Professor Marta Roldo
Biography
I graduated in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology at the University of Padova, Italy. After a postgraduate research placement funded by the European Oncolgy Institute of Milan working on PEGylation of avidin for tumour pretargeting, I joined the University of Vienna to investigate the mucoadhesive properties of thiolated chitosan.
I obtained my PhD from the University of Portsmouth, for my work on azopolymers for colonic drug delivery and became a lecturer at the same university in 2005. I am currently a Professor of Biomaterials in the School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences where I am investigating different biomedical applications of biomaterials from drug delivery, to anti-biofilm activity and tissue engineering.
My work on the chemical modification of chitosan has been recognised by the award of the International Association for Advanced Materials (IAAM) Scientist Medal in April 2023. I have recently been named on the Elsevier list of top 2% academics cited globally in 2022. I act as grant reviewer for international research councils in countries such as Poland, The Netherlands, Germany and Chile and have been appointed as panel member in the selection of grant awardees for the National Science Centre in Poland.
I work with a number of industrial partners on the development of tissue engineering scaffolds, characterisation of antimicrobial implant surfaces and the imaging of oral biofilm and quantification of its removal by different methods.
Research interests
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Hydrogels for drug delivery and tissue engineering
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3D printing of hydrogels
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Biomedical applications of carbon nanotube and silver nanowires
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Development of composite bioceramics
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Development of peptides drug delivery systems
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Bone and cartilage tissue engineering
- Visualisation and removal of oral biofilm
Research outputs
2026
Antimicrobial peptides for central nervous system infections: potential of nose-to-brain delivery and current challenges
Campus, C., Serri, C., Roldo, M., Giunchedi, P., Gavini, E., Rassu, G.
9 Oct 2026, In: International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 705, 15p., 127471
Research output: Article
Chlorhexidine mouthwash differentially affects salivary proteomics in dental erosion
Mutahar, M. A. M., Houghton, J., Al-sharabi, N., San, T. H., Piccolo, D. D., Sharma, S., Perissiou, M., Roldo, M., Shepherd, A.
3 Sep 2026,
Research output: Abstract
Saliva mediated protection of enamel erosion: Profilometric comparison of agents
Alshdaifat, R., Tamang, S., Kannan, I. N., Ansar, T., Alamoush, R., Al-omiri, M., Roldo, M., Mutahar, M. A. M.
3 Sep 2026,
Research output: Abstract
Guidelines for comparing circular dichroism spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations for biomolecules
Campus, C., Roldo, M., Chen, C. H., Hadianamrei, R., Gavini, E., Jorgensen, C.
26 Jun 2026, In: ChemPhysChem. 27, 12, 11p., e202600010
Research output: Article
Species-specific chondrogenesis in growth factor-free hydrogels: translational lessons from ovine and human MSCs
De Mori, A., Blunn, G., Roldo, M.
23 Feb 2026, In: Stem Cell Reviews and Reports
Research output: Article
2025
3D full‐field strain distribution across the osteochondral unit during osteoarthritis progression
Davis, S., Karali, K., Zekonyte, J., Roldo, M., Blunn, G.
17 Sep 2025, In: VIEW, 14p., 20250062
Research output: Article
In situ coating of high‑silicon electrical steel using laser powder bed fusion
Haghighat Shishavan, B., Mokhles, M., Roldo, M., Birosca, S.
26 Aug 2025, In: Progress in Additive Manufacturing
Research output: Article
Measuring full-field strain of the muscle-tendon junction using confocal microscopy combined with digital volume correlation
Iwasaki, N., Morrison, B., Karali, A., Roldo, M., Blunn, G.
1 Apr 2025, In: Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials. 164, 12p., 106925
Research output: Article
Influence of cell seeding density and material stiffness on chondrogenesis of human stem cells within soft hydrogels, without the use of exogenous growth factors
De Mori, A., Aydin, N., Lostia, G., Manca, A., Blunn, G., Roldo, M.
18 Mar 2025, In: Gels. 11, 3, 23p., 213
Research output: Article
2024
Development of Muscle Tendon Junction in vitro using aligned electrospun PCL fibres
Iwasaki, N., Roldo, M., Karali, A., Sensini, A., Blunn, G.
1 Sep 2024, In: Engineered Regeneration. 5, 3, p. 409-420, 12p.
Research output: Article