Eleanor Stride
2020 United Kingdom Award Finalist — Faculty
Current Position:
Statutory Professor of Biomaterials
Institution:
University of Oxford
Discipline:
Biomedical Engineering & Biotechnology
Recognized for: Innovations in microbubble engineering that have paved the way for novel, on-demand drug release methods through the use of ultrasound and magnetic fields to target the release of drugs to specific tissues.
Areas of Research Interest and Expertise:
Medical Engineering, Drug Delivery, Cancer Therapeutics, Anti-Microbial Resistance, Clinical Translation
Previous Positions:
BEng (Honors), University College London
PhD, University College London (Advisor: Prof. Nader Saffari)
Royal Academy of Engineering Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University College London
Reader, University College London
Research Summary:
Prof. Eleanor Stride’s research seeks to model, design, and synthesize bioengineered microbubbles that can carry and deliver bioactive agents such as cancer therapies. By developing new mathematical models of bubble surface dynamics, Stride has demonstrated an ability to create bubbles from synthetic materials and evoke “on demand” release of bubble contents by stimulating them with medically safe ultrasound waves. A clear application of this technology is the delivery of chemotherapy drugs into cancerous tumors, a line of research in which Stride has made tremendous contributions. For example, her group has developed microbubbles capable of carrying oxygen safely to tumors where an oxygen-rich environment is necessary for the activation of cancer drugs. Indeed, this approach is already showing extraordinary promise as a tool for treating pancreatic cancer. Further, she has pioneered the development of magnetically-sensitive microbubbles, which provide a means to localize bubble populations using a magnetic field outside the body. In addition to Stride’s groundbreaking work in cancer therapy bioengineering, her work on microbubble synthesis has significant implications for targeting and delivering other bioactive agents, including genetic material. Her group created ‘tunable’ microbubbles—bubbles of varying size and ultrasound-frequency sensitivity—for specific drug and gene therapies in cardiovascular and brain disease. Stride has taken active steps to enable the clinical translation of these technologies and is a co-founder of two companies, AtoCap and SonoTarg. Through her pioneering work in microbubble development, Stride is a leader in innovative bioengineering, helping to usher in the next wave of clinical solutions to public health.
"I was amazed and absolutely thrilled to receive the call from the Blavatnik Awards team. I am incredibly lucky to work with a fantastic multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers and clinicians and to be doing research with the potential to have real and positive impact on patient treatment."
Key Publications:
- E. Beguin, S. Shrivastava, N. Dezhkunov, A.P.P. McHale, J.F. Callan, E. Stride. Direct Evidence of Multi-Bubble Sonoluminescence Using Therapeutic Ultrasound and Microbubbles. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2019.
- J. Owen, P. Rademeyer, D. Chung, Q. Cheng, D. Holroyd, C. Coussios, P. Friend, Q.A. Pankhurst, E. Stride. Magnetic Targeting of Microbubbles Against Physiologically Relevant Flow Conditions. Interface Focus, 2015.
- J. Lee, D. Carugo, C. Crake, J. Owen, M. de Saint Victor, A. Seth, C. Coussios and E. Stride. Nanoparticle-loaded Protein-Polymer Nanodroplets for Improved Stability and Conversion Efficiency in Ultrasound Imaging and Drug Delivery. Advanced Materials, 2015.
- N.A. Hosny, G. Mohamedi, P. Rademeyer, J. Owen, Y. Wu, M.X. Tang, R.J. Eckersley, E. Stride, M.K. Kuimova. Mapping Microbubble Viscosity Using Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging of Molecular Rotors. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2013.
Other Honors:
| 2019 | 100 Most Influential Women in the Engineering Sector, Inclusive Boards in partnership with the Financial Times |
| 2018 | Fellowship, Acoustical Society of America |
| 2017 | Fellowship, Royal Academy of Engineering |
| 2016 | 50 Most Influential Women in Engineering, The Women’s Engineering Society |
| 2014 | AF Harvey Prize, The Institute of Engineering and Technology |
| 2014 | Fellowship, The ERA Foundation |
| 2013 | Bruce Lindsay Award, Acoustical Society of America |
| 2010 | Venture Prize, The Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers |
| 2009 | Philip Leverhulme Prize, The Leverhulme Trust |
| 2009 | Engineering Medal, Parliamentary Science, Engineering & Technology for Britain |
In the Media:
BBC Radio 4 – “Woman’s Hour”
BBC 4 – “Pop! The Science of Bubbles”
Wired – “How Bubbles Can Help Us Treat Cancer”
Born to Engineer – Eleanor Stride Profile
Stand Up To Cancer: The Podcast – “Amazing Science”
Big Questions Podcast – “Can Bubbles Cure Cancer?”
Voices from Oxford – “Biomedical Bubbles”