Oxford scientist elected into Royal Academy of Engineering

An Oxford University scientist has been elected into the Royal Academy of Engineering. Professor Zhanfeng Cui was among 60 new Fellows announced at the organisation's annual general meeting last week. Professor Cui is Donald Pollock Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Oxford and Professorial Fellow of Hertford College, as well as being director of the Oxford Centre for Tissue Engineering and Bioprocessing. He said: 'I am delighted to hear of the good news and to be recognised in this way. I have spent most of my academic life so far in Oxford and naturally I am grateful to the University for supporting my work in various ways. Having grown up in a small village and been educated in China, Oxford provided me with an environment to realise my potential. More importantly, I would like to thank my students, research assistants and research collaborators over the years for their contributions to my research.' Professor Cui has research interests in the technologies that will monitor and regulate tissue growth, including micro-membrane probes and micro-sensors, and in cryo-preservation techniques. A further related area of research is into membrane filtration processes. The Oxford Centre for Tissue Engineering and Bioprocessing is involved in the development of bioreactor technologies for the growth of bone, cartilage, tendon and neuron cells, and the longer-term aim is bulky tissue growth from stem cell cultures. Having gained his first degree and doctorate in China, Professor Cui has been active in promoting engineering and scientific collaborations between the UK and China. He has also founded a spinout company, Zyoxel, which was set up in 2009 to commercialise the development of TissueFlex, a microbioreactor for 3D perfused cell culture which has attracted funding from a Hong Kong engineering company. Sir John Parker, president of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: 'We warmly welcome our new Fellows to the Academy. With their expertise, knowledge and vision we will continue to strengthen our ambition of providing authoritative, impartial and expert engineering advice to government and to develop the Academy’s growing impact and influence on a global stage.' Founded in 1976, The Royal Academy of Engineering promotes the engineering and technological welfare of the country. The Fellowship – comprising the UK's most eminent engineers – provides the leadership and expertise for its activities, which focus on the relationships between engineering, technology and the quality of life.