Biography

I first became interested in prosthetic heart valves during my final year studying mechanical engineering at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. I had at the time been working full-time for a medical device design and development company and had the great fortune of working with practicing surgeons. This sparked me to study further and complete my Masters in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. My academic interests include novel biomaterials and blood-implant fluid-structure interactions. I continue to be intrigued by the human body and the extent to which medical devices contribute to a better quality of life not only for the individual treated but also for their family and society at large. I hope that my research at Cambridge, designing and developing a growth potential paediatric prosthetic heart valve, will contribute to this field.