Dr Xuebin Yang

Profile

Primary research theme: Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering

I was appointed to a prestigious University Research Fellowship at the University of Leeds School of Dentistry in 2004, became Head of Tissue Engineering Research in 2005 and a Principal Research Fellow in 2006 before transferring to a new system with a title of Associate Professor in 2013. In 2017, I became the Pro Dean: International at the Faculty of Medicine and Health, the International Lead for the School of Dentistry. From 2017 to 2021, I was the Director of Postgraduate Research Studies at the School of Dentistry. I hold honorary/visiting professor positions in Nanjing University, Henan University of Science and Technology (HUST), Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, and Invited Professor at Tokyo Women's Medical University.

My academic profile combines 12 years' expertise in clinical orthopaedics with research expertise (Since 1999) in skeletal tissue engineering using stem cell therapy, biomimetic biomaterials and in vitro, in vivo models. 

I received my first degree in medicine (Luoyang Institute of Science and Technology, former as the Luoyang University) in 1984 and an MSc degree in hand surgery (Fudan University, former as Shanghai Medical University) in 1992. I was appointed as a Clinical Lecturer in 1992 and then a Vice-Professor and Associate Chief Orthopaedic Surgeon in clinical orthopaedics in 1995 at Henan University of Science and Technology. From 1998 to 1999, I was an Honorary Hand Fellow in Derbyshire Royal Infirmary. I was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Southampton after obtaining a PhD in tissue engineering in 2002.

After moving to Leeds in 2004, I set up a tissue engineering initiative at the School of Dentistry. Since then, I have supervised 12 Masters, 23 PhD students (which includes co-supervising students based in King's College London, Imperial College London and the University of York), 11 Postdoctoral or visiting Fellows in stem cell therapy and skeletal tissue engineering in vitro and in vivo.

I am actively involved in some large research programmes (WELMEC, DTC, CDT, LMBRU, Regener8, IKC). I have published 92 papers, 17 book/book chapters with over 200 presentations, 42 keynote/invited talks and 4 patents. I was the Treasurer/Trustee of British Orthopaedic Research Society, a Committee Member of regional/national/international panels, scientific/advisory committees, chairs for many prestigious conferences (BORS, TERMIS WC/AP/EU), grant review panels (e.g. EU FP7, Horizon 2020, NSFC) and the editorial board for professional journals.

I developed and provided leadership (PIs) for six international consortia, which include partners in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Korea, India, and some EU countries. I also have strong collaboration with industry partners in the UK, USA, Israel, and China.

I have six years of teaching experience in clinical orthopaedics and I am the lead for some undergraduate and postgraduate taught modules at Leeds.

Oral Biology Research Areas

Stem cell therapy

Skeletal tissue engineering

Funding

The Royal Society (PI) 2020 – 2024. Developing biomimetic bone-like mechano-electric responsive microenvironment for regulating osteoblast/osteoclast proliferation/differentiation and investigation of the mechanisms on promoting bone formation (£12k)(In partnership with South China University of Technology, China)，

Bone Cancer Research Trust (CoI) 2017-2018. Modelling Ewing's sarcoma heterogeneity and tumour microenvironment to improve outcomes (£67k) (In partnership with West China College of Stomatology, Sichuan University, China)

The British Council (PI) 2017 - 2018. UK-China Workshop for Regenerative Dentistry – From tooth development to regeneration (£15k)

Welcome Trust (CoI) 2016-2018. Thigh-throughput cell separation in physiologically-relevant media using remote, surface-acoustic wave-induced dielectrophoresis for autologous cell therapies (£155k)

Research Council UK/ Changzhou Municipal Government (PI) 2013-2016. Translational research on the osteogenic capacity of ABM-P-15/dental pulp stem cells and their application in orthopaedic implants (£25k)

EU FP7 IRSES (PI) 2012-2016. Skeletal tissue regeneration (SkelGen) (€168k )

The British Council, UKIERI (PI) 2013-2015. Trilateral research in partnership with USA and India (£15.6k)

Great Britiain Sasakawa Foundation (PI) 2012-2014. Osteochondral tissue engineering using Hap scaffold and multi-layer cell sheet technology (£9.8k)

Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC) 2011-2012. PoC grant for commercialisation of a medical device for assessment of pancreatic islets (£50k)

Royal Society (PI) 2011-2013. Repairing bone defect in vivo using multi-layer cell sheet technology (£11.8k)

Technology Strategy Board (PI) 2010-2011. Pre-clinical development of a novel technology to improve the cost-effectiveness and clinical uptake of cell-based cartilage repair therapies (£15k) (In partnership with AedStem Ltd)

The Royal Society (PI) 2010. Travel grant (£3k)

Innovation UK (PI) 2010. Disposable device to produce a serum-based chondrogenic reagent from a patient's own serum sample (£39k) (In partnership with AedStem Ltd)

Technology Strategy Board (PI) 2010. Disposable device to produce a serum-based chondrogenic reagent from a patient's own serum sample (£11k)

Regener8 (N8) (PI) 2009-2011. Development of a novel osteochondral implant (£50k + £27k follow-on study)

Regener8 (N8) (PI) 2009-2011. A sustainable quality assured system for assessment of pancreatic islets for product release and transport to geographically distant clinical transplant centres (£47.9k + £20.8k follow-on study)

Regener8 (N8) (PI) 2009-2011. Characterisation and Further Development of a Novel Tissue Scaffold Vehicle for the delivery of Regenerative and Antibacterial Strategies(£40.1k + £12k follow on study)

WELMEC (Co-I) 2009-2014. Regenerative medicine £300k

Worldwide Universities Network (PI) 2009-2011. Establishment of an international platform for dental tissue engineering (£10k)

CeraPedics LLC (USA) (PI) 2007-2011. Autogenic stem cell therapy (Industrial gift funding)(US$10+30k)

Industrial gift funding from Xiros PLC (PI) 2008-2011. Human dental stem cells therapy for human dentine tissue engineering (£15k)

Geistlich Pharma AG Ltd (Switzerland) (PI) 2007-2008. In vivo assessment of self-assembling peptide scaffold for bone regeneration (€70k)

Wellcome Trust VIP award (PI) 2007. Bone tissue engineering using P-15 (£11k)

Yorkshire Forward/Smith & Nephew Ltd (PI) 2006-2009. Adult stem cell therapy for orthopaedic tissue repair: 1) bone tissue engineering (PDRA); 2) cartilage tissue engineering (PhD studentship). (£240k)

Current Postgraduate Research Degree Supervision

Philip Booth: Angiogenesis of HDPSCs on hydrogel scaffolds.

Thomas Braxton: Osteochondral tissue engineering using human MSCs and 3D printed scaffolds, silk scaffold and multi-layered cell sheet technology.

Ahranee Canden: Development of a clinically relevant in vitro model to investigate the effects of osteochondral defects in the talus

Daniel Secker: Spinal cord tissue engineering

John Brewster: Brain tissue engineering

Africa Smith De Diego: Development of a novel device for stem cell label-free enrichment

Rina Osman Basah: Using antimicrobials scaffolds for dental tissue regeneration

Hayat Alghutaimel: Dental pulp tissue engineering in vitro and in vivo using decellularised scaffolds.  

Rasha Albannaa: Bone tissue engineering in vitro and in vivo using human dental pulp stem cells and 3D printed scaffold with/without SAPs.

Fahad Al Dabbagh: Periodontal tissue engineering using silk scaffold and in house designed bioreactor.

Kenny Man: Using an Epigenetically approach enhance bone tissue engineering in vitro and in vivo.

Responsibilities

• Deputy Pro Dean: International, Faculty of Medicine and Health
• Head of Tissue Engineering Studies, School of Dentistry
• School Internationalisation Lead, Head of Tissue Engineering Research

Research interests

My research interests are focused on using human mesenchymal stem cells (e.g. from bone marrow, dental pul, peridontal ligament and adipose tissue) and biomaterials scaffolds (e.g. PLA/PLGA, silk, BioGlass, glass ceramics, 3D printed scaffolds, hydrogel) for skeletal tissue engineering (e.g. bone, cartilage, osteochondral, dental pulp, dentine, peridontal tissues) both in vitro and in vivo.

In collaboration with biologists, I am also working on using signalling pathway, genetic and epigenetical approaches for controling stem cell functionality for enhancing tissue renegeration.

In collaboration with material scientist, I am also interested in developing biomimetic, functional scaffolds for tissue engineering applications.

Qualifications

• PhD in stem cell therapy and bone tissue engineering, University of Southampton, UK
• MSc in hand surgery (clinical), Shanghai Medical University (Fudan University), PR China
• UG in Medicine, Luoyang University, PR China

Professional memberships

• Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society
• Tissue and Cell Engineering Society (UK)
• British Orthopaedic Research Society
• International Chinese Hard Tissue Society

Research groups and institutes

• Biomaterials and tissue engineering
• Regenerative medicine