Workshops

Chair: Professor Anne Vanhoestenberghe

Professor of Active Impantable Medical Devices, King’s College London

Director, Maisi

Biography: Anne’s research is in the field of neurotechnologies, from technological innovations to their interactions with the (human) nervous system. She develops technology for the next generation of implantable electronic devices to improve the quality of life of patients, through applications such as: neuromodulation and electrical stimulation for the restoration of movement in paralyzed muscles; and biopotential recording for control of prosthesis and artificial organs. Anne is the Director of MAISI, a national facility for the Manufacture of Active Implants and Surgical Instruments housed at St Thomas’ hospital. MAISI is not only a unique facility to manufacture the most complex medical devices, but the team also brings together engineers and experts in regulatory affairs to support researchers, whether in academia or SMEs, to bring their ideas to the first tests in humans. Anne trained as an engineer in Belgium (ULB) and the Netherlands (Eindhoven), then had the opportunity to undertake a PhD under the supervision of Prof Donaldson in the Implanted Devices Group at UCL. She has worked in Germany (IMTEK, Freiburg) and Australia (UNSW, Sydney), where she was fortunate to meet some of the most influential people in her career. Anne is also a keen teacher with a concern for Diversity Equality and Inclusivity and actively seeks new strategies to develop more inclusive learning spaces and improve the university experience of non-mainstream students. She has been an active member of the International Microelectronics Assembly and Packaging Society (IMAPS-UK) since 2012.