Molly Stevens is currently Professor of Biomedical Materials and Regenerative Medicine and the Research Director for Biomedical Material Sciences in the Institute of Biomedical Engineering. She joined Imperial in 2004 after a Postdoctoral training in the field of tissue engineering with Professor Robert Langer in the Chemical Engineering Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Prior to this she graduated from Bath University with a first class honours degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences and was then awarded a PhD in biophysical investigations of specific biomolecular interactions and single biomolecule mechanics from the Laboratory of Biophysics and Surface Analysis at the University of Nottingham (2000). In 2009 she was awarded the Jean Leray Award from the European Society for Biomaterials, in 2007 the prestigious Conference Science Medal from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and in 2005 the Philip Leverhulme Prize for Engineering. She has also recently been recognised by the TR100, a compilation of the top innovators, under the age of 35, who are transforming technology - and the world with their work. Her previous awards include the Ronald Belcher Memorial Lecture Award from the Royal Society of Chemistry (2000) and both the Janssen Prize and the UpJohn Prize for academic excellence and research.
She has a large and extremely multidisciplinary research group of students and postdocs/fellows. Research in regenerative medicine within her group includes the directed differentiation of stem cells, the design of novel bioactive scaffolds and new approaches towards tissue regeneration. She has developed novel approaches to tissue engineering that are likely to prove very powerful in the engineering of large quantities of human mature bone for autologous transplantation as well as other vital organs such as liver and pancreas, which have proven elusive with other approaches. This has led to moves to commercialise the technology (she is the co-founder of BioCeramic Therapeutics and InTiGen) and set-up a clinical trial for bone regeneration in humans. In the field of nanotechnology the group has current research efforts in exploiting specific biomolecular recognition and self-assembly mechanisms to create new dynamic nano-materials, biosensors and drug delivery systems.

Recent Journal Articles

• Srisa-Art, M, Bonzani, IC, Williams, A, et al , Identification of rare progenitor cells from human periosteal tissue using droplet microfluidics, ANALYST, 2009, Vol: 134, Pages: 2239 - 2245, ISSN: 0003-2654
• Kuna, JJ, Voitchovsky, K, Singh, C, et al , The effect of nanometre-scale structure on interfacial energy, NAT MATER, 2009, Vol: 8, Pages: 837 - 842, ISSN: 1476-1122
• Evans, ND, Minelli, C, Gentleman, E, et al , Substrate stiffness affects early differentiation events in embryonic stem cells., Eur Cell Mater, 2009, Vol: 18, ISSN: 1473-2262 ( publication )
• Ji, LJ, Stevens, MM, Zhu, YF, et al , Preparation and properties of multi-walled carbon nanotube/carbon/polystyrene composites, CARBON, 2009, Vol: 47, Pages: 2733 - 2741, ISSN: 0008-6223
• Gentleman, E, Swain, RJ, Evans, ND, et al , Comparative materials differences revealed in engineered bone as a function of cell-specific differentiation., Nat Mater, 2009, Vol: 8, Pages: 763 - 770, ISSN: 1476-1122 ( publication )
• Stevens, MM, Toxicology: Testing in the third dimension., Nat Nanotechnol, 2009, Vol: 4, Pages: 342 - 343, ISSN: 1748-3395 ( publication )
• Place, ES, Evans, ND, Stevens, MM, Complexity in biomaterials for tissue engineering., Nat Mater, 2009, Vol: 8, Pages: 457 - 470, ISSN: 1476-1122 ( publication )
• Place, ES, George, JH, Williams, CK, et al , Synthetic polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering, CHEM SOC REV, 2009, Vol: 38, Pages: 1139 - 1151, ISSN: 0306-0012
• Tsigkou, O, Jones, JR, Polak, JM, et al , Differentiation of fetal osteoblasts and formation of mineralized bone nodules by 45S5 Bioglass conditioned medium in the absence of osteogenic supplements., Biomaterials, 2009, Vol: 30, Pages: 3542 - 3550, ISSN: 1878-5905 ( publication )

• Tang, M, White, AJP, Stevens, MM, et al , Biomaterials from sugars: ring-opening polymerization of a carbohydrate lactone, CHEM COMMUN, 2009, Pages: 941 - 943, ISSN: 1359-7345
• Ghadiali, JE, Stevens, MM, Enzyme-Responsive Nanoparticle Systems, ADV MATER, 2008, Vol: 20, Pages: 4359 - 4363, ISSN: 0935-9648
  Swain, RJ, Kemp, SJ, Goldstraw, P, et al , Spectral Monitoring of Surfactant Clearance during Alveolar Epithelial Type II Cell Differentiation, BIOPHYS J, 2008, Vol: 95, Pages: 5978 - 5987, ISSN: 0006-3495
• Verdejo, R, Jell, G, Safinia, L, et al , Reactive polyurethane carbon nanotube foams and their interactions with osteoblasts, J BIOMED MATER RES A, 2009, Vol: 88A, Pages: 65 - 73, ISSN: 1549-3296
• de Mel, A, Jell, G, Stevens, MM, et al , Biofunctionalization of Biomaterials for Accelerated in Situ Endothelialization: A Review, BIOMACROMOLECULES, 2008, Vol: 9, Pages: 2969 - 2979, ISSN: 1525-7797
• Schaeffer, N, Tan, B, Dickinson, C, et al , Fluorescent or not? Size-dependent fluorescence switching for polymer-stabilized gold clusters in the 1.1-1.7 nm size range, CHEM COMMUN, 2008, Pages: 3986 - 3988, ISSN: 1359-7345
• Tang, M, Haider, AF, Minelli, C, et al , Lactide polymerization co-initiated by carbohydrate esters and pyranoses, J POLYM SCI POL CHEM, 2008, Vol: 46, Pages: 4352 - 4362, ISSN: 0887-624X
• Jell, G, Notingher, I, Tsigkou, O, et al , Bioactive glass-induced osteoblast differentiation: A noninvasive spectroscopic study, J BIOMED MATER RES A, 2008, Vol: 86A, Pages: 31 - 40, ISSN: 1549-3296
• Stevens, MM, Biomaterials for bone tissue engineering, MATER TODAY, 2008, Vol: 11, Pages: 18 - 25
• Jell, G, Verdejo, R, Safinia, L, et al , Carbon nanotube-enhanced polyurethane scaffolds fabricated by thermally induced phase separation, J MATER CHEM, 2008, Vol: 18, Pages: 1865 - 1872, ISSN: 0959-9428
• Swain, RJ, Jell, G, Stevens, MM, Non-invasive analysis of cell cycle dynamics in single living cells with Raman micro-spectroscopy., J Cell Biochem, 2008, Vol: 104, Pages: 1427 - 1438, ISSN: 1097-4644 ( publication )
• Lipski, AM, jaquiery, C, Choi, H, et al , Nanoscale engineering of biomaterial surfaces, ADVANCED MATERIALS, 2007, Vol: 19, Pages: 553 - +
• George, JH, Shaffer, MS, Stevens, MM, Investigating the cellular response to nanofibrous materials by use of a multi-walled carbon nanotube model, J EXP NANOSCI, 2006, Vol: 1, Pages: 1 - 12
• Swain, RJ, Stevens, MM, Raman microspectroscopy for non-invasive biochemical analysis of single cells., Biochem Soc Trans, 2007, Vol: 35, Pages: 544 - 549, ISSN: 0300-5127 ( publication )
• Laromaine, A, Koh, LL, Murugesan, M, et al , Protease-triggered dispersion of nanoparticle assemblies, J AM CHEM SOC, 2007, Vol: 129, Pages: 4156 - +, ISSN: 0002-7863
• Tsigkou, O, Hench, LL, Boccaccini, AR, et al , Enhanced differentiation and mineralization of human fetal osteoblasts on PDLLA containing Bioglass composite films in the absence of osteogenic supplements., J Biomed Mater Res A, 2007, Vol: 80, Pages: 837 - 851, ISSN: 1549-3296 ( publication )
• Jones, JR, Tsigkou, O, Coates, EE, et al , Extracellular matrix formation and mineralization on a phosphate-free porous bioactive glass scaffold using primary human osteoblast (HOB) cells., Biomaterials, 2007, Vol: 28, Pages: 1653 - 1663, ISSN: 0142-9612 ( publication )
• Mwenifumbo, S, Shaffer, MS, Stevens, MM, Exploring cellular behaviour with multi-walled carbon nanotube constructs, J MATER CHEM, 2007, Vol: 17, Pages: 1894 - 1902, ISSN: 0959-9428
• Bonzani, IC, Adhikari, R, Houshyar, S, et al , Synthesis of two-component injectable polyurethanes for bone tissue engineering., Biomaterials, 2007, Vol: 28, Pages: 423 - 433, ISSN: 0142-9612 ( publication )
• Bonzani, IC, George, JH, Stevens, MM, Novel materials for bone and cartilage regeneration., Curr Opin Chem Biol, 2006, Vol: 10, Pages: 568 - 575, ISSN: 1367-5931 ( publication )
• Jell, G, Stevens, MM, Gene activation by bioactive glasses., J Mater Sci Mater Med, 2006, Vol: 17, Pages: 997 - 1002, ISSN: 0957-4530 ( publication )
• Mart, RJ, Osborne, RD, Stevens, MM, et al , Peptide-based stimuli-responsive biomaterials, SOFT MATTER, 2006, Vol: 2, Pages: 822 - 835, ISSN: 1744-683X
• Hahn, MS, Teply, BA, Stevens, MM, et al , Collagen composite hydrogels for vocal fold lamina propria restoration, BIOMATERIALS, 2006, Vol: 27, Pages: 1104 - 1109, ISSN: 0142-9612
• Owen, CA, Selvakumaran, J, Notingher, I, et al , In vitro toxicology evaluation of pharmaceuticals using Raman micro-spectroscopy., J Cell Biochem, 2006, Vol: 99, Pages: 178 - 186, ISSN: 0730-2312 ( publication )

Chapters in books

• Stevens,M.M., Burdick,J.A., Biomedical hydrogels, In: Hench,L.L., Jones,J.R., editor, Biomaterials, artificial organs and tissue engineering, Boca Raton, Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2005, Pages: 107 - 115, ISBN: 0-8493-2577-3
• Prasad,V.P., Stevens,M.M., Polymer foams, In: Wnek,G., editor, Encyclopedia of biomaterials and biomedical engineering, New York, Dekker, 2005, Pages: 1274 - 1278, ISBN: 0-8247-5562-6
  Conference Contributions
• Azevedo, M, Jell, G, Hill, R, et al , Novel hypoxia mimicking bioactive materials for tissue engineering, Annual Tissue-Engineering-and-Regenerative-Medicine-International-Society-European-Chapter Meeting, 2008, Pages: 889 - 889
• Evans, ND, Gentleman, E, Swain, R, et al , Comparison of bone and cartilage gene expression in marrow stromal cells and embryonic stem cells during osteogenic differentiation, Annual Tissue-Engineering-and-Regenerative-Medicine-International-Society-European-Chapter Meeting, 2008, Pages: 713 - 713
• Swain, RJ, Stevens, MM, Raman microspectroscopy for non-invasive biochemical analysis of single cells, Cojnference on Bionanotechnology - From Self-Assembly to Cell Biology, 2007, Pages: 544 - 549
• Bonzani, IC, Knight, MM, Lee, DA, et al , A model for studying the influence of mechanical loading on human periosteal stem cells, Conference of the Tissue-Engineering-and-Regenerative-Medicine-International-Society (TERMIS-EU), 2007, Pages: 1636 - 1636
• Notingher, L, Jell, G, Notingher, PL, et al , Multivariate analysis of Raman spectra for in vitro non-invasive studies of living cells, 27th European Congress on Moleculaar Spectroscopy, 2005, Pages: 179 - 185, ISBN: 0022-2860
• Xu, XJ, Sy, JC, Stevens, MM, et al , Surface eroding polyesters derived from poly(alpha-hydroxy acids)., 227th ACS National Meeting, 2004, Pages: U558 - U558
• Sy,J., Xu,X., Lipski,A.M., et al , Degradation behavior of novel poly(alpha-hydroxy acid)-derived polyesters, 2004, Pages: 199 - 206, ISBN: 0272-9172
• Stevens,M.M., Langer,R.S., Marini,R.P., et al , Enhancement of periosteum derived chondrogenesis in vitro: Implications for cartilage tissue engineering, 49th annual meeting; Orthopaedic Research Society, New
• Orleans, LA, ORS, 2003, Pages: 964 - 964, ISBN: 0149-6433
  Stevens,M.M., Qanadilo,H.F., Langer,R., et al , Ionically crosslinked alginate hydrogels as scaffolds for periosteum-derived chondrogenesis, British pharmaceutical conference, Manchester, Pharmaceutical press, 2002, Pages: 187 - 187, ISBN: 0022-3573