Dr Andrew Capel

Andrew completed his BSc in Chemistry and Sports Science in 2010 at Loughborough University, before undertaking an MSc in Pharmaceutical Science and Medicinal Chemistry in 2011 at the same institution. He then began a PhD in the School of Science, researching the use of 3D Printing as a method of manufacturing milli-scale fluidic devices. In 2014, Andrew began working as a research associate in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences (SSEHS), researching next-generation bio-hybrid prosthetics, before being promoted to senior research associate in 2017, working alongside Prof. Mark Lewis in the area of musculoskeletal bioengineering. In July 2022 Andrew began working as a lecturer in bioengineering within SSEHS.

Andrew’s research to date has operated at the interface between chemistry, engineering, and biology, encompassing a broad spectrum of research focussed predominantly around 3 key themes: 1) The development of bioengineered models of the musculoskeletal system during health, disease, injury, exercise and regeneration; 2) The fabrication of functional devices, surfaces and biointerfaces utilising micro-scale surface topography and tailored chemistry to control cellular behaviour;  3) The design and manufacture of automated, self-optimising perfusion devices for applications in  chemical synthesis, drug screening and tissue culture.

Current Projects

• Bioengineering the human mechanosensory-motor feedback loop
• Real-time assessment of musculoskeletal injury and rehabilitation
• 3D assays of vascularised and innervated human skeletal muscle
• A mechanically induced injury model of bioengineered skeletal muscle

Funding

• Novel conductive biomaterials for tissue regeneration and wound dressing, EPSRC-MRC, £91k
• Vascularised and innervated tissue engineered skeletal muscle model of traumatic injury for identification of pro-regenerative therapeutics, NC3Rs, £92k
• 3D assays of vascularised and innervated human skeletal muscle injury for functional screening of pro-regenerative therapeutics, NC3Rs, £800k
• Real-time assessment of musculoskeletal rehabilitation, NRC, £64k
• Bioengineering the human mechanosensory-motor feedback loop, NRC, £64k
• Cryopreservation and resuscitation of regeneratively primed skeletal ‘myo-grafts’ for autologous soft tissue repair in deployed surgical environments, RiHN, £49k
• 3D assays of vascularised and innervated human skeletal muscle injury for functional screening of pro-regenerative therapeutics, Internal Funding, £64k

• Member of the Tissue and Cell Engineering Society (TCES)
• Management Board EPSRC Network+ in Rehabilitation Technologies
• Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA)

• R.P.Rimington, J.W.Fleming, A.J.Capel, P.C.Wheeler, M.P.Lewis (2021) ‘Bioengineered model of the human motor unit with physiologically functional neuromuscular junctions’ Scientific Reports.

• J.W.Fleming, A.J.Capel, R.P.Rimington, P.Wheeler, A.N.Leonard, N.C.Bishop, O.G.Davies, M.P.Lewis (2020) ‘Bioengineered human skeletal muscle capable of functional regeneration’ BMC Biology.

• K.W.Aguilar-Agon, A.J.Capel, N.R.W.Martin, D.J.Player, M.P.Lewis (2019) ‘Mechanical loading stimulates hypertrophy in tissue‐engineered skeletal muscle: Molecular and phenotypic responses’ Journal of Cellular Physiology.

• A.J.Capel, R.P.Rimington, J.W.Fleming, D.J.Player, L.A.Baker, M.C.Turner, J.M.Jones, N.R.W. Martin, R.A.Ferguson, V.C.Mudera, M.P.Lewis (2019) ‘Scalable 3D Printed Moulds For Human Tissue Engineered Skeletal Muscle’ Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology.

• A.J.Capel, R.P.Rimington, M.P.Lewis, S.D.R.Christie (2018) ‘ 3D Printing for Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Biological Applications’ Nature Reviews Chemistry.

• A. J. Capel, A. Wright, M. J. Harding, G. W. Weaver, Y. Li, R. A. Harris, S. Edmondson, R. D. Goodridge, S. D. R. Christie (2016)’ 3D Printed Fluidics with Embedded Analytic Functionality for Automated Reaction Optimisation’ Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry (I.F. 2.62, SJR 0.77, 33 citations).

• A. J. Capel, S. Edmondson, S. D. R. Christie, R. D. Goodridge, R. J. Bibb, M.Thurstans (2013) ’Design and Additive Manufacturing for Flow Chemistry’ Lab on a Chip (I.F. 6.80, SJR 2.06, 110 citations).