Following on from last blog, we continue to share entries from the HSDTC Science Communication Competition, where doctoral researchers in the four Health Faculties showcase their work in engaging newspaper-style articles.

Li Ling, Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences, Informatics

New tool spots hidden patterns in massive datasets — in minutes

A powerful new data-mining tool developed at King’s College London can analyse hundreds of millions of data points and detect patterns in less than 20 minutes—something that could take existing systems over a day.

From identifying patient groups based on heart readings to tracking whale calls underwater, this breakthrough could transform how we make sense of massive datasets in medicine, transport, finance, and more.

The key lies in its clever design. While many current algorithms slowly scan through data line by line, this tool builds a special structure—like an index—so it can jump directly to where patterns hide. This structure can be reused to uncover different types of trends quickly and with minimal memory, even across massive datasets.

“When analysing underwater recordings, our tool found hidden patterns in dolphin and whale sounds in just 18 minutes,” said Ms Ling Li, a PhD student who worked on the project. “Other tools failed to finish even after 24 hours.”

It’s already making waves in medicine. In a study using heart monitor data, the tool discovered two distinct groups of people: those who experienced exercise-related pain and those who didn’t. The patterns revealed that more active individuals reported more pain—a finding that could help tailor exercise plans.

The team is now extending the tool to other medical data, such as sleep studies. They also plan to make the tool context-aware, so it not only finds patterns but helps explain what they mean—vital for applications in bioinformatics and beyond.

This tool shows how smart data handling can unlock insights hidden in plain sight—and fast.

Martina Galea Mifsud, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, Centre for Oral, Clinical and Translational Sciences

Revolutionising bone grafts: PEEK scaffolds offer new hope for patients

A groundbreaking development in bone reconstruction could soon transform the way we treat patients with cancer. A researcher at King’s College London is exploring the potential of the advanced biomaterial polyetheretherketone, in short PEEK, scaffolds for use in bone grafting.

PEEK, which is a synthetic polymer with incredible physical and chemical properties, has long been used in medical implants thanks to its strength, durability and biocompatibility. Now, scientists are pushing its boundaries by creating scaffolds which mimic the natural structure of bone – solid from the outside and porous from the inside. These scaffolds act as permanent frameworks to guide new bone growth and integrate within the body, in a process which scientists call ‘osseointegration’. Once they are part of the patient’s body, they are there for life!

A main driving force behind this research is the need for improved solutions for patients who need to undergo any form of bone reconstruction, but especially those needing maxillofacial reconstruction. This is because currently, a patient would need to have secondary surgery on their leg (namely, the fibula bone) to harvest bone to be used for reconstruction of facial defects – making this process invasive, painful, and frankly – unnecessary. The PEEK scaffolds being created in this study not only offer the traditional physical and chemical benefits, but also have the added feature of actively integrating within the bone biologically, something which there is currently very little research about!

“We want to offer alternative solutions to our patients, removing the need for additional surgery”; Martina Galea Mifsud; primary researcher and Maxillofacial Prosthetist says. “PEEK has the potential for exactly this. In the future, the scaffold can also be [3D] printed with dimensions tailored to each individual patient, marking a shift in outdated practices which have been used for decades”.

The research aims to not only fabricate the scaffolds, but also modify with a natural chemical called ‘peptide’, which would allow the human body to integrate this scaffold. This pioneering work could soon pave the way for a new era in bone regeneration, where science and technology converge to rebuild lives, one patient at a time.

Mrinalini Dey, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, Inflammation Biology

From blah blah to aha! Making health make sense

When did you last speak to a health professional?

Perhaps you were receiving a new medication. Perhaps you were getting vaccinated. Perhaps you were having a test.

Did you understand all the information you received?

If not, you are not alone.

Seven million adults in the UK read at or below the level of a nine-year-old. This has profound consequences, especially when it comes to health materials, which can be complex and full of jargon. Almost half of all adults struggle to understand information which could help them to manage their own health.

Health literacy is the “ability to gain access to, understand and use information to maintain good health.” Limited health literacy has been linked to poor health outcomes, including increased hospital admissions, low use of preventative services (such as vaccination and screening) and reduced life expectancy.

More people are living with chronic conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. Rheumatic diseases are complex chronic conditions, due to overactivity of the immune system. These affect the joints, as well as other organs such as the skin and lungs. Examples include rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Increasing evidence demonstrates socioeconomic factors, such as deprivation, greatly influence the health experience of people living with rheumatic diseases. However, until now, few to no studies have investigated the importance of health literacy in people living with these, often debilitating, conditions.

Through assessing health literacy in a thousand people with rheumatic diseases across the UK, we have shown that low health literacy is associated with having more joint symptoms such as pain, decreased likelihood of employment and attendance at work, and a greater number of co-existing health conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

It is time to reverse the health literacy epidemic. Only through understanding the impact of health literacy on people’s lives and health can we develop interventions which enable treatment plans to be tailored to an individual’s health literacy needs.

In doing so, we will empower people to take control of their health, make health-related decisions, and have the confidence to discuss these with their doctor and wider healthcare teams.

Syed Alhafiz Bin Syed Hashim, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science

Breaking through the dark magic: Reprogramming cancer’s defences

Cancer remains one of the world’s greatest health challenges, and despite decades of research, many patients still face tough odds. A key reason is that tumours do not grow in isolation. They are surrounded by a complex mix of cells, blood vessels, and immune components that protect them. Imagine the tumour as Voldemort, shielded by layers of dark magic and enchanted defences. These biological barriers are like protective spells that help the cancer resist treatment. Just as Voldemort uses his magic to survive and grow stronger, the tumour’s environment protects the cancer, making it harder for chemotherapy and the immune system to reach and destroy it.

At King’s College London, a team led by Professor Al Jamal is working to change this. Syed Alhafiz, a PhD researcher, is exploring a promising new therapy for an aggressive form of breast cancer that resists traditional treatments. This cancer does not respond well to some therapies and is difficult to target with chemotherapy. His research focuses on tiny lipid carriers that deliver chemotherapy directly to cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. These carriers are like Harry Potter’s magical tools, smart, selective, and precise, able to slip past the tumour’s barriers and strike the true target.

The team is also investigating how these lipid carriers might alter the tumour’s environment. By weakening the tumour’s defences, they make it more vulnerable to treatment and help the immune system fight back. This mirrors how Harry and his allies worked to dismantle Voldemort’s protections and expose his weaknesses. This work is not limited to breast cancer alone. Similar methods are being applied to target brain cancer, as well as diseases that affect the nervous system, such as ALS, which weakens muscles and nerves.

Like the final battle between good and evil, this research aims to tip the balance in favour of the body. By reprogramming the tumour’s environment, this approach may enhance treatment effectiveness and reduce harm to healthy cells, offering new hope for more precise and powerful cancer care.

Yujia Yang, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine & Sciences

From stress to peace: Early detection of a silent killer (Ishaemic Heart Disease)

Imagine being told to sprint on a treadmill or ride a bicycle while your heart is monitored for signs of disease. For many patients—especially the elderly or those with limited mobility—this so-called “stress echocardiography” feels more like a stress ordeal.

But researchers at King’s College London may have found a better way—a more peaceful solution.

They’ve developed a promising new measure of heart function called First-Phase Ejection Fraction (EF1), which could detect heart disease earlier—and far less stressfully—than traditional methods.

Ischaemic heart disease (IHD), a silent killer caused by narrowed or blocked arteries, can often lead to chest pain, heart attacks, or heart failure. The earlier it’s caught, the better the chances of prevention.

Since most people with IHD don’t show symptoms or signs of abnormalities at rest, their heart has to be put under “stress”—through exercise or medication—to reveal the problem. But not everyone can manage this “stress.” Patients often describe it as a “torturing chamber”—exhausting, and sometimes the results are inconclusive if they cannot achieve the required amount of exercise. Therefore, a more peaceful and smarter solution is needed.

EF1 works differently. It measures the heart’s initial contraction—a key early signal of dysfunction—using a standard ultrasound scan (echocardiography). No treadmill, no drugs, no stress.

First introduced in 2017, EF1 has already shown promise in detecting many common conditions, such as high blood pressure and complications from COVID-19. With the help of artificial intelligence, it could soon become even more accurate and accessible.

Better for Patients—and the NHS

Stress echocardiography costs the NHS about £340 per patient, while EF1, which can be measured during a routine ultrasound, costs just £120—and is easier to perform across a wider range of patients.

That’s why EF1 is being trialed in the EVAREST study, involving over 8,000 NHS patients who underwent stress echocardiography nationwide. Upon completion of this study, we aim to provide a faster, cheaper, and—more importantly—a peaceful way to diagnose IHD before it becomes life-threatening.

Early detection saves lives. With tools like EF1, the future of cardiac care could be more accessible—and far less stressful—for patients everywhere.

HSDTC Science Communication Competition Entries I 2025

Are you interested in reading about more exciting health research happening at King’s? In this blog, we continue to share entries from the HSDTC Science Communication Competition, where doctoral researchers in the four Health Faculties showcase their work in engaging newspaper-style articles.

Anna Davison (Collini), Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, Centre for Education

Medical students face burnout crisis: New research searches for solutions

Burnout and emotional distress exist at worrying levels among medical students and doctors, with the General Medical Council recently finding over half of doctors in the United Kingdom are at risk. This troubling trend not only affects the well-being of future doctors but also has serious implications for patient care and retention within the profession. Higher levels of burnout among doctors can lead to increased medical errors, decreased patient satisfaction, and may also be contributing to the medical workforce shortage with burnout being a common cause for leaving the profession.

While burnout can result from various work-related stresses, research indicates that perfectionism and imposter syndrome may play an important role. Both involve relentless comparisons to unrealistic ideals, causing distress and feelings of shame. With the competitive and rigorous training that future doctors undergo, high expectations are unsurprising. However, some of the ideals ingrained in medical culture may be harmful – as a medic, feeling they must be perfect can lead to hiding mistakes, suppressing emotions may decrease the empathy they have for patients, and seeing illness as weakness can prevent seeking help for themselves.

Other ideals may relate to aspects of identity, with those differing from the traditional white, male, able-bodied, heterosexual, middle-class doctor particularly vulnerable to imposter syndrome and shame. These individuals can feel pressured to change who they are to fit into an outdated professional mould.

To address this critical issue, a new study is exploring these professional ideals – investigating what they are, where they come from, and how they interact with the personal identities of individuals. The research will use observations, interviews, diaries, and relevant documents to go beyond individual experience and examine the broader culture of medicine in which a professional identity is formed.

The implications for medical schools are profound. This research will help educational institutions to reevaluate their environments to ensure inclusive settings where students can develop balanced and realistic professional ideals, with the aim of mitigating burnout. Crucially, these ideals should uphold high standards without requiring students to compromise who they are, ultimately benefiting both medics and patients alike.

Charel Junior Mangama Sindzi, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences

MRI for the masses: Paving the path to global cardiovascular care

In 2021, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) reported 19.41 million deaths (29% of global mortality) from cardiovascular diseases, making them the leading global cause of death.  Cardiovascular diseases, which encompass conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels, include cardiomyopathies—disorders that affect the heart muscle. These conditions often lead to changes in the heart’s structure, such as thickened, stiffened, or stretched walls, impairing the heart’s ability to circulate blood effectively.

 

To help with early detection of health conditions, imaging modalities such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are commonly used. MRI is a non-invasive technology used to obtain detailed anatomical scans of the heart. Unlike some of its counterparts (X-rays, CT, PET), MRI does not use ionizing radiation and provides great soft tissue contrast. Additionally, thanks to quantitative MRI, an accurate and precise diagnosis can be made. This makes MRI the perfect imaging modality to fight back against the cardiovascular death rate.

While most clinical MRI scanners operate at higher magnetic fields (1.5T or 3T), these systems are expensive, limiting their availability in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Low-field MRI systems, like the Siemens MAGNETOM Free. Max (0.55T), provide a more affordable alternative, offering reduced production costs, compact size, and improved patient comfort.

The existence of such scanners is a game-changer towards the widespread use of MRI throughout the world, especially in economically disadvantaged regions. However, to provide the same quality of service as with higher fields, lower-field systems require the development and implementation of tailored techniques to ensure accurate, reliable, and reproducible results.

To achieve this wider goal, my PhD project has been undertaken.

My research focuses on developing new MRI pulse sequences, series of instructions based on physics-based and computational innovation, to allow those lower-field systems to produce MRI quantitative cardiac maps which can rival those of higher-field systems.

A global widespread of MRI systems is possible, thanks to the affordability of the lower-field systems, and the competitive MRI pulse sequences made through this PhD project. We would be one step closer to accessible healthcare and global early detection of cardiovascular diseases.

John Makanjuola, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, Centre for Oral, Clinical & Translational Sciences

Smart innovative dental materials: Your secret weapons against tooth decay!

Tooth decay is a silent epidemic that affects billions worldwide, yet it is often overlooked. The World Health Organization has consistently reported tooth decay as the most prevalent chronic disease globally. It affects a staggering one in four children and one in three adults in the UK, resulting in painful toothaches and negatively impacting overall health. The financial toll on the NHS in treating affected patients exceeds £3 billion annually. With the British government considering cost-cutting measures amidst rising healthcare expenses, the spotlight is now on innovative solutions to tackle this pressing problem.

Traditional silver amalgam, used as fillings for decayed teeth, contains toxic mercury that has raised significant health and environmental concerns. Thus, prompting calls for a ban by 2030. To address this issue, researchers are now focusing on dental composites. However, composites are unable to combat decay-causing bacteria and frequently fall short when used in vulnerable groups, including children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and underserved communities. The groundbreaking development of “smart” materials is transforming dental care, offering innovative solutions that significantly differ from conventional tooth-filling materials.

In the quest for an effective replacement for mercury-based fillings, my PhD research made significant strides by developing a cutting-edge “smart” material—bioactive glass-ionomer material containing magnesium and zinc, using a precisely balanced formulation. Developed in laboratory conditions that replicate the human mouth, this revolutionary material mimics natural teeth while actively combating decay. It forms a protective, mineralised layer on the tooth and releases therapeutic agents, including magnesium and zinc, that effectively combat tooth decay. Extensive tests have demonstrated that this new material not only enhances strength properties but also exhibits excellent antibacterial activity compared to currently available tooth-filling materials. This makes it a strong candidate for future use in dentistry. With rigorous safety testing confirming its suitability for human use, this innovative material is poised to enter clinical trials. As we approach the 2030 deadline for phasing out mercury-based fillings, this “smart” filling could revolutionise dental care, offering hope for improved dental health outcomes—especially for underserved populations. A brighter, healthier future for oral health may be just around the corner.

Lauren Woodcock, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences

The true scale of illegal pangolin poaching

We need to talk about pangolin poaching. An estimated 2.7 million pangolins are poached (illegally killed or trafficked) yearly for their scales, which is equivalent to the entire population of Qatar. The annual revenue of pangolin poaching is approximately $23 billion. I am a forensics researcher, specifically obtaining fingermark evidence from the surfaces of pangolin scales. Scales are illegally acquired and sold for use in traditional Chinese medicine to “cure” numerous ailments, although there is no evidence to suggest that they have any healing properties. I aim to educate on the true “scale” of pangolin poaching.

The ramifications of poaching extend far beyond a decline in animal welfare. The illegal transfer of live animals and wildlife goods can facilitate the spread of zoonotic disease: a famous example of this being the 2003 SARS pandemic. Poaching leads to a decline in biodiversity, human injury, and cultural loss. Lucrative organised crime syndicates profit by exploiting wildlife, though other types of crimes are often associated with these syndicates, such as money laundering, complex fraud, gun crime and corruption. Profits gained through illegal wildlife trafficking are funnelled back into other types of organised crime, funding a billion-dollar black market industry.

I visualise fingermark ridge detail on pangolin scales using traditional forensic techniques. Some of these techniques involve the application of fingerprint powders and fluorescent dyes, superglue fuming and the vaporisation of metals like gold and zinc to visualise high quality ridge detail on pangolin scales. The techniques I refine and validate will be used by forensic practitioners on wildlife crime scenes and police laboratories. Marks found on pangolin scales can be matched to individuals and used as forensic evidence in court, halting supply chains of trafficked items.

My work will be part of the solution; I am currently working with the City of London Police to advise essential fingerprinting items needed on wildlife crime scenes, and my experiments can inform training given to investigators in the field. My procedures will be deployed in places where they are urgently needed to fight and prevent crime, and tackle global challenges often intertwined with pangolin poaching.