Profile
Matthew Wadge
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About Me:
Hi! I’m Matt and I’m a Materials Scientist that lives in Sandbach, Cheshire and works at Manchester Metropolitan University. I live with my partner Alice and my partially-sighted Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Bert (see picture of him flying!) 🐶. If I am not in the lab, you can usually find me playing video games, swimming, travelling, playing football or drinking a lot of coffee (definitely not all at the same time 😉)
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I was born in Wolverhampton in 1995, and was brought up by my Mom, Alison, with help from my Grandad John and later on my Step-Dad, Phil. I have a lot to thank my Mom and Grandad for, as they taught me to always try my best, and never give up, no matter how hard the problem is. My Grandad was an Engineer, and was someone I looked up to and was like a Dad to me, and although I wanted to be a Doctor when I left school, somehow I am now an Engineer/Scientist, how funny!
Unfortunately, my Grandad died when I was 11, but I have so many fond memories of him! I have one brother called Harry, who is a whiz at Spanish, and we travel a lot together on our family holidays. The picture below is of me and my brother in Herculaneum, in Italy, which was one of the cities that was buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.!
I love to talk about my research, and you can usually find me speaking in front of lots of people at conferences, just like the pictures below – one is of me winning an award for my work, which was very cool!
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My pronouns are:
he/him/his
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My Work:
My work is to make materials that can kill bacteria 🦠, so they can be used to make people better and stop them getting infections!
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When people are poorly, such as when they fall over and break a bone, they go to the doctor to get it fixed. The problem is, in the air and all around us are tiny bacteria that can make us feel ill. Sometimes, a poorly person with a badly broken bone needs an implant, like a bone plate, rod, screw or wire to help support the bone so it can heal properly (see the picture below which is an X-ray of a pin (white) which is holding together a collar bone which has been broken!)
My job is to make the materials that doctors use to help fix bones also kill bacteria so while the bone is healing, the person does not get an infection which can make things worse!
I also work on making things called scaffolds, which are like sponges but they are used to help bone grow! I have popped a picture below, and they work by allowing bone cells to grow into the holes on the surface, and the material it is made of helps bone to grow strong!
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My Typical Day:
If I am going in the lab, I usually wake up about 6 am, have some coffee and porridge, and then I walk (or drive if I miss my alarms!) to the train station to catch my train just before 8 am. My train takes about 50 minutes to get to Manchester, so while I am on the train I either read a book, watch documentaries, or catch up on my emails. I arrive in Manchester at about 8:40 am and then I walk from Piccadilly Station to my office in the Dalton Building. I get to my desk at around 9 am, and then its usually a full day of meetings, being in the lab making the materials, answering emails, writing papers (I have linked one of my papers here so you can see what they typically look like, they explain what research I have done to other scientists so they can repeat and check what I have done) or research grants, which help our research group have money to do the research. Every day is different and its always exciting to see how each day goes! I usually have my lunch around 1 pm, where I usually sit in the park, which is close to my office. I then spend the rest of the day doing the same stuff as before, and then I head to the station to get on the train back to Sandbach (as long as its not cancelled) when the days activities are finished.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
Engineering, and science, has a history of being a male only job (which I think is silly!). Recently, a lot more women are becoming engineers, and this is fantastic! Also, in the UK, most engineers/scientist are white, even though the UK has many people of all faiths, ethnicities, and backgrounds. There is still a long way to go to make sure engineering is a job that anyone can do. I feel one of the biggest problems is making sure everyone knows “what is an engineer” or “what is a scientist” and the many, many amazing jobs you can do as an engineer or scientist. I would use the £500 to go into schools, particularly schools that have a lot of students that do not go onto do science and engineering courses, so I, as well as my diverse colleagues, can speak and interact with them to show how diverse science and engineering is, and to encourage them to become the next scientist/engineer!
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Education:
University of Nottingham (2014 – 2020), St. Peter’s Collegiate School, Wolverhampton 2007-2012), Palmers Cross Primary School, Wolverhampton (1999-2007)
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Qualifications:
GCSEs:
- English Literature & Language
- Sciences (Physics/Biology/Chemistry)
- Maths
- Additional Maths
- Geography
- Music
- German
- RE
- ICT
- BTEC Engineering
A-Levels:
- Maths
- Chemistry
- Physics
- AS Further Maths
Bachelor of Science (BSc) Degree in Biomedical Materials Science
PhD in Materials Engineering and Materials Design
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Work History:
After my PhD I had the following jobs:
- October 2020 – October 2021: EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellow, University of Nottingham
- This was a 1 year job where I did research that was similar to my PhD work
- October 2021 – December 2021: Researcher on Catheters, University of Nottingham
- I spent 2 months researching Catheters, which are used to help people go to the bathroom. I was looking at their surfaces and trying to make them better!
- December 2021 – November 2024: Research Fellow in Energy Materials, University of Nottingham
- During these 3 years, I made materials that could store hydrogen gas so they could be used to power cars and lorries, which is better for the environment!
- November 2024 – Now: Third Century Fellow in Surface Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University
- I now work at Manchester Metropolitan University, where I do my own research that I came up with, which is to make materials kill bacteria in new and cool ways!
- October 2020 – October 2021: EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellow, University of Nottingham
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Current Job:
Third Century Fellow in Surface Engineering
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Employer:
Manchester Metropolitan University
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Dog-loving Materials Scientist
What did you want to be after you left school?
Medical Doctor
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Not really...
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
Musician
Who is your favourite singer or band?
I love the band Dirty Loops
What's your favourite food?
Sunday Roast
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
1) I worry way too much, so stopping that forever would be great! 2) Talk to animals, especially so I can know what my Dog Bert is thinking! 3) Spend more time with Family and Friends!
Tell us a joke.
What's the difference between a weasel and a stoat? A weasel is weasily recognised, but a stoat is stotally different.
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