Impulsonics Introducing: James Armstrong, Scientific Advisor
Welcome to the fourth in our Impulsonics Introducing series about the people who make our team run in their own words. Up next is our Scientific Advisor, James Armstrong.
1. What do you do at Impulsonics?
My job role is Scientific Advisor. I’ve worked for many years developing ultrasound-based tools for cell biology and tissue engineering. Over that time, I’ve acquired a lot of experience in using ultrasound to manipulate (and often kill) cells. This has given me a fairly good intuition of what sort of ultrasound setups cells will and will not tolerate and how different ultrasound fields can be used in new and exciting ways for cell manipulation.
2. What’s your background?
My undergraduate degree and PhD certificates say Chemistry, but I would be a total hazard if let loose in a synth lab! My PhD had a large component of cartilage tissue engineering – using human stem cells seeded on polymer scaffolds to grow chunks of cartilage – and during this time I fell in love with the concept that you could grow living tissues in the lab. I was particularly fascinated by the idea that ultrasound and other technologies (e.g. bioprinting) could be used to guide these processes and potentially grow tissues that are more complex and thus more useful in studying and treating diseases. After my PhD, I was fortunate to secure six years of postdoc fellowship funding to develop some of these ideas in the labs of Professor Molly Stevens at Imperial College. And in 2021, I joined the University of Bristol on a Future Leaders Fellowship to set up my independent research group, which is now developing new technologies for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (www.TheArmstrongGroup.co.uk).
3. What inspired you to join Impulsonics?
I jumped at the opportunity to set up Impulsonics with Luke and the team. It is my opinion that the engineering knowledge required for many ultrasound technologies can be a bit of a barrier to entry to those in the biomedical sciences. I’ve been trying to address this by simplifying our core technologies, setting up collaborations, and running summer schools. I see Impulsonics as another opportunity to help to transition ultrasound-based technologies from a niche pursuit into accessible tools that could really benefit labs around the world.
4. What part of your job excites you most?
I love the creative side of science so sitting down with other creative people and collectively coming up with new ideas is something I love to do. But even better than generating the ideas is seeing them come to fruition! By its nature, science is full of experiments that don’t work - so its unbelievably satisfying seeing an idea turn into reality.
5. What do you like to do outside of work?
I spend nearly all of my non-work time with my family – I have two young kids and try to spend as much time with them as possible. I play football a couple of times a week, and occasionally play squash or go bouldering. I enjoy the all encompassing nature of science – I’m continuously thinking about projects and ideas - but sport does provide me with a way to switch off and focus all my attention on something else (like chasing a ball).
6. If Impulsonics had a coat of arms what would you put on it and why?
I am very uncreative when it comes to graphic design and I also can’t draw! But perhaps a cell surfing on a sound wave might be appropriate.
7. Can you describe your role using only emojis?
