Research
Pioneering health and care technologies
Medical technologies are leading the way to a brighter future for all. Tackling some of the biggest health issues society faces, they are revolutionising diagnostics, treatments and patient outcomes.
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academics working across all our Schools and campuses
At Heriot-Watt we have a truly distinctive approach to health-related research spanning an unusual diversity of expertise.
Over 100 academics, across all our Schools and campuses, are working to accelerate ground-breaking solutions to urgent healthcare challenges.
Bringing this expertise together in our new Health and Care Technologies Institute – the latest of Heriot-Watt’s Global Research Institutes being established – we are accelerating discovery and innovation for rapid adoption in clinical or care settings in order to deliver next generation healthcare which will transform patients’ lives.
The Health and Care Technologies Institute is led by Professor Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas, a researcher in micro and nanotechnologies and the development of micro-engineering solutions to diagnose diseases, and Professor Robert Thomson, a Principal Investigator of several major photonics and biophotonics projects advancing laser techniques for application in healthcare settings.
Our aspiration is to become a global powerhouse of medical technology engineering.”
Professor Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas
Professor Robert Thomson
Our researchers are working in partnership, nationally and internationally, to develop and deliver novel solutions.”
Professor Kersaudy-Kerhoas: “We have a portfolio of over £24million of research grants and over 100 projects across healthy ageing, mental health, chronic disease management, precision surgery and diagnostics, and global health concerns. Currently, we are working with around 150 partners and nearly 50 different funders are supporting our research.”
Professor Thomson: “Healthcare technology is a particular area of expertise at Heriot-Watt. We have a huge diversity of researchers, spanning biomedical engineering, biophysics, chemistry, nanotechnology and photonics, who are working across areas such as super-resolution imaging, medical ultrasound and atomic force microscopy, as well as on new devices and diagnostics. Our aspiration is to become a global powerhouse of medical technology engineering, supporting the translation of pioneering new devices into practical and commercially viable products.”
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funders are supporting our research
Supporting lifelong health
One of the biggest underlying global challenges is maintaining quality of life for an ageing population, which suffers from co-morbidities yet is required to stay in employment for longer. Comorbidity is the existence of more than one disease or condition, and is associated with worse health outcomes, more complex clinical management and increased health care costs.
Through wide-ranging research we are assisting lifelong health and healthy ageing, contributing to pioneering solutions for some of the most common conditions including cataract, stroke, diabetes, cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
We are developing technologies to promote independence, such as innovative solutions utilising robotics and AI for assisted living and wearable sensors to monitor motion detection to ensure elderly users are safe and well. We are also engineering techniques to understand musculoskeletal diseases, such as Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and bone fractures, and sensors to monitor wound healing.
Engineering the fight against cancer
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Its increasing prevalence means that one in every two of us will be diagnosed with a cancer in our lifetime.
Our researchers are developing less invasive, more efficient devices that can help to tackle the disease earlier, better and faster. Using our photonics and biophysics expertise, we are pioneering powerful sensors, novel ultrasound imaging techniques and precision laser tools to dramatically improve detection, location and removal of cancer cells and significantly improve patient health and recovery.
Tackling emerging threats to global health
Animal health, human health and environmental health are intrinsically intertwined and interdependent. Our researchers are working in partnership, nationally and internationally, to develop and deliver novel solutions to tackle emerging threats facing current and future generations.
We are developing novel vaccine delivery methods, cost-effective infectious disease diagnostics, solutions for emergent threat and epidemic monitoring, and sensors to monitor antimicrobial resistance, which has been identified as one of the most pressing global challenges we face this century. It occurs when the microorganisms which cause disease (including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites) are no longer affected by antimicrobial medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread and severe illness.
Solutions for chronic diseases management
Many millions of people suffer from a long-term condition or chronic disease, such as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arthritis and hypertension. These conditions have no cure but managing them effectively can significantly improve quality of life.
Our researchers are developing solutions to better understand and manage chronic diseases, including novel devices to study Multiple Sclerosis, on-organ sensing for bowel monitoring, novel treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases and fibrosis, and better compression garments to treat poor circulation, chronic disease-induced limb swelling and trauma such as burn scars.
Supporting better mental health
Mental health disorders are a leading cause of disease and disability. People with severe mental health conditions often die prematurely, while suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15 to 29-year-olds worldwide. The number of people living with anxiety and depressive disorders has also risen significantly recently, leading on from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The relationships between mental illness, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions are not fully understood. Our MIND Lab (Mental Illness and Neurodiverse/degenerative Disorders) aims to facilitate early diagnosis and more personalised treatment of mental health issues by establishing illness patterns across a lifespan: from developmental disorders, child and adolescent mental illness, adult mental illness and neurodegenerative diseases. By linking information on genetic, lifestyle and social factors, we aim to better predict the impact of risk factors and facilitate early diagnosis.
To find out more about research collaboration and business partnership opportunities at Heriot-Watt, email our Global Research, Innovation and Discovery team
