What is your current role?
I am currently working as a research assistant at the Hamlyn Centre to continue the research for my MRes project. I have also received a PhD offer from the University of Hong Kong, and I am very lucky to have been awarded a Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship at the same time.
What were the most beneficial things about the programme?
The focus of the programme is on academic research rather than a lecture-based programme. During my MRes study at Imperial, I learnt about the journey of an idea from generation to realisation and how to solve the problems encountered during the process. My ability to work both independently and collaboratively has been greatly enhanced, which will pave the way for my forthcoming research.
What are your main areas of interest in Medical Robotics?
MRI, as a radiation-free imaging technique, has been widely used for diagnostic and image-guided interventions in medicine. However, due to its own intrinsic nature, the presence of any metal parts can result in safety concerns, which greatly limits the scope of MR applications. My main area of interest is MR-adapted medical robotics, and it is my hope that MR will be more widely used in medical field.
What was the title of your dissertation?
Steerable Catheter for MR-Guided Endovascular Interventions
What was the most important outcome of your research?
My research investigated and evaluated a novel MR-safe catheter made by thermally drawing technique and equipped with steerable capability by incorporating control tendons and a 3D printed handle. The catheter was then successfully demonstrated in both in-vitro and in-vivo experiments. In addition, an MR-safe actuation box equipped with pneumatic motors was developed to enable a rapid switch from manual to robotic control of the catheter-handle assembly, and its basic functionality was verified experimentally.
What would you like to do next?
This programme helped me to develop and determine my desired research area. Therefore, I planned to continue my research in the field of MR-adapted medical robotics and additionally I would like to expand my experience on the translational work to really bring the results “bench to bedside”.