Associate ProfessorMark Staiger

Dr Mark Staiger's research encompasses the development, processing and characterisation of advanced, bio-based, biodegradable and sustainable materials, spanning metallic, polymeric, composite, biological and biomimetic systems. His research is particularly focused on understanding the relationships between composition, processing, structure, properties and performance, and applying this knowledge to challenges in healthcare, sustainability and advanced manufacturing. A central theme across Dr Staiger's research is understanding how processing and composition control material structure and, ultimately, engineering performance. This includes investigation across length scales from molecular and nanoscale structure through to bulk mechanical behaviour.

His research interests include:

• Biodegradable metallic biomaterials
  Magnesium-based biodegradable alloys for orthopaedic applications, including implant materials, mechanical behaviour, corrosion and degradation, microstructure, biocompatibility and the design of temporary biomedical devices, with an emphasis on materials that can provide appropriate mechanical function while interacting favourably with biological environments.
• Single-polymer composites and all-cellulose composites
  Development of high-performance composites in which the reinforcement and matrix are derived from the same polymeric system, particularly cellulose-based materials. Research includes processing, fibre–matrix interactions, microstructure and mechanical performance.
  
  
• Bio-based polymers and biocomposites
  Development and characterisation of materials derived from renewable biological resources, including natural fibres, cellulose, proteins, polysaccharides and other biopolymers, as alternatives to conventional petroleum-derived materials.
  
  
• Protein-based materials and bioaerogels
  Development of lightweight, highly porous materials derived from proteins and other biopolymers, including investigation of processing, hierarchical structure, mechanical properties, thermal behaviour and potential functional applications.
  
  
• Encapsulation and delivery materials
  Development of polymeric and bio-based encapsulant materials for pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and other active compounds, including investigation of encapsulation mechanisms, barrier properties, stability and controlled release.
  
  
• Nanomechanical properties of biological materials
  Investigation of the mechanical behaviour of biological materials at the micro- and nanoscale, including relationships between composition, hierarchical structure and mechanical performance. This work includes advanced microscopy and nanomechanical characterisation techniques, including atomic force microscopy, nano-DMA, and nano-FTIR methods.
  
  
• Polymer science and engineering
  Structure–property relationships in polymers, including molecular architecture, molecular weight, crystallinity, glass transition, viscoelasticity, thermal behaviour and mechanical performance. Investigation of how processing conditions influence polymer morphology, crystallisation, molecular structure and final material performance, using thermal, mechanical, spectroscopic and microscopic characterisation techniques in his laboratory such as DSC, DMA, TMA and FTIR.
  
  
• Recycling and circularity of thermoplastics
  Development of improved approaches for recycling and reprocessing thermoplastic polymers, including investigation of degradation, molecular-weight changes, crystallinity, rheology, mechanical properties and the effects of repeated processing.
  
  
• Sustainable and circular materials
  Development of materials and processing strategies that reduce reliance on virgin fossil-derived resources, increase the use of renewable and waste-derived feedstocks, and enable improved recovery, reuse and recycling of materials.
  
  
• Nanostructured and nanofibrous materials
  Development and characterisation of materials with nanoscale architectures, including electrospun and other nanofibrous materials, with applications in biomedical, environmental and advanced-materials technologies.
  
  
• Advanced materials characterisation
  Multiscale characterisation of materials using techniques including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), rheology, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), AFM-based nanomechanical and spectroscopic techniques, and micro-computed tomography.