Kern Cowell
I have a first class Master of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering with Biomedical Engineering from Newcastle University and have just started the CDT in September 2017.
What attracted you to the Centre for Doctoral Training in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine – Innovation in Medical and Biological Engineering?
As my previous experience of medical engineering has been largely orthopaedic implant based, to gain a broader knowledge of the vast range of medical engineering interventions available before choosing a PhD project was the main attraction of the CDT.
How did you hope the CDT integrated PhD would give you an advantage over a conventional PhD?
The integration of personal development, industry links and renowned expertise in the CDT means that after finishing the PhD you will be a person that both academic and industry employers will want to work with.
What benefits do you feel you get from the interdisciplinary nature of the course?
Having two supervisors from different backgrounds, a large support network of lecturers with different expertise all working in one place and having a large CDT cohort of biologists and engineers means that there will be help and advice available for any problem you encounter regardless of the area of research it is in.
What have you found most challenging about the CDT course?
Trying to decide what project to do and who to work with as there is huge a variety of research areas to go into