#UKSB2026 Travel Bursary Winner Hubert Buksa

By Hubert Buksa, University of Sheffield

I would like to thank the UK Society for Biomaterials for awarding me this Travel Bursary to attend the UKSB 2026 Annual Conference. The bursary gave me the opportunity to present an oral presentation on my PhD research into antimicrobial polymer particles. It was a great chance to share my work with researchers from different areas of biomaterials and receive valuable feedback. The conference covered a wide range of clinical research and I loved learning progress outside my own field.

My background is in polymer chemistry so it was interesting to hear about developments in areas such as tissue engineering, biofabrication and clinical translation and to see how different areas can learn from one another! One of the talks that stood out to me was Ben Cassidy’s in-vivo work with sheep which deservedly won the best talk award – his talk engaging and easy to follow while demonstrating excellent research with real impact. As someone working in applied polymer chemistry, I found his work particularly inspiring because it showed how fundamental materials research can be translated into practical clinical applications.

Everyone was incredibly welcoming and open-minded – this very friendly atmosphere made it easy to start conversations and learn from each other! I came back with new ideas for my research and a better understanding of current developments in biomaterials for my PhD. I am very grateful to the UKSB for supporting my attendance and making this opportunity possible!!