Dr Zahrina Mardina

Profile

I am a Postdoctoral Researcher in the School of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Leeds, specialising in sustainable materials and circular economy approaches for medical devices.

My research addresses the challenge of reducing the environmental impact of healthcare while maintaining patient safety and clinical performance. To tackle this, I develop decision-making frameworks and sustainability assessment methods that integrate materials science, life cycle assessment, material flow analysis, and economic evaluation to support more sustainable healthcare technologies.

At Leeds, I have led the materials research work package within the UKRI-funded ReMed project and currently serve as Materials Research Lead for the Sustainability Theme of the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Accelerated Surgical Care and the NIHR-funded Green Healthcare Hub. Through these roles, I work with NHS organisations, clinicians, and industry partners to develop practical solutions for sustainable healthcare.

My work has contributed to evidence-based policy changes, including supporting the removal of surgical gowns from spinal injection procedures at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, reducing an estimated 7 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.

Before joining Leeds, I completed a PhD in Materials Engineering at the University of Queensland, where I researched biodegradable metallic biomaterials for medical applications, and MSc in Biomedical Engineering from Ghent University belgium, and University of Groningen, The Netherlands. My long-term goal is to develop sustainable and circular healthcare technologies that deliver environmental, economic, and societal benefits globally.

Research interests

Materials selection for medical devices

Materials characterisation

Medical device manufacturing

Qualifications

• PhD The University of Queensland
• MSc The University of Groningen
• MSc Gent University