Anna Finne Wistrand

SOME EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH INTEREST

Numerous projects undertaken by my research team and me employ chemistry to modify polymer properties to promote tissue regeneration. Generally speaking, we develop innovative approaches to manipulate the local environment surrounding cells in both a temporal and spatial manner, and in this way contribute to the advancement of new active polymers for medical purposes, which contribute to improving clinical treatments.

• We are developing materials that mimic natural tissue by, for instance, functionalizing and activating dynamic hydrogels. We foresee that this research is useful when developing better bioinks and in vitro models. More suitable inks in bioprinting could become increasingly beneficial in medical settings, and better in vitro models will aid in minimizing the reliance on animal testing and advancing drug development.

• We are also developing robust materials that can sustain a load for a certain time, aid the body's healing process, and subsequently degrade at a rate that aligns with the formation of new tissue.

Other projects focus on understanding how different processing techniques affect polymers. For example, my research team has studied the behavior of polymers in processes like melt spinning and various types of additive manufacturing. This information is valuable for medical applications, and the results also highlight the potential for recycling polymers in additive manufacturing, which is important from a sustainability perspective. Alongside this research, we have explored surface roughness and developed a workflow for an in-depth characterization of surfaces following additive manufacturing. We defined a procedure to find the surface roughness parameters that best describe the surface and linked these parameters to surface cleaning, bioburden, and sterilization.

Over the years, I have collaborated with many companies, been employed by companies and co-founded a company. The link between research and the usefulness of the results is important to me. This includes understanding the regulatory requirements for medical applications, I have completed a number of courses and also gained practical experience of quality systems and regulatory trials by working in a biomedical company.

I have a genuine interest in teaching, and I contribute to the research community in many different ways, some examples of which are listed below.

 

EMPLOYMENT

Professor since 2019 (Polymer Technology with specialization in polymer chemistry) - KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Fibre and Polymer Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

Docent 2009 KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Fibre and Polymer Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

Other employments: Novus Scientific AB, Casco Adhesives AB/Akzo Nobel

EXAMPLES OF TEACHING

KD1020 Introductory chemistry, KE1140 Engineering chemistry, KF1050/CK1050 Polymeric materials, KF2130 Polymer chemistry, KF3250 Biomaterial and tissue engineering

EXAMPLES OF ENGAGEMENT AT KTH

Chair/Vice chair of KTH Appointments Board, Member KTH’s Faculty council, Vice dean of KTH Faculty, Member of KTHs promotion committee, Program director for the chemical science and engineering program at the School of Chemical Science and Engineering, KTH (focus year 1-3)

EXAMPLES OF OTHER ENGAGEMENT

Associate Editor: Biomacromolecules, Editorial board: Kemisk Tidskrift, Member of the steering group for the research school in Karlskoga, "Naturvetenskapliga forskarskolan i Karlskoga", Co-founder Akira Science AB, At the board for Young Scientists Forum European Society of Biomaterials, At the Board of the Scandinavian Society for Biomaterials

AWARDS

2022 Scandinavian Society for Biomaterials Award

2012 KTH Educational prize

2011 St Jude Medical Research Award