About the Centre for Predictive in vitro Models
The Centre for Predictive in vitro Models (CPM) at Queen Mary University of London was established in 2020 as a virtual centre, providing a focus for multidisciplinary research, training and translation, developing and using organ-on-a-chip technology and other types of predictive in vitro models.
Research Power
The CPM brings together a critical mass of over 100 academic staff and post docs with expertise in developing and using complex in vitro models for a wide variety of tissues/organs and diseases. These model systems are supporting both fundamental scientific research as well as pre-clinical testing and therapeutic development. Our staff include bioengineers, biologists, chemists, physicists and clinicians from across the faculties of Science & Engineering and Medicine & Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London. Our staff are run multiple research projects across different research themes, funded by over £18M of live grants specifically in this area, and delivering world-leading research papers published in top journals.
Stakeholder Engagement
The CPM is supported by an extensive network of affiliates includes representatives from over 60 industry partners and 20 other non-academic stake holder organisations including regulatory authorities, charities and funders. This provides opportunities for research collaboration, networking, impact generation and collective shaping of the field.
Training Future Leaders
The CPM hosts the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Next Generation Organ-on-a-chip Technology providing a world-leading cohort training programme with 70 PhD students over 4 annual cohorts starting in 2025. This co-created, co-delivered PhD training programme is the only one of its kind in the UK, delivering highly skilled organ-chip scientists and engineers to drive forward this rapidly expanding field.
World Class in vitro Models Facilities
The CPM includes some of the most comprehensive in vitro models facilities in Europe. These include a suite of commercial organ-chip platforms covering low to high throughput systems suitable for a wide range of applications and contexts of use. We have systems from Emulate, CNBio, MIMETAS, TissUse, and BiomimX as well as multiple microfluidic pump systems. In addition, the CPM include the CREATE 3d bioprinting facility enabling users to manufacture their own bespoke organ-chips. These state-of-the-art facilities are open to our affiliates for research collaboration and contract testing
Leadership
The Directors of the CPM have lead the hugely successful UK Organ-on-a-chip Technologies Network (2019-2022) driving forward the development of the UK organ-chip community. The CPM runs the biannual UK Organ-on-a-chip Symposium series on behalf of the UK community and organises other collaboration events and research sandpits for CPM members and industry affiliates. The CPM is actively involved in policy shaping with the UK government, funders and other stake holders and is helping to raise public awareness of organ-on-chip technology.