Rajshree Mootanah
Current Position
Founder and CEO, Biomed Consulting, Inc.
Research Areas
- Finite element modeling / computer simulation and in vitro mechanical material testing of natural and reconstructed bones, joints and soft tissues
- Osteoarthritis
- Gait analysis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Venous ulcers
- Medical devices (Intelligent surgical power tool to prevent thermal necrosis during surgical bone and joint reconstructions, interpneumatic compressive boot for the treatment of venous ulcers)
Education
- B.Tech. (Hons) University of Mauritius, Mechanical Engineering, 1991
- M.Phil. University of Mauritius, Mechanical Engineering, 1994
- Ph.D. Anglia Ruskin University, Bioengineering, 2001
- M.B.A. Anglia Ruskin University, 2005
- PG Diploma Anglia Ruskin University, Teaching and Learning, 2008
- Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Anglia Ruskin University, 2014
Awards
January / March 2013
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting Best Poster in the knee category
- Association of radiographic knee osteoarthritis and pain with gait asymmetry: the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study
- Displayed at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting among top-scored Orthopaedic Research Society posters
April 2012
- Mimics Innovation Award; Winner of Open Category
- Development and Verification of a Computational Model of the Knee Joint for the Evaluation of Surgical Treatments for Osteoarthritis
- Selected for publication in Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering
June 2011
- Best podium presentation
- Conservative surgical treatments for osteoarthritis: An integrated computational and in vitro study
- Meditech/ARU Medical Engineering Conference
December 2008
- Translational Research Award winner, Orthopaedics Innovation Awards category
- Medical Futures Innovation Award
- Electrospinning nanocoating for orthopaedic implants
Rajshree Mootanah embarked on a PhD on total hip replacement in 1997, funded by the Chelmsford Medical Education and Research Trust, following 5 years in industry. Results of this study revealed that surgical fixation techniques, as well as bone quality and morphology, affect implant longevity. The proposed subject-specific surgical fixation techniques were translated to patients by orthopedic surgeons involved in this study. Dr Mootanah pursued a postdoctoral research fellowship and worked on several Biomechanics projects, funded by DePuy, a Johnson and Johnson company. In 2005, after completing an MBA degree, she accepted a lectureship position in Mechanical Engineering at Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford, UK, and moved up to Associate Professor level in 2015.
Dr Mootanah has led the Medical Engineering Research Group since 2008 and focused on applying engineering solutions to the problem of osteoarthritis through research on computational modeling of surgical reconstruction techniques and implant design for the diseased joint. She has also been Principal Investigator on externally-funded research projects, including mechanical testing of joints, the design and development of medical devices, as well as venous ulcers, Parkinson’s Disease and movement analysis.
Dr Mootanah has been a Visiting Scientist at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) since 2009, conducting computer modeling and simulation research on osteoarthritis-related projects to complement in vitro and in vivo experimental research conducted at the HSS. She has been a Visiting Professor at the University of Mascara since 2013, mentoring a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and his PhD students in dental biomechanics. Dr Mootanah is an editorial board member and guest editor for a number of Bioengineering scientific journals.