical design enables them to be tailored for specific applications; for example they can be designed to break down in the body once they have carried out the repair. This technology has a wide range of applications. One area that Penny and her colleagues are working on is the delivery of living pancreatic cells to help control insulin levels in diabetic patients. "This is the only award I've ever received which involves being tall!" said the diminutive Dr Martens, whose physical stature is clearly no reflection of her standing in the research community. Well done Penny! Seminar : Characterisation and tracing of prosthesis debris Time Tuesday, November 24 at noon Title Characterisation and tracing of prosthesis debris: Can pathways of polymer particles be suppressed? Speaker Dr Heiko Timmers, School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, The University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy Location Room 107, Mathews Building Abstract Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene polymer is the established bearing material in knee prostheses due to its favourable wear properties. The large and persistent dynamic forces in an artificial knee joint create an immense number of polymer wear debris particles ranging from submicron to visible size. These particles trigger the biochemical reactions which in many patients result in early clinical failure of the prosthesis. The wear mechanisms creating the particles are uncertain. The particle pathways in and near the prosthesis are not clear. The relevance of particle size and shape on the bioactivity of particles is debated. In a new experimental approach using radioisotope implantation, the pathways of polymer wear particles are traced from dislodgement to dispersion. Dislodgement mechanisms are studied with micro-scratching. Particle sizes and shapes are fully characterised in three-dimensions using scanning probe microscopy. The dependence of bioactivity on particle size is tested. A better understanding of the complex tribiological and transport processes which initiate prosthesis failure may emergy. Ultimately, adverse debris particles and their pathways in the prosthesis may be suppressed.

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