Dr Helen Mulvana she/her

I’m interested in working on new and exciting science that can deliver societal benefit and in particular improved health outcomes for people facing health conditions. My group is using ultrasound, a widely available, safe and non-ionising imaging technology to develop new treatments for diseases, and more sensitive detection techniques to detect disease earlier, quicker, painlessly and more accurately. Much of our work relies on the use of micro or nanobubble technologies that act as a tool to enhance the capabilities of ultrasound for imaging or therapy.

I’m interested foremost in researchers who can see a synergy between what I do and their interests. I’m also keen to meet biology / oncology / clinical researchers seeking to address a particular diagnostic or therapeutic challenge, particularly ones with access to in vitro or in vivo models, also biochemists with expertise in lipid chemistry.

Almost all of my research is interdisciplinary. Some examples of recent projects includes, development of magnetic microbubbles to probe lymph nodes with the aim to detect metastatic spread in colorectal cancer, development of quantitative ultrasound methods to detect pancreatic cancer non-invasively, and to detect deep tissue injury in lower limb prosthesis wearer and development of new ways to use nanobubbles to improve breast cancer detection and staging. Our work is mainly undertaken in the lab or in pre-clinical models. We work with oncologists, physicists and clinicians. We’re keen to progress our work towards clinical demonstration.

I aim to adapt my supervisory style to the needs of my students and how they work best, sometimes this can take a little time for us to work out between us, but it also changes throughout the PhD. In general we find that a regular group meeting works well, plus individual meetings to delve into the details. For some students there can be periods of time where those meetings might take place a couple of times a week, while for some it’s closer to monthly. I’m keen to support students to develop a really clear vision of what they want to achieve with their research, and then work with them to break down the delivery of that vision in to a series of approachable activities.

Students I have supervised have found jobs in industry, including outside of biomedical research, in start ups, and in further academic research.

I am passionate about the need to improve equity, diversity and inclusion in STEM, in academia and within the training environments and networks that can lead to well paid, rewarding and stimulating careers. I aim to advance this cause in everything that I do but also hold a number of influential positions that both enable me to do so and that I have secured in part because of my reputation in this area. Notable activities include Chairing the School of Engineering Athena SWAN committee that secured the School’s first accreditation from this body, Programme Director for the EPSRC funded project Inclusion Matters Project, visNET alongside Prof Gauchotte Lindsay, and a number of initiatives as Vice President Medical Ultrasonics for the IEEE Ultrasonics Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control Society.