Centre for Bioengineering & Nanomedicine-UoO Dunedin

26/05/2026

Assoc Prof. Jaydee Cabral recently served as Guest Editor alongside Serena Duchi for the Special Issue on Tissue Engineering Advances in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia.

This collection showcases the outstanding innovation and interdisciplinary research emerging across our region in tissue engineering, biomaterials, regenerative medicine, and biofabrication. It has been incredibly rewarding to help highlight the strength of collaboration and translational impact within our scientific community.

She was proud to have contributed to a platform that celebrates advances shaping the future of regenerative healthcare in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia.

02/03/2026

Assoc. Prof Jaydee Cabral is honored to deliver a keynote address at the upcoming Australasian Society for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering 2026 conference in Adelaide, Australia.
Her talk, “Engineering Regeneration: Translating 3D Biofabrication Platforms from Tissues to Therapeutic Devices,” will explore how advanced biofabrication technologies can bridge the gap between scaffold design, living tissues, and clinically deployable devices.
She looks forward to engaging with colleagues across biomaterials, tissue engineering, and translational bioengineering to collectively shape the future of regenerative medicine.
https://www.asbte2026.org/speakers

Learn more Sarah is Vice Dean and Head of School of Engineering. The School’s student and staff community is vast and diverse with around 7,000 students, 580 academic and research staff and 250 professional services staff. The School teaches large home and international cohorts of students from ar...

22/02/2026

A great start to the year!
We officially welcomed our new postgraduate Bioengineering students this week, joined by current students for orientation and shared kai.
Building strong research communities starts with connection. We’re excited to see this new cohort bring fresh ideas and energy into our labs and collaborative spaces.
Nau mai, haere mai — welcome!

06/02/2026

We’re proud to share Franzine’s journey from a Microbiology undergraduate to an MSc in Bioengineering at the University of Otago. In this Health Sciences interview, she reflects on how interdisciplinary study has shaped her pathway and future goals. An inspiring example of how diverse backgrounds can lead to innovation in bioengineering.

29/01/2026

A great snapshot of the motivations behind studying Bioengineering at Otago. Always encouraging to hear student perspectives on interdisciplinary learning and innovation.👏

04/01/2026

📄 New publication – ahead of print in Tissue Engineering, Part A

I’m delighted to share our latest work, led by Bioengineering PhD candidate, Alex Leonard, entitled,

“One-Pot Crosslinking Enables 3D Printing of Shear-Recovery Fish Collagen VEGF-Functionalized Inks”

In this study, we present a one-pot crosslinking strategy that enables extrusion-based 3D printing of a shear-recovery, precrosslinked fish collagen ink, eliminating the need for post-printing treatments. Functionalization with VEGF significantly enhanced scaffold bioactivity by promoting angiogenic responses.

Collectively, these findings demonstrate a sustainable and biocompatible approach that broadens the applicability of fish collagen-based bioinks for vascularized tissue engineering.

Congratulations to Alex and the team on this excellent work.

04/01/2026

📘 New review article – Tissue Engineering, Part A

Pleased to share a new review paper in Tissue Engineering, Part A, led by MSc Bioengineering student, Caitlin O'Donnell, addressing one of the persistent challenges in postmastectomy reconstruction.

“Plasma Surface Modification of 3D Printed Scaffolds for Neurovascularized Nipple–Areolar Complexes”

This review synthesizes recent advances in plasma-modified 3D-printed poly-ε-caprolactone scaffolds, highlighting how surface engineering can enhance hydrophilicity, cell adhesion, and neurovascular integration.

By combining plasma surface modification, additive manufacturing, and regenerative strategies, this work outlines a pathway toward anatomically accurate, mechanically durable, and functionally innervated nipple–areolar constructs for next-generation breast reconstruction.

Congratulations to Caitlin on an excellent and timely contribution to the field.

16/12/2025

So proud to see our MSc Bioengineering students sharing why they chose bioengineering at Otago. 👏

If you’re curious about where bioengineering can take you, this is a great insight from a current student.

11/11/2025

The Bioengineering Symposium and 3D Biofabrication Workshop hosted by the Centre for Bioengineering & Nanomedicine was successfully held on 6–7 November 2025 at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin. The symposium brought together leading experts, academics, and researchers from physical sciences, health sciences, engineering, and biomedical sciences across Dunedin, Christchurch, and Wellington, alongside industry and healthcare partners from New Zealand and abroad. IF you like to innovate, work collaboratively across multiple disciplines with real-world applications, you may be a future biomedical engineer!
Learn more about the bioengineering postgraduate programme here, https://www.otago.ac.nz/courses/subjects/bioe

11/11/2025

🙏 A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to a highly successful Bioengineering Symposium and 3D Biofabrication Workshop at the University of Otago, Dunedin campus!

To our speakers, poster presenters, behind-the-scenes organizers, student volunteers, and sponsors—your support and participation made this event truly outstanding. 👏

💥 Participants experienced a dynamic programme featuring expert talks, hands-on 3D printing workshops, and poster presentations by our postgraduate researchers. We extend a big thank you to all our sponsors—Bio-Strategy, Lab Supply, and Thermo Fisher Scientific—for helping create a fantastic event that brought together researchers across disciplines.

Attendees commended the engaging discussions, networking opportunities, and the high quality of presentations. The overwhelmingly positive feedback reflected the Symposium’s success in fostering collaboration and innovation across academia and industry. 🚀

If you enjoy innovating, working collaboratively across disciplines, and creating solutions with real-world impact, you might just be a future bioengineer! ☺️

Learn more about the Bioengineering postgraduate programme here: https://www.otago.ac.nz/courses/subjects/bioe