The Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices (CRMD) aims to achieve pioneering, patient-driven treatments and technological innovation in regenerative medicine and medical devices and links its research agenda to the university’s Healthy Futures objectives for research and enterprise. The centre was established in 2014 under the name of the Brighton Centre for Regenerative Medicine and capitalising on over 25 years (1994 to date) of research in the field of biomaterials for medical implants and tissue engineering.

Responding to some of the most recognised socio-economic challenges, the centre focuses on scientific knowledge, diagnostics and treatments based on regenerative medicine and devices in 6 main priority areas: neurodegenerative diseases and sensory dysfunctions, diabetes, wound healing, cardiovascular diseases and musculoskeletal diseases.

Treatments in these areas of clinical applications are mainly pursued through the work of experienced academics, early career researchers, MRes and PhD students focusing on the development of biomimetic, bioactive and bioresponsive biomaterials that are designed from the knowledge acquired in molecular and cellular (stem and tissue cells) biology as well as from insight about the physiology and pathology of tissues and transformed into products by advanced engineering.

Since 2014, CRMD has secured grants for a value exceeding £5M and consolidated a wide network of national and international scientific and industrial collaborations.

Highlights of its success are EC projects on intervertebral discs (Disc Regeneration), bone (MAGISTER) and osteochondral tissue (OPHIS) regeneration, controlled angiogenesis (ITN Marie-Curie Sklodowska, AngioMat), engineering of pancreatic islets (NEXT), novel tests of biomarkers for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease (MADIA) and more recently a project about the development of novel testing medicine for nano-biomaterials and nanomedicine (REFINE).

An Interreg project (DERMA) has led to the development of innovative wound dressing integrating components for malodour prevention and microbial diagnostics.

Other highlights include UKRI projects which focus on the physiology, pathologies and pioneering treatments of the middle ear. In collaboration with the Centre for Advanced Engineering, CRMD has secured an i3England project (3D Med) for the design, micro-fabrication and testing of advanced drug delivery systems.