NeuroBridge
Project Overview
University
Year
About
Severe peripheral nerve injuries can cause chronic pain, paralysis and permanent disability. Repairing missing nerve sections often requires healthy nerve tissue from elsewhere in the patient’s body, causing further harm. NeuroBridge combines a strong tubular scaffold with a soft hydrogel that mimics natural nerve tissue to support cell attachment and guide nerve regrowth. A plasma-based process bonds the materials without toxic additives. With prototypes reaching 10 centimetres, this approach could eventually enable more extensive nerve repairs without sacrificing healthy nerves.
Team
Bingyan Liu
Bingyan Liu is a PhD candidate in the School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Sydney. Her research focuses on biomaterials and peripheral nerve regeneration, with particular emphasis on solid-hydrogel hybrid nerve guide conduits. Her work investigates plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) as a surface modification strategy to enable the stable integration of hydrogels with polymeric substrates. Her broader research interests include biomaterial interface engineering, GelMA-based hydrogels, surface functionalisation, and the development of biofunctional conduit architectures for nerve repair.