New Point of Care Diagnostic Technology for Cancer Biomarkers

Career overview

Professor Paula Mendes is a Professor of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology in the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham. She received her MSc in Chemical Engineering in 1997 and her PhD in 2002, both from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Porto, Portugal. In 1997, she was awarded a competitive University Fellowship to conduct research in computational chemical engineering at the National Polytechnic Institute of Lorraine (INPL) in Nancy, France. Following her doctoral studies, Professor Mendes undertook post-doctoral research from 2002 to 2004 in the School of Chemistry at the University of Birmingham, UK, and subsequently from 2004 to 2006 at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA, under the supervision of 2016 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry, Professor Sir Fraser Stoddart FRS. She began her academic career at the University of Birmingham in 2006 as an academic fellow and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2011, and then to Professor of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology in 2013. Additionally, she served as a Visiting Professor at the University of Washington''s Department of Bioengineering in the USA from September 2015 to July 2018. Professor Mendes leads the Mendes Research Group, which focuses on interdisciplinary research in nanoscience and nanotechnology, developing methods to control the structure and functionality of materials at the molecular and nanometer scale. Her research addresses fundamental scientific questions and aims to create innovative technologies to tackle challenges in biofouling, on-demand biosensing, and molecular diagnostics, ultimately benefiting human health. She is also a member of the Healthcare Technologies Institute (HTI), collaborating with over 70 academics to advance new technologies and treatments for improved tissue healing and rehabilitation. Her contributions to the field have been recognised through numerous awards, including the European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant in 2024, the 2021 Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) Sharma Medal, and the 2019 Women in Tech Academic Award. Professor Mendes has authored over 100 manuscripts, holds four patents, and has received prestigious research funding, including an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Fellowship and ERC grants. She serves as an editor for several scientific journals and is actively involved in the Institution of Chemical Engineers Research and Innovation Community of Practice.

Research interests

Professor Mendes'' research focuses on advanced materials and nanotechnology, particularly at the intersection of engineering, chemistry, and biology. She leads the Mendes Research Group, which conducts interdisciplinary research in nanoscience and nanotechnology, developing methods to control the structure and functionality of materials at the molecular and nanometer scale. Her research addresses fundamental scientific questions and aims to develop innovative technologies for biofouling prevention, on-demand biosensing, and molecular diagnostics, ultimately benefiting human health. Professor Mendes is involved in the Healthcare Technologies Institute, collaborating with over 70 academics to advance new technologies and treatments for better tissue healing and rehabilitation. Her pioneering work includes the use of electrically switchable oligopeptides for controlling biological interactions and the development of molecular-based biosensors applicable in various fields, including cell therapy bioprocessing and cancer diagnosis. She has authored over 100 manuscripts and holds multiple patents, receiving recognition through prestigious research grants and awards.