Ruth Cameron
Professor of Materials Science
MA University of Cambridge
PhD University of Cambridge
+44 (0)1223 334324
rec11@cam.ac.uk
www.msm.cam.ac.uk/ccmm/
Polymers and Medical Materials
My work within the Cambridge Centre for Medical Materials and the Pfizer Institute for Pharmaceutical Materials Science focuses on materials which interact therapeutically with the body. Research is undertaken in both materials and cell-culture laboratories.
Biodegradable polymers and composites
Resorbable polymers may be used in temporary load-bearing applications such as sutures and pins, in scaffolds for tissue engineering and in drug-delivery devices. We are exploring the complex temporal and spatial relationships between the processing and morphology of the polymer, the diffusion rates of water, drug and degradation products, the degradation rate of the polymer and ultimate properties. An understanding of these factors allows informed device design. This work is extended into the study of composites with polymers and ceramics, ranging from the micro co-continuous to the nano-scale, for bone and other tissue repair.
Biostable implants
We are researching materials and devices for applications in which the material must not change in the challenging environment of the body. Problems we are addressing include spinal-disc replacement and prostheses to engineer nerve repair.
Drug delivery and pharmaceutics
We are exploring issues relating to drug delivery to the body including drug polymorphism, tablet design and inhalation delivery systems.
- J Braunecker, M Baba, GE Milroy & RE Cameron, "The effects of molecular weight and porosity on the degradation and drug release from polyglycolide" Int. J. Pharmaceutics 282, 19–34 (2004).
- JE Taylor, PR Laity, SS Wong, P Khunkamchoo, K Norris, J Hicks, AF Johnson & RE Cameron, "Iron pick-up efficiency in deferoxamine-coupled polyurethane dressings for treatment of chronic wounds" Biomater. 26, 6024–6033 (2005).
- AC Renouf-Glauser, J Rose, DF Farrar & RE Cameron, "A comparison of the degradation and deformation properties of a PLLA-lauric acid based family of biomaterials. Biomacromol. 7, 612–617 (2006).
- JS Capes & RE Cameron, "Effect of polymer addition on the contact line crystallisation of paracetamol" Cryst. Eng. Comm. 9, 84–90 (2007).