Richard Bright

Currently, I serve as a Research Fellow in the Biomedical Nanoengineering Laboratory at the College of Medicine and Public Health at Flinders University (FHMRI-affiliated). My research focuses on biomaterials for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, with a particular emphasis on how cardiometabolic pathology, including chronic low-grade inflammation, immune dysregulation, oxidative stress, and AGE-modified proteins, affects blood–biomaterial and tissue–biomaterial interactions. I specialize in microbiology, cell and molecular biology, studying how bacteria and mammalian cells respond to engineered substrates in these high-risk environments. My goal is to design antimicrobial and immunomodulatory surfaces that reduce infection, limit maladaptive inflammation, and improve the integration of cardiovascular and implantable devices. Before my current role, I gained extensive translational expertise through industry-focused initiatives in stem cell biology and cancer research, developing skills in advanced cell-based assays, biomaterial assessment, and cross-sector collaboration.