Personal Statement
Riaz graduated from UMIST in 2003 with a First Class MEng (Hons) degree in Biomedical Materials Science with Industrial Experience. In 2007, he completed a PhD at The University of Manchester in ‘The micromechanical behaviour of bone’. Following this, he undertook a post-doctoral position using scanning acoustic microscopy to determine the micromechanical properties of soft tissue. In July 2008, Riaz was awarded a British Heart Foundation Advanced Training research fellowship. He joined the School of Engineering at University of Liverpool in October 2011 as a lecturer in Biomedical Engineering. He has established the Nanomechanics Lab at University of Liverpool and is the Programme Director for the Biomedical Engineering MSc.

Riaz’s overarching research aim is to understand how the nano- and micro- scale properties of biological tissues change with ageing and disease. His research group is interested in combining imaging and mechanical approaches at these length scales. The main focus of his research is on collagen-rich soft tissues such as skin, arteries and ocular tissues. However, he also has extensive experience in characterisation of hard tissues such as bone and has worked on biomaterials and hydrogels in collaboration with other research groups. His group has a key interest understanding the mechanical behaviour of biological materials with advanced characterisation tools such as nanoindentation and atomic force microscopy.

Many of Riaz’s projects are closely related to clinical/surgical practice whereas others are fundamental basic science projects which involve technique development or elucidating structure-property relationships in natural tissues. He also works with industry on medical device development, with a particular interest in microneedle technology.

Research Overview
My research focuses on the biomechanics and mechanobiology of cardiovascular tissues, with particular emphasis on aortic disease, vascular ageing, and the development of advanced experimental and computational approaches for tissue characterisation. I lead interdisciplinary research that integrates engineering, biology, and clinical science to better understand the structural and mechanical factors underpinning cardiovascular disease progression and failure.

A major theme of my work is the multi-scale characterisation of aortic tissues in conditions such as thoracic aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection. Using advanced biomechanical testing, nanoindentation, digital histopathology, and imaging approaches, my research investigates how alterations in extracellular matrix organisation, collagen-elastin architecture, and tissue remodelling influence vascular integrity and disease progression. This work has contributed to improved understanding of tissue heterogeneity, disease mechanisms, and the biomechanical basis of rupture risk.

Alongside cardiovascular biomechanics, my broader research interests span bone mechanics, musculoskeletal tissues, skin biomechanics, biomaterials, mechanobiology, and translational biomedical engineering. I have extensive experience in nanoindentation and nanomechanical characterisation across both engineering materials and biological tissues, including soft tissues, bone, biomaterials, and tissue-engineered constructs.

I established and currently lead the Nanomechanics Laboratory at the University of Liverpool, which supports interdisciplinary research in biomechanics, biomaterials, and mechanobiology using advanced micro- and nano-scale mechanical testing approaches. I have also developed expertise in consultancy and collaborative projects involving nanomechanical testing and material characterisation for academic, clinical, and industrial applications.

My research is highly interdisciplinary, bringing together clinicians, biologists, engineers, and international collaborators to address challenges across cardiovascular biomechanics, bone and musculoskeletal mechanics, tissue engineering, vascular biology, biomaterials, and medical device-related applications. Through these activities, my work aims to bridge fundamental engineering science with translational and clinically relevant applications that improve understanding of tissue behaviour, disease progression, and biomaterial performance.