Andrés Díaz Lantada

Prof. Dr. Andrés Díaz Lantada studied Industrial Engineering and specialized in Mechanical Engineering at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Spain (www.upm.es). He obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 2009 with a Thesis on “Methodology for the structured development of medical devices based on active polymers”. He has worked for 8 years as researcher at the Mechanical Engineering Department of this University and collaborated actively with its Product Development Laboratoty, both in research and teaching tasks. Nowadays he works as Assistant Professor at UPM and teaches subjects both at graduate and postgraduate levels, as well as specialization courses. His main teaching activities are related with the following subjects: - Computer-aided Mechanical Engineering. - Design and Manufacturing with Polymers. - Development of Medical Devices. - Biomechanics. At the same time he is actively researching in different areas related with product development, specially focused on medical devices, including rapid prototyping technologies, CAD-CAE-CAM tools and active materials for improving diagnostic and therapeutic applications of biodevices. Recently he has launched the “Fractal Bio” proposal, linked to the study and development of novel solutions for tissue engineering based on rapid manufacturing of fractal surfaces, within the technology-based innovative enterprises program “Actua UPM”. He is co-founder member of the UPM – Research Group on “Machines Engineering” (since 2007) and of the UPM – Innovative Teaching Group for “Integrated Mechanical Engineering Teaching” (since 2006), both groups under the headship of Chair Professor Pilar Lafont. Among some teaching proposals he is currently editing a special number on “Learning through Play in Engineering Education” for the International Journal of Engineering Education. Andrés Díaz Lantada has published more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications, several books and book chapters and is co-inventor of 8 patents related with the use of active materials for improving sensing / actuating capabilities of medical products. Recently he has organized and chaired the Special Session on “Active Materials for Medical Devices” at the Biostec – Biodevices 2009 “Second International Conference on Biomedical Electronics and Devices” and the Special Session on “Rapid Prototyping for Improving the Development of Biodevices” at the Biostec – Biodevices 2010 “Third International Conference on Biomedical Electronics and Devices”.