Dr. Altair Contreras Jaimes

-Development of Proof of Concept Projects with Industry within the Glass and Glass-ceramics field, from offer conception to project delivery. -Experimental planning and project coordination. -Participation in internal projects in the development of glass-based materials for use in biomedical applications.

-Collaborative Project between Otto Schott Institute, Institute of Biomaterials Erlangen and Fraunhofer IMWS Halle on bioactive glass crystallisation. Research work ranged from extensive literature review to experimental work and data analysis using DTA, XRD, nano-CT, FTIR and in situ optical microscopy. -Development and teaching of practicals and seminars at a BSc and MSc level, with direct supervision of seven thesis level students, and participation in national and international conferences

Proof of Concept Project on bioactive glass ionomer cements, with scaling up of best cement formulations for encapsulation. Patent exemplification preparation (WO2014102538A1) established within the scope of the project, and collaboration with Commercialization and Patent Departments. This project involved industrial collaboration, with the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) and Regener8 as funding partners

Negotiating IT outsourced contracts with companies such as IBM and important local retailers. I also monitored and optimised the technical customer service with monthly reports to managers in Brazil and Colombia, which resulted in a 50% improvement of the operability for the top customer.

Coordinating the import-export logistics of metallic tubing from various providers and supporting the Application Engineers with sales and customer enquiries. I also developed a process manual to standardize and optimise the import-export logistics.

Designing and producing a bioactive glass series to be incorporated with a polymer for preparation of fast setting cement pastes for bone tissue regeneration. Acquired extensive experience of glass and cements characterization by DTA, XRD, SEM, FTIR-ATR, degradation tests, ICP, micro-CT, rheology and in vitro testing. Extra-curricular activities included workshops on: Ethics , Statistics , Critical Thinking and Writing, participation in Mentoring Programs and outreach activities

Modules included: Cell-Materials Interactions, Applications of Biomaterials, Surface Engineering and Materials Characterization, with thesis work focussed on cell biocompatibility of porous Red-Algae derived calcium phosphate granules. Techniques learned included: Good laboratory Practice (GLP), XRD, SEM, Alamar Blue and DNA quantification

Modules included: Manufacturing Systems, Operations Research, Quality Assurance, Logistics and Improvement of Productivity

This study program is divided into Physical and Chemical Metallurgy including : Metallography, Corrosion, Materials Selection, Mechanical Behaviour and Ceramics Processing, as well as basic science modules including: Physicochemistry and Mechanics. Successful completion (with research award) of a one-year internship Project on the influence of sintering on mechanical properties and microstructure of porous calcium phosphate scaffolds for biomaterials applications