Summary
Dr Maria Parkes is a Teaching Fellow in the Department of Bioengineering, and the programme lead for the undergraduate MEng Biomedical Engineering degree. She completed a PG Certificate in University Learning and Teaching in 2021.
Maria has a diverse teaching portfolio covering maths, design and professional practice, fluid mechanics and a new module for the department, 'Communicating biomedical science and engineering'. Maria's teaching reflects her academic background having an MEng in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Tribology both from Imperial College. Her PhD and postdoctoral work primarily examined the tribological properties of established and novel materials for use as orthopaedic implants including hydrogels and ceramics.
Maria has a keen interest in teaching innovations, and uses several technology platforms to the support the delivery of her teaching. Her developing education research is in part exploring how these technologies impact student learning.
Additionally to teaching and the programme lead role, Maria has been heavily involved in the process of curriculum review for the department as part of the Imperial learning and teaching strategy. Maria is also a member of the admissions and outreach team for the department, supporting interview days, open days and outreach events whenever possible.
Selected Publications
Journal Articles
Milner P, Parkes M, Puetzer J, et al., 2018, A low friction, biphasic and boundary lubricating hydrogel for cartilage replacement, Acta Biomaterialia, Vol:65, ISSN:1742-7061, Pages:102-111
Parkes M, Cann P, Jeffers J, 2017, Real-time observation of fluid flows in tissue during stress relaxation using Raman spectroscopy, Journal of Biomechanics, Vol:60, ISSN:1873-2380, Pages:261-265
Parkes M, Sayer K, Goldhofer M, et al., 2017, Zirconia phase transformation in retrieved, wear simulated and artificially aged ceramic femoral heads, Journal of Orthopaedic Research, Vol:35, ISSN:1554-527X, Pages:2781-2789
Parkes M, Myant C, Cann PM, et al., 2015, Synovial fluid lubrication: The effect of protein interactions on adsorbed and lubricating films, Biotribology, Vol:1-2, ISSN:2352-5738, Pages:51-60
Parkes M, Myant C, Dini D, et al., 2014, Tribology-optimised silk protein hydrogels for articular cartilage repair, Tribology International, ISSN:0301-679X, Pages:---
Conference
Roberts O, Lunt AJG, Ying S, et al., 2014, A study of phase transformation at the surface of a zirconia ceramic, Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering 2014, Pages:1173-1177