Richard Williams BSc (Hons), PhD, MRSC

Dr. Richard Williams is a Research Fellow at the Healthcare Technologies Institute at the University of Birmingham. He is translating healthcare technology concepts to finished products ready to enter clinical trials, specializing in biomaterials and reformulated drugs. His work is driven by a basic science interest in the chemical characterization of how materials behave under physiological conditions, and the general need for safer and more effective approaches towards healing the human body.

He is currently working on the development and commercialization of several technologies for topical and minimally invasive delivery and retention of therapeutics in bone, skin, and the cornea. His expertise is in product development strategy, clinical-grade manufacturing, and regulatory compliance with a particular interest in borderline drug/devices. He also helps medical technology SMEs innovate faster, cheaper, and with less risk via his role within the Medical Devices Testing and Evaluation Centre (MD-TEC) program. Richard has published over 20 peer-reviewed scientific papers in journals including Advanced Materials, Biomaterials, and Scientific Reports. In 2018, he raised £2.7m to take new ocular and skin wound care products through Phase 1 clinical trials.

He is passionate about sustainable innovation and healthcare provision and is working extensively with healthcare stakeholders to help generate and drive cheaper, better, and faster treatments to patients. He is also the co-Deputy Director of the University of Birmingham and Southeast University Joint Research Centre for Biomedical Engineering in Suzhou, China, where he oversees the co-development and commercialization of healthcare technologies in China.