Professor Peter Culmer

Profile

I am Professor in Healthcare Technologies, in the School of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Leeds. In my academic role, I’m passionate about using engineering science to address global challenges in healthcare, and helping inspire the next generation of engineers to the same. Leading the Healthcare Technologies Lab, I work closely with multidisciplinary teams encompassing researchers, clinicians and patients, bringing my own technical expertise in mechatronics and robotics.

Community: I believe in supporting and growing the medical engineering community. I serve as engineering representative to the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Surgical MedTech Cooperative where I work closely with healthcare professionals and industry partners on the development of medical devices. I am a board member of the IMechE Biomedical Engineering Division (BmED) where I coordinate the two-yearly IMechE ‘Incontinence: Engineering Challenge’ conference and the regional Leeds BmED centre.

My career has been shaped by a medical engineering PhD in which I developed the control system for a stroke rehabilitation robot. Working with an inspiring group of engineers, healthcare professionals and patients to develop and evaluate the iPAM system founded my passion for working in healthcare technologies. I was subsequently awarded a ‘Senior Translational Research Fellowship’ in Surgical Technologies in 2010, working to develop our multidisciplinary research group. I then progressed to my current academic role in 2015 where I have worked to develop my research and link this with my teaching and professional responsibilities.
 

Responsibilities

• Director of Postgraduate Research - Mechanical Engineering
• Committee Member: IMechE Biomedical Engineering Division (BmED)

Research interests

My research interests are developing and applying technology to improve healthcare, ensuring it is environmentally sustainable and globally relevant

My technical focus is mechatronics systems for measurement and analysis of the human body, with application to medical applications including minimally invasive surgery, diabetic foot health and joint implants. 

I have developed a growing interest in Global Health – working with the NIHR Global Health Research Group to help develop equitable access to modern healthcare. I bring both technical expertise and experience in using frugal and participatory design – using these approaches to work closely with industry, medical professionals and patients to find solutions that work in low-resource environments.

Key priorities for my research are:
-    Measurement systems for foot health: I develop measurement systems to record foot loading and help prevent health conditions like diabetic foot ulcers

-    Development of environmentally sustainable healthcare technologies and practices – employing responsible engineering and circular-economy practices and working across disciplines with clinical and industry stakeholders 

-    Technologies for Global Surgery: I lead a multinational interdisciplinary team developing novel medical equipment for minimally invasive surgery in low resource areas (e.g. rural India)
 

My research has been recognised for its innovative approach and translation to industry adoption, supported by a range of funding sources including EPSRC, MRC, NIHR and the Leverhulme Trust. Notable examples of my research projects include sensors for assessment of diabetic foot ulceration (PI, EPSRC’s Engineering for a Prosperous Nation for next-generation research advances), new laparoscopic instrumentation (NIHR i4i) and leading the EPSRC-MRC IMPRESS network to address incontinence challenges through engineering. Through the NIHR Global Surgery Programme I have led a multinational interdisciplinary team developing novel medical equipment for low-resource surgery, currently used in clinical practice in India and Kenya.

• Accelerating surgical training
• Galvanostatic tissue sensing for cancer detection
• IMPRESS - Compliant meshes for pelvic organ prolapse
• Maternal Health - Vacuum assisted delivery simulation
• Sensing tissue trauma in surgery
• Soft tactile sensors
• The intra-abdominal platform for surgical support

Qualifications

• MEng Mechatronics, University of Leeds
• PhD Control scheme for the iPAM upper limb rehabilitation robot, University of Leeds

Professional memberships

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Member IMechE

Student education

Taught Modules: I lead and contribute to modules including Computing for Engineers, Biomechanics, Robotics and Biomechatronics.

Projects: Each year I supervise a range of individual and team student projects. My projects are typically biomedical and have helped initiate and progress collaborative research. Notable examples have even received awards, press coverage and student trips to international conferences.

Internships: I have developed, and manage, our undergraduate Summer Internship Program in the School of Mechanical Engineering – an opportunity for students to enhance their CV by building skills in research, project management and to contribute to enhancements in Learning and Teaching.

Research groups and institutes

• Institute of Design, Robotics and Manufacturing
• Bio-mechatronics and robotics

Current postgraduate researchers

• Sarah Crossland
• William Davis Birch
• Hongxin Liao