Dr Vanessa Hearnden (she/her)

School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

Senior Lecturer in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering

Research Governance Lead

Vanessa L Hearnden
Profile picture of Vanessa L Hearnden
v.hearnden@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 215 7098
North Campus

Full contact details

Dr Vanessa Hearnden
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
North Campus
Broad Lane
Sheffield
S3 7HQ
Profile

Vanessa Hearnden joined the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield in 2015 as Lecturer in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering and became Senior Lecturer in 2020. Dr Hearnden began as a Biologist studying Biomedical Sciences at undergraduate and has since become experienced in a range of fields through her inter-disciplinary research in regenerative medicine and bioengineering.

Dr Hearnden’s research has always been driven by clinical need and guided by a network of clinical collaborators in the fields of Plastic Surgery, Oral Medicine and Surgery and Urology.  Dr Hearnden is currently research lead for the Materials for Health group in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering having previously been Course Director for the MEng in Biomaterials Science and Engineering. Dr Hearnden is a committee member for the Tissue and Cell Engineering Society (TCES), Associate Editor for Frontiers in Medical Technology: Regenerative Medicine and collaborates worldwide.

Research interests

With expertise in human cell biology and tissue culture Dr Hearnden’s work focuses on developing regenerative medicine strategies to improve soft tissue wound healing.

Harnessing biology to stimulate soft tissue regeneration

Soft tissue wound healing is a complex process driven by a well-orchestrated combination of biochemical signals, cells and forces. When this process is disrupted through disease or other pathologies, this can severely affect an individual’s quality of life. Dr Hearnden’s research group has a particular interest in harnessing autologous patient materials, such as adipose tissue from liposuction, to stimulate wound healing and to treat disease.

The use of adipose-derived therapies in plastic surgery has grown in popularity in recent years and its safety and benefits for a range of applications has been demonstrated. However, our scientific understanding of adipose therapies is currently lacking. Dr Hearnden’s research group are working with human adipose tissue and its components to understand the role fat and the stem cells within it can play in soft tissue wound healing and hypertrophic scar regeneration.

Three dimensional tissue engineered models of human epithelia

Dr Hearnden’s research group has developed a range of three-dimensional tissue engineered models of epithelial tissues to answer specific research questions. For example, they have created and characterised models of the oral mucosa to study Medicines Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ), models of skin to understand the role of the hypodermis in wound healing and models of tonsil to investigate Strep pyogenes infection.

Characterising tissue-material interactions to develop advanced biomaterials

Being able to predict and tailor the way cells and tissues interact with biomaterials is critical to the development of novel materials for use in human implants. Going beyond simple cytotoxicity assays is essential to inform the design of novel materials and to reduce our reliance on animal testing. To achieve this Dr Hearnden’s research group has expertise in a range of assays looking at angiogenesis, macrophage interactions and cell infiltration into biomaterials amongst others.

Publications

Journal articles

  • Rattanawonsakul K, Seleiro G, Workman V, Claeyssens F, Bolt R, Seemaung P & Hearnden V (2025) . Scientific Reports, 15.
  • (2025) . Journal of Tissue Engineering, 16.
  • Workman VL, Giblin A, Green NH, MacNeil S & Hearnden V (2025) . Adipocyte, 14(1).
  • Higginbotham S, Workman VL, Giblin A-V, Green NH, Lambert DW & Hearnden V (2024) . Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 15.
  • Ozturk S, Roman Regueros S, Zeybek D, Bozdemir O, Gultekinoglu-Bayram M, Hearnden V, Macneil S, Ulubayram K & Mangir N (2024) . European Urology, 85, S1129-S1129.
  • Farr NTH, Workman VL, Saad S, Roman S, Hearnden V, Chapple CR, Murdoch C, Rodenburg C & MacNeil S (2024) . Biomaterials Advances, 159.
  • Gupta D, Martinez DC, Puertas-Mejía MA, Hearnden VL & Reilly GC (2024) . International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(4).
  • Workman VL, Giblin A-V, Green NH, MacNeil S & Hearnden V (2023) . In vitro models, 2(6), 297-306.
  • Furmidge R, Jackson CE, Velázquez de la Paz MF, Workman VL, Green NH, Reilly GC, Hearnden V & Claeyssens F (2023) . Frontiers in Chemistry, 11.
  • Shafaat S, Roman Regueros S, Chapple C, MacNeil S & Hearnden V (2023) . Journal of Tissue Engineering, 14.
  • Rattanawonsakul K, Bullock G, Bolt R, Claeyssens F, Atkins S & Hearnden V (2022) . Frontiers in Oral Health, 3.
  • Gill MR, Jarman PJ, Hearnden V, Fairbanks SD, Bassetto M, Maib H, Palmer J, Ayscough KR, Thomas JA & Smythe C (2022) . Angew Chem Weinheim Bergstr Ger, 134(27), e202117449.
  • Gill MR, Jarman PJ, Hearnden V, Bassetto M, fairbanks SD, Palmer J, Ayscough KF, Thomas JA & Smythe C (2022) . Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 61(27).
  • Shafaat S, Mangir N, Chapple C, MacNeil S & Hearnden V (2022) . Neurourology and Urodynamics, 41(4), 905-917.
  • Bullock G, Miller CA, McKechnie A & Hearnden V (2022) . Frontiers in Oral Health, 2.
  • Farr NTH, Roman S, Schäfer J, Quade A, Lester D, Hearnden V, MacNeil S & Rodenburg C (2021) . RSC Advances, 11(55), 34710-34723.
  • Birch SMI, Bates J, Bell M, Christofidou KA, Corkhill CL, Hearnden V, Lopez EA, Mason LC, Southworth A & Dean JS (2021) . Physics Education, 56(5).
  • Samourides A, Anayiotos A, Kapnisis K, Xenou Z, Hearnden V & Chen B (2021) . Applied Sciences, 11(11).
  • Vojtová L, Pavliňáková V, Muchová J, Kacvinská K, Brtníková J, Knoz M, Lipový B, Faldyna M, Göpfert E, Holoubek J , Pavlovský Z et al (2021) . Biomedicines, 9(6).
  • Muchová J, Hearnden V, Michlovská L, Vištejnová L, Zavaďáková A, Šmerková K, Kočiová S, Adam V, Kopel P & Vojtová L (2021) . Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 19(1).
  • Bullock G, Miller C, McKechnie A & Hearnden V (2020) . Materials, 13(9).
  • Samourides A, Browning L, Hearnden V & Chen B (2020) . Materials Science and Engineering: C, 108.
  • Gupta D, Silva M, Radziun K, Martinez DC, Hill CJ, Marshall J, Hearnden V, Puertas-Mejia MA & Reilly GC (2020) . Marine Drugs, 18(2).
  • Babrnáková J, Pavliňáková V, Brtníková J, Sedláček P, Prosecká E, Rampichová M, Filová E, Hearnden V & Vojtová L (2019) . Materials Science and Engineering: C, 100, 236-246.
  • Postulkova H, Nedomova E, Hearnden V, Holland C & Vojtova L (2019) . Materials Research Express, 6(3).
  • Hearnden V, Murdoch C, D'Apice K, Duthie S, Hayward NJ & Powers HJ (2018) . BMJ Open, 8(8).
  • Hearnden V, Powers HJ, Elmogassabi A, Lowe R & Murdoch C (2018) . European Journal of Nutrition, 57(4), 1321-1332.
  • Grayson A, Hearnden VL, Bolt R, Jebreel A, Colley HE & Murdoch C (2018) . Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, 12(3), e1636-e1646.
  • Boadi J, Fernandes J, Mittar S, Hearnden V, Lu Z, MacNeil SM, Thornhill MH, Murdoch C, Hunter KD & Matcher SJ (2015) . Sovremennye Tehnologii v Medicine, 7(1), 60-67.
  • Murdoch C, Brown BH, Hearnden V, Speight PM, D'Apice K, Hegarty AM, Tidy JA, Healey TJ, Highfield PE & Thornhill MH (2014) . International Journal of Nanomedicine, 9(1), 4521-4532.
  • Colley HE, Hearnden V, Avila-Olias M, Cecchin D, Canton I, Madsen J, MacNeil S, Warren N, Hu K, McKeating JA , Armes SP et al (2014) . Mol Pharm, 11(4), 1176-1188.
  • Sorrell I, Shipley RJ, Hearnden V, Colley HE, Thornhill MH, Murdoch C & Webb SD (2014) . Nanomedicine Nanotechnology Biology and Medicine, 10(2), 339-348.
  • Murdoch C, Speight PM, D'Apice K, Hearnden V, Hegarty A, Tidy J, Healey J, Brown B & Thornhill MH (2013) . Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology, 116(3), e201-e201.
  • Moharamzadeh K, Colley H, Murdoch C, Hearnden V, Chai WL, Brook IM, Thornhill MH & Macneil S (2012) . J Dent Res, 91(7), 642-650.
  • Hearnden V, Sankar V, Hull K, Juras DV, Greenberg M, Kerr AR, Lockhart PB, Patton LL, Porter S & Thornhill MH (2012) . Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 64(1), 16-28.
  • Smith LE, Hearnden V, Lu Z, Smallwood R, Hunter KD, Matcher SJ, Thornhill MH, Murdoch C & MacNeil S (2011) . J Biomed Opt, 16(11), 116015.
  • Colley HE, Hearnden V, Jones AV, Weinreb PH, Violette SM, MacNeil S, Thornhill MH & Murdoch C (2011) . British Journal of Cancer, 105(10), 1582-1592.
  • Sankar V, Hearnden V, Hull K, Juras DV, Greenberg MS, Kerr AR, Lockhart PB, Patton LL, Porter S & Thornhill M (2011) . Oral Dis, 17 Suppl 1, 73-84.
  • Picard C, Hearnden V, Massignani M, Achouri S, Battaglia G, MacNeil S & Donald A (2010) . Biotechniques, 48(2), 135-138.
  • Murdoch C, Reeves KJ, Hearnden V, Colley H, Massignani M, Canton I, Madsen J, Blanazs A, Armes SP, Lewis AL , Macneil S et al (2010) . Nanomedicine (Lond), 5(7), 1025-1036.
  • Massignani M, Canton I, Sun T, Hearnden V, Macneil S, Blanazs A, Armes SP, Lewis A & Battaglia G (2010) . PLoS One, 5(5), e10459.
  • Hearnden V, Lomas H, Macneil S, Thornhill M, Murdoch C, Lewis A, Madsen J, Blanazs A, Armes S & Battaglia G (2009) . Pharm Res, 26(7), 1718-1728.
  • Knoz M, Lipovy B, Vojtova L, Holoubek J, Zidek J, Babrnakova J, Pavlinakova V, Vistejnova L, Stepankova V, Filova E , Pavlovsky Z et al () . Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery - Global Open, 10(1S), 6-6.

Book chapters

  • Moharamzadeh K, Colley H, Hearnden V & Murdoch C (2017) , Biomaterials for Oral and Dental Tissue Engineering (pp. 245-255). Elsevier
  • Akbari Z, Almeida L, Almela T, Amdjadi P, Amrollahi P, Ansari S, Bader R, Baghaban Eslaminejad M, Bardsley K, Bencharit S , Bindal P et al (2017) , Biomaterials for Oral and Dental Tissue Engineering (pp. xiii-xvii). Elsevier
  • Hearnden V, MacNeil S & Battaglia G (2011) (pp. 41-51).

Conference proceedings

  • Hooper FS, Revin DG, Theofrastou E, Soni NK, Yuan R, Hearnden V, Anumba DOC & Matcher SJ (2025) . Polarized Light and Optical Angular Momentum for Biomedical Diagnostics 2025, Vol. 13322 (pp 1332206). San Francisco, California, United States, 25 January 2025 - 25 January 2025.
  • Saad S, Murdoch C, Workman V, Hearnden V, Macneil S & Chapple CR (2023) . European Urology, Vol. 83 (pp S1190-S1190). Milan, Italy, 10 March 2023 - 10 March 2023.
  • Rattanawonsakul K, Bullock G, Workman V, Bolt R, Claeyssens F, Atkins S & Hearnden V (2023) THE BIOACTIVITY OF PLATELET-RICH FIBRIN CONDITIONED MEDIUM ON ZOLEDRONATE-INDUCED ORAL KERATINOCYTE TOXICITY IN VITRO. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 29(11-12) (pp 1276-1277)
  • Furmidge RL, Workman V, Giblin V, Claeyssens F & Hearnden V (2023) Porous Poly(glycerol sebacate)-methacrylate Scaffolds For Adipose Tissue Engineering. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 29(13-14)
  • Rattanawonsakul K, Bullock G, Workman V, Bolt R, Claeyssens F, Atkins S & Hearnden V (2023) Platelet-rich fibrin prevents the toxicity of Pamidronate on oral fibroblasts. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 29(13-14)
  • Furmidge RL, Workman V, Giblin V, Claeyssens F & Hearnden V (2023) Porous Poly(glycerol sebacate)-methacrylate Scaffolds For Adipose Tissue Engineering. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 29(13-14)
  • Rattanawonsakul K, Bullock G, Workman V, Bolt R, Claeyssens F, Atkins S & Hearnden V (2023) Platelet-rich fibrin prevents the toxicity of Pamidronate on oral fibroblasts. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 29(13-14)
  • Workman VL, Higginbotham SJ, Roman S, Penuelas AA, Giblin V, MacNeil S, Green N & Hearnden V (2022) THERE'S MORE TO FAT THAN STEM CELLS, CHARACTERISING FAT GRAFT MATERIALS TO UNDERSTAND THE REGENERATIVE PROPERTIES OF ADIPOSE TISSUES. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 28 (pp S544-S544)
  • Samourides A, Browning L, Chen B & Hearnden V (2018) Porosity of poly(glycerol sebacate urethane) scaffolds controls angiogenic response and tissue ingrowth in vivo. eCM Online Periodical, 2018,
  • Roman S, Mangir N & Hearnden V (2016) Angiogenic potential of adipose derived stem cells compared to the stromal vascular fraction. European Cells and Materials, Vol. 32(Supp 4) (pp 40-40). UCL, 4 July 2016 - 4 July 2016.
  • Grayson A, Hearnden VL, Colley H, Bolt R, Jabreel A & Murdoch C (2016) Isolation and immortalisation of tonsillar keratinocytes for three-dimensional tissue engineered tonsil mucosal models. European Cells and Materials, Vol. 31(Suppl 1) (pp 20-20). Uppsala, Sweden, 28 June 2016 - 28 June 2016.
  • Boadi J, Byers RA, Fernandes J, Mittar S, Hearnden V, Lu Z, MacNeil S, Thornhill M, Murdoch C, Hunter KD , McKechnie A et al (2016) . Photonic Therapeutics and Diagnostics XII (pp 72-72), 13 February 2016 - 18 February 2016.
  • Colley HE, Hearnden V, Wayakanon K, Cecchin D, Armes S, Battaglia G, Murdoch C & Thornhill MH (2012) Tissue engineered models of oral disease for the study of a novel drug delivery system. ORAL DISEASES, Vol. 18 (pp 7-7)
  • Hearnden V, Rehman IU, MacNeil S, Murdoch C, Thornhill MH, Hunter K & Colley HE (2012) . EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER, Vol. 48 (pp S287-S287)
  • Colley HE, Hearnden V, Cecchin D, Armes S, Battaglia G, Murdoch C & Thornhill MH (2012) . EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER, Vol. 48 (pp S254-S254)
  • Sorrell I, Webb SD, Shipley RJ, Hearnden VL, Colley HE & Murdoch C (2012) . Cancer Research, Vol. 72(8_Supplement) (pp 4918-4918)
  • Murdoch C, Thornhill MH, Fang H-Y, Hearnden V & Colley HE (2012) CXCL12/CXCR4 axis mediates recruitment of monocytes to oral cancer spheroids. ORAL DISEASES, Vol. 18 (pp 8-8)
  • Colley HE, Hearnden V, Murdoch C, Armes S, Battaglia G & Thornhill MH (2010) Using polymersomes to deliver chemotherapeutic agents to oral cancer cells. ORAL DISEASES, Vol. 16(6) (pp 527-527)
  • Hearnden V, Smith L, Colley H, Thornhill M, Murdoch C, Smallwood R, Matcher S & MacNeil S (2010) Using tissue-engineered oral cancer models to evaluate non-invasive diagnostic technologies. ORAL DIS, Vol. 16(6) (pp 518-518)
  • Hearnden V, Battaglia G, MacNeil S, Murdoch C & Thornhill M (2009) . ORAL ONCOLOGY (pp 66-66)
  • Hearnden V, Battaglia G, Murdoch C, Thornhill M & MacNeil S (2008) Imaging of polymersome penetration into 3D tissue engineered models of oral mucosa and head and neck cancer. European Cells and Materials, Vol. 16(SUPPL. 3) (pp 58)
  • Workman VL, Penuelas AA, Higginbotham SJ, Roman S, Giblin V, MacNeil S, Green N & Hearnden V () There’s more to fat than stem cells, characterising fat graft materials to understand the regenerative properties of adipose tissues. eCM Meeting Abstracts 2020, Collection 1 : oral presentations (pp 158). Manchester, UK
  • Bullock G, Miller C, McKechnie A & Hearnden V () Bisphosphonates prevent the formation and re-epithelialisation of the oral mucosa in vitro in 3D. eCM Online Periodical, 2018, Collection 4, Vol. Collection 4 (pp 8-8)
  • Alvarez A, Shepherd J & Hearnden V () Using adipose-derived stromal cells and tissue to induce vascularization and soft tissue wound healing. eCM Online Periodical, 2018, Collection 4 (pp 129-129)

Preprints

  • Gupta D, Silva M, Radziun K, Martinez D, Hill C, Marshall J, Hearnden V, Puertas-Mejia M & Reilly G (2019) , Preprints.org.
Teaching activities

I provide taught content and project supervision for students on the following degree courses:

  • BEng and MEng Biomedical Engineering
  • BEng and MEng Materials Science and Engineering
  • MSc Bioengineering


I am the module lead for modules in the areas of Tissue Engineering and Biology whilst also delivering training in transferable skills such as scientific writing, statistics and ethical decision making. I am a personal tutor for Bioengineering students in all years.

Professional activities and memberships

Committee member for the
Associate Editor for Frontiers in Medical Technology: Regenerative Medicine
Committee member of the Senate University Research Ethics Committee

Links