Profile
Alex completed his BSc and MSc studies at Swansea University, before going on to complete his PhD at Queen Mary University of London within the Institute of Dentistry in 2020. Alex’s PhD research focussed on developing biomimetic 3D-printed teeth for the purpose of dental education.
In 2021 Alex joined the School of Engineering and Material Sciences as a Teaching Fellow, contributing to lectures, leading seminars, and other forms of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. Alex returned to the Institute of Dentistry in 2022 in his current position as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant, continuing his research developed during his PhD.
Centre: Oral Bioengineering
Teaching
Alex provides lectures and seminars to undergraduates within both the Institute of Dentistry and School of Engineering and Material Sciences at Queen Mary. Lectures specifically relating to bioengineering, implantology, material properties and manufacturing techniques. He is currently involved in the teaching activities for the MSc Oral Biology and MSc Dental Materials courses.
Alex is also involved in the supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate research projects.
Research
Research Interests:
Alex’s main interest is the use of 3D printing in the dental and biomedical fields. Introducing different additive manufacturing machines into the Dental Physical Sciences Unit, focusing on the development of novel materials that can be printed for specific purposes, e.g., dental composites for crown design, PLA-Hydroxyapatite filaments for tissue scaffolds, biomimetic materials recreating enamel and dentine.
Alex is currently continuing his PhD research which is centered on the development of haptically-similar 3D printed materials suitable for the training of undergraduate dental students. As well as the development of these novel materials, Alex’s work has focussed on the use of haptics, micro-CT and virtual reality within the education environment. Alex has presented this work at numerous international conferences where he has been awarded prizes and scholarships, such as the GSK-MINTIG award in Mineralised Tissue in 2021. As well as receiving funding from the Westfield Fund in 2020 (£10k) and Barts Charity in 2022 (£50k).
Alex has also contributed to other projects within the biomedical fields such as, the development and characterisation of novel CAD/CAM glass ceramics, the production of bespoke dental implant scaffolds, and the repurposing of water bottles for teaching models.
Alex has supervised numerous postgraduate and undergraduate projects.
Publications
CRESSWELL-BOYES, A. J., DAVIS, G. R., KRISHNAMOORTHY, M., MILLS, D. & BARBER, A. H. 2022. Composite 3D Printing of Biomimetic Human Teeth. Scientific Reports, 12, 7830.
CRESSWELL-BOYES, A. J., MILLS, D., DAVIS, G. R. & BOYDE, A. 2018. L2 Bone Quality in Osteoporosis: BIOMED 1 Revisited. Orthopaedic Proceedings: a supplement to The Bone & Joint Journal, 100-B, 76.
CRESSWELL-BOYES, A. J., BARBER, A. H., MILLS, D., TATLA, A. & DAVIS, G. R. 2018. Approaches to 3D Printing Teeth from X-Ray Microtomography. Journal of Microscopy, 272, 207-212.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Cresswell-Boyes+AJ
