Ayeesha Mujeeb

Research Scientists

Research Scientist

Location:

Building 4 Level 3, Office 3268

Research Interests

It has been an exciting journey for my academic and intellectual development, culminating in product development that has opened a field of translational medicine with opportunities for many other industrial applications. Throughout my training in robust scientific techniques, I have been fascinated by the ability to conduct research, which has both scientific and commercial potential. I see myself working with researchers, academicians, young entrepreneurs, and engineers to develop innovative bench- to-bedside solutions with commercial potential and application.

Selected Publications

  • Mohammad Taleb, Yanping Ding, Bin Wang, Na Yang, Xuexiang Han
    Farhadi Sabet, Hamideh Rezvani Alanagh, Ayeesha Mujeeb, Khosro Khajeh Dopamine delivery via pH- sensitive nanoparticles for tumor blood vessel normalization and an improved effect of cancer chemotherapeutic drugs. Advanced Healthcare Materials 2019; 8(18). 

  • Yingqiu Qi*, Huan Min*, Ayeesha Mujeeb*, Yinlong Zhang, Xuexiang Han, Ying Zhao, Guangjun Nie. An injectable hexapeptide hydrogel for localized chemotherapy prevents breast cancer recurrence. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2018; 10(8): 6972-6981. 

  •  Jingjing Zhang, Ayeesha Mujeeb, Yanan Du, Zigang Ge, Probing cell-matrix interactions in RGD-decorated macroporous poly (ethylene) glycol hydrogels for cartilage engineering. Biomedical Materials 2015; 10:1-12.

  • Ayeesha Mujeeb, Zigang Ge, Biomaterials for cartilage regeneration. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 2014; 22:674-676.

  • Mujeeb A, Miller AF, Saiani A, Gough JE, Self-assembled octapeptide scaffolds for in vitro chondrocyte culture. Acta Biomaterialia 2013; 9(1): 4609-17.

Education

  • Ph.D. Materials Science, School of Materials, University of Manchester, UK

  • M.Sc. Biotechnology, School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Sciences (CEAS), University of Manchester, UK

  • B.Sc. (Hons) Biomedical Materials Science, School of Materials, University of Manchester, UK

Professional Profile

  • March 2024 - Present Research Scientist at the PSE Division/ Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials Center (AMPM), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

  • April 2023 – March 2024 Research Scientist at the Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of
    Saudi Arabia

  • May 2016 – December 2022 Research Consultant & Co-investor at the Manchester BIOGEL, Alderley Park Bio Hub, UK 

  • April 2018 – August 2021 Head of Research ZIA Incubator of Education Research at the Zhicheng International Academy, Beijing, China

  • May 2016 – April 2017 Technical Manager at the PeptiGelDesign Ltd. (Manchester BIOGEL at the Alderley Park BioHub, UK

  • May 2016 – April 2017 Visiting Academic at the University of Manchester, UK

  • January2016–December2017 Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China

  • April 2015 – September 2015 Postdoctoral Researcher (Visiting Scientist) at the Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Cartilage Engineering and Regeneration Laboratory (CERL), Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (Zurich, Switzerland) in collaboration with Peking University (Beijing, China)

  • October 2013 – November 2015 Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Peking University (Beijing, China) 

  • July 2011 – December 2011 Postdoctoral Research Assistant (PDRA) at the School of Materials, University of Manchester in collaboration with Peptisyntha (CordenPharma Company/SOLVAY)

Scientific and Professional Membership

  • Tissue & Cell Engineering Society UK (TCES)

  • Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS-EU)

Awards

  • 2023 Selected in the TOP 100 projects at the UN COP28 Prototypes for Humanity Exhibition in Dubai, UAE

  • 2015 – 2017 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) President’s International Fellowship (PIFI) for highly qualified international scientists, Beijing, China 

  • 2016 – 2022 Scientific Research Consultant & Co-investor at Manchester BIOGEL, a spin-off company from the University of Manchester, situated at the BIOHUB, Alderley Edge, UK 

  • 2014 Sino-Swiss Science and Technology Cooperation (SSSTC) Exchange Award/Swiss National Science Foundation – between Peking University (Beijing, China) and the ETH Zurich (Zurich, Switzerland) 

  • 2013 – 2015 Beijing Government Scholarship for International Senior Research Scholars at Peking University, Beijing, China 

  • 2010 Best Oral Contribution Prize (Robert Mathys Foundation award) at the eCM XI: Cartilage and Disc: Repair and Regeneration conference, Davos, Switzerland

  • 2010 Best Poster Presentation Prize at the Tissue & Cell Engineering Society (TCES) Annual Meeting, Manchester, UK

  • 2008 Second prize for Ph.D. student oral contribution at the Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre Student Conference, Manchester, UK

  • 2007 – 2012 Doctoral training award (DTA) by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), UK

KAUST Affiliations

PSE - Physical and Engineering Division

Research Interests Keywords

Peptide self-assembly Peptide-polymer conjugates 3D hydrogels Biomaterials Tissue engineering Drug delivery systems Translational research