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Nicholas Cooper

Nicholas Cooper

Profile

Nick obtained his MEng in Biomaterials Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield. During this time he received a Wellcome trust Biomedical Vacation Scholarship, for research on electrospun tissue engineering scaffolds, and a Department of Materials Science and Engineering Academic Achievement Scholarship. His Masters research was on porogan leaching tissue engineering scaffolds made from Poly(glycerol sebacate)-Methacrylate (PGS-M). 

Afterwards, he began his PhD within the Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (iMBE) at the University of Leeds. His research, which investigates mechanical damage mechanisms in total hip replacements, receives industry funding from DePuy Synthes. He is also part of the planning committee for the Leeds hub of ReprobuciliTEA which is part of the UK reproducibility network (UKRN) and supports the teaching of 3rd and 4th year modules within the School of Mechanical Engineering.

To find out more about the Institute of Medical & Biological Engineering's research visit imbe.leeds.ac.uk/

Research interests

PhD thesis title: ‘Modelling different mechanical damage mechanisms in ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene in total hip replacements.’

Nick is investigating damage mechanisms in total hip replacements by combining experimental and computational research methods. He has used experimental hip simulators to generate physiologically relevant hip kinematics and loading. They produce components that replicate the wear and damage patterns observed in vivo. Gravimetric measurement and geometric analysis (using contact CMM) of the wear are supplemented by microstructural investigations of material changes by Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). 

He has developed finite element computational models to investigate the stress and strain responses within components. These models are validated using the data recorded during experimental tests and provide insights into how different components, positioning or loading impact the stress and strain. 

Qualifications

  • MEng (Hons) in Biomaterials Science and Engineering

Research groups and institutes

  • Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering