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https://webcdn.mmu.ac.uk/profiles/img/profile-images/WP_MMU_STAFF_KIRSTIE-ANDREWS--crop-145x145-5cb5fada593c8.jpg
Senior Lecturer in Engineering Materials & Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Division
Head of Faculty Research Degrees (Science & Engineering)
Materials science
Engineering & Physics Fundamentals
Professional Practice
Bioengineering
Current units: Engineering Mechanics, Individual Engineering Project, Product Design, User-Centred Design, Engineering Design, Engineering Design and Practice.
PhD in Tissue Engineering, University of Liverpool
PGCAP, Manchester Metropolitan University
Fellow of Higher Education Academy
Head of Faculty Research Degrees (Science & Engineering)
Member of Faculty Research Degrees Committee
Member of University Research Degrees Committee
Member of Faculty Research Ethics and Governance Committee (Joint Deputy Chair)
Previously served as: Member of Early Career Research Committee; Mechanical Engineering Representative on FAQSC; Part-Time Students Mechanical Engineering Pathway Leader; Department of Engineering Athena Swan Co-ordinator (joint); Member of Department of Engineering Self-Assessment Athena Swan Team; Member of Department of Engineering Research Management Group; Research Degrees Co-ordinator for Department of Engineering (2016-2020).
The UK has a rapidly increasing aged population, with approximately 15 million of us aged 65 or older by 2040. This brings associated medical problems that could cost the NHS billions, but more importantly to us, limit our quality of life.
Biomedical engineering has already created many real-life medical breakthroughs to combat these age-associated injuries and diseases, from diagnosis through to treatment. However, it is not a well-known area of engineering, despite devices being commonly used (e.g. prosthetics, blood vessel replacements and artificial hearts) and a number of examples having featured in the media (lab grown organs and “that” ear on the mouse).
The study of bioengineering covers diagnosis to treatment and monitoring, through medical devices, biomaterials, sensors, medical imaging, biomechanics and simulation. It is a topical field of engineering, with significant impact on patient's lives, that brings together engineering fundamentals for application in biomedical scenarios.
8 PhD completions
2 ongoing PhD supervisions
External examiner (course approval events), Teesside University (2015-2016)
Advanced Materials & Surface Engineering Research Centre
Materials science, particularly materials characterization
Electrospinning of fibrous scaffolds
Biomaterials
Medical devices
Cell-material interactions
Tissue engineering, particularly biological tubes and fibrous structures (including artificial blood vessels, nerve substitutes)
Bioengineering, including biomaterials, medical devices and tissue engineering
Materials science, characterization and fabrication
E. Roldan Ciudad, G. Cooper, N. Reeves, K. Andrews (2016). Effects of solvent concentration on the morphology, topography and mechanical behaviour of gelatin electrospun nanofibers for use in tissue engineering implants.
E. Roldan Ciudad, G. Cooper, N. Reeves, K. Andrews Study of in vivo mechanical behaviour of ACL to design improved tissue engineered implants. The 8th MMU Postgraduate Research Conference 'Innovation', Manchester, UK, Thursday 5th November 2015,
K. Andrews, JA. Hunt (2008). Electrostatically spun scaffolds with controlled topographies induce changes in neural cell behaviour. In: 8th World Biomaterials Congress 2008.
J. Curran, K. Andrews, JA. Hunt (2008). The effect of topographical variations of electrostatically spun scaffolds on human mesenchymal stem cell behaviour. In: 8th World Biomaterials Congress 2008.
K. Andrews, JA. Hunt (2008). Electrostatic spinning: A technique with real potential or just spin?. In: 8th World Biomaterials Congress 2008.
KD. Andrews, RA. Black, JA. Hunt (2004). Production of versatile tissue engineering scaffolds using electrostatic spinning. In: Transactions - 7th World Biomaterials Congress.
KD. Andrews, RA. Black, JA. Hunt (2004). Modifying cellular responses to electrostatically spun tissue engineering scaffolds. In: Transactions - 7th World Biomaterials Congress.
Member of organising committee for TCES (Tissue & Cell Engineering Society) conference, held at MMU in July 2017.
Reviewer: Biomaterials, Polymer, Tissue Engineering, Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Journal of Biomaterials Science: Polymer Edition, Journal of the Royal Society Interface, Biofabrication, Lubrication Science, Biomedical Materials, Scientific Reports, Journal of Science Education, Polymer International, Biomedical Physics & Engineering Express, and Journal of Biomedical Materials Research: Part B - Applied Biomaterials.
Previously served on: Professional & Scientific Development Committee of the Student & Young Investigators
Sector of TERMIS-EU Chapter
STEMNET Ambassador 2011-Present
EPSRC Early Career Forum (Engineering) member
50 Best Abstracts Award (TERMIS 2008)
Public Engagement Champion Award (MMU 2013)
Member of MMU Future Research and Knowledge Exchange Leaders Programme (2015-Present)
Member of IoM3 (Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining)