Dr Helen Mulvana
- Reader in Biomedical Engineering (Biomedical Engineering)
- Research Collaboration Lead (Information Services)
- Affiliate (School of Engineering)
email:
Helen.Mulvana@glasgow.ac.uk
pronouns:
She/her/hers
Room 522, School of Engineering, James Watt South Building
Biography
Dr Helen Mulvana graduated with a degree in Product Design Engineering from the University of Glasgow and Glasgow School of Art in 2001 and obtained her EngD in Medical Devices from the University of Strathclyde in 2009. She worked as a Mechanical Design and Development Engineering for Renishaw plc and as a Project Leader for TWI Ltd prior to undertaking her post-doctoral training at Imperial College London.
Helen began her independent academic career at the University of Glasgow as a Lord Kelvin Adam Smith Fellow in 2012, followed by a Lectureship. In 2019 she secured a Senior Lectureship and Chancellor’s Fellowship in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde in 2019, also serving as Director of Research and Deputy Head of Department. She returned to the University of Glasgow as a Reader in Biomedical Engineering in 2024.
Helen holds Chartership through the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and is currently the Vice President Medical Ultrasonics for the IEEE Ultrasonics Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control Society.
Research interests
Dr Mulvana’s research aims to improve the prospects for individuals facing cancer, something which will affect one in two of us over the course of our lifetime. She develops ultrasound technologies to pioneer novel, non-invasive tools for disease detection and treatment.
Her particular areas of expertise are in the use of ultrasound for therapeutic purposes to deliver non-invasive disease treatments, and in the development of micro and nanoscale ultrasound responsive particles that can enhance ultrasound therapies, or reveal otherwise hidden information about tissue physiology and local microstructure during ultrasound imaging. The aim is to improve sensitivity of disease detection for earlier diagnoses, non-invasive staging and reduced reliance on painful tissue biopsy, and to develop point of care treatments that can accelerate recovery.
Grants
L Fruk, H Mulvana, C Alexander, S Rosser, SonoBacter: Ultrasound-Guided Activation and Imaging of Engineered Bacteria for Stroma Reprogramming, MRC, co-I
H Mulvana, S Moug, S Farrington, C Moran, T Jansson, Development of non-ionising and non-invasive, personalised colorectal cancer staging using novel multimodal contrast agents and magnetomotive ultrasound imaging, Cancer Research UK, PI
H Mulvana, J Jackson, M Sandison, R O’Leary, Transformative Anatomically accurate Microvascular flow Phantoms for Ultrasound Therapy research (TAMP-US), BBSRC, PI
J Morrison, H Mulvana, C Gauchotte Lindsey, VisNET: Virtual in situ networking to reinvent the rules of international collaborations and reduce gender differences in academic careers, EPSRC, co-Programme Director
S Taylor (including H Mulvana), Inclusion Really Does Matter: Improving Reactions to Gender Equality Initiatives Amongst Academics in Engineering and Physical Sciences, EPSRC, co-I
H Mulvana, VisNET Collaboration Social Dinner, Royal Society of Chemistry, PI (£2,903)
H Mulvana, J Jackson, Physiologically and anatomically accurate flow phantom for controlled investigation of ultrasound and microbubble mediated targeted drug delivery, Carnegie Trust, PI
S Moug, H Mulvana, Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to advance individual staging and treatment planning in rectal cancer, Bowel and Cancer Research, co-PI
H Mulvana, Microscope based flow phantom for controlled investigation of ultrasound and microbubble targeted drug delivery, Royal Society, PI
H Mulvana, G Lloyd, Custom Bubbles, Royal Society of Edinburgh, PI
Supervision
If you are interested in PhD research on topics related to my work please contact me.
Current PhD students under my supervision
Rachel Williams (EPSRC CDT in Future Ultrasound for Science and Engineering)
Laura Merida (EPSRC CDT in Prosthetics & Orthotics)
Paveekorn Supteranon (EPSRC DTA)
Ben Hicks (EPSRC CDT in Prosthetics & Orthotics)
Andrea Orthodoxou (EPSRC CDT in Future Ultrasound for Science and Engineering)
Patricia Foia (Medical Research Scotland & NPL Ltd)
Lauren Gilmour (EPSRC DTA)
Second or co-supervision
Leah Douglas (EPSRC CDT in Future Ultrasound for Science and Engineering)
Muhammed-Rashid (EPSRC CDT in Future Ultrasound for Science and Engineering)
Pratibha (MRC DTP, University of Edinburgh)