DrFernando Avila Rencoret
Research Postgraduate
Department of Surgery & Cancer - Faculty of Medicine
Orcid identifier0000-0001-7180-352X (opens in a new tab)
- Research PostgraduateDepartment of Surgery & Cancer - Faculty of Medicine
- B415B, Bessemer Building, South Kensington Campus, United Kingdom
RESEARCH
Research Projects
Hyperspectral Margin Assessment for Cancer Surgery
Duration: Jan 2017 - 2018Summary: Focus on the differentiation of tumour from scar tissue post-neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in gastrointestinal cancers using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Aims to improve intraoperative circumferential resection margin (CRM) assessment.My Roles: Co-lead in research with Mr. Chris Peters FRCS and Prof. Dan Elson; Co-supervisor for undergraduate and graduate students; Main hardware and software developer.Students Supervised: Laura Tincknell (2017), Group Project (2017-2018), Will Waldock (2018, ongoing), Harry Chang (2018, ongoing).Technologies Used: Hyperspectral Sensing, Spectroscopy, Optical Hardware Design, C , MATLAB.Outcomes: 2 undergraduate research reports, 1 MSc thesis, 4 conference presentations, 1 award.
Robotic Wide-Field Optical Biopsy Imaging for Early Detection of GI Cancer
Duration: Jan 2015 - PresentAssociation: Imperial College LondonDescription: Developing a semi-automatic robotic endoscopy framework for early detection of gastrointestinal cancers.Technologies Used: Solidworks, Rapid-prototyping, Mechatronics, Machine Learning, C , MATLAB, Python.Outcomes: 2 patent applications, 1 submitted journal article, 5 conference papers, 5 awards.
PV: An Online Clinical-peer Knowledge Sharing Platform
Duration: Jul 2010 - May 2012Association: Cuarenta HertzDescription: Full-stack development and management of "Pasando Visita", a web platform for clinical-peer knowledge sharing.Technologies Used: Apache Linux, LAMP, MySQL, PHP, CSS, HTML, HTTPS.
Use of Mechanical Circulatory Support as a Bridge to Transplantation
Duration: Jun 2008 - May 2010Association: University of Pittsburgh School of MedicineDescription: Analysis of clinical outcomes in heart failure surgeries and mechanical circulatory support.Technologies Used: SPSS, MySQL, LAMP.Outcomes: 2 clinical trial protocols, 4 international conference papers and presentations.
Carbon Nanotubes' Effects on Actin Organization and Cell Proliferation
Duration: Jan 2008 - Jul 2008Description: Investigated the interaction of carbon nanotubes with human cell cytoskeletons, analyzing actin organization and cell proliferation impacts.Technologies Used: Confocal Multiphoton Microscopy, Fluorescence Life-time Imaging Microscopy (FLIM), UV-Vis-NIR Spectroscopy.Outcomes: 2 conference presentations.
Role of Intercellular Communication in Ischemia-reperfusion Injury
Duration: Mar 2003 - Dec 2005Association: Pontificia Universidad Católica de ChileDescription: Explored the role of connexin channels in ischemia-reperfusion injury using an in vitro model.Technologies Used: Fluorescence Microscopy, Microinjection, Live-cell assays.Outcome: 1 undergraduate research report, 3 conference papers.
Molecular Basis of Primary Aldosteronism and Hypertensive Disease
Duration: Mar 2001 - Dec 2002Association: Pontificia Universidad Católica de ChileDescription: Screening of polymorphisms/mutations in DNA samples from hypertensive patients. Found a clinically significant mutation in the 11β-HSD2 gene.Technologies Used: DNA extraction, PCR, Sequencing.Outcomes: 5 conference presentations, 1 award, 1 ISI journal article.
Biologically Active Compounds of Chilean Propolis
Duration: Mar 1997 - May 1998Description: As a high school senior, worked on isolating and identifying active compounds from Propolis and tested their biological activities.Technologies Used: Organic solvent partition, NMR Spectroscopy, in-vitro bioassays.Outcome: ISI Journal Article, 2 conference presentations, 1 award.
Hyperspectral Margin Assessment for Cancer Surgery
Duration: Jan 2017 - 2018Summary: Focus on the differentiation of tumour from scar tissue post-neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in gastrointestinal cancers using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Aims to improve intraoperative circumferential resection margin (CRM) assessment.My Roles: Co-lead in research with Mr. Chris Peters FRCS and Prof. Dan Elson; Co-supervisor for undergraduate and graduate students; Main hardware and software developer.Students Supervised: Laura Tincknell (2017), Group Project (2017-2018), Will Waldock (2018, ongoing), Harry Chang (2018, ongoing).Technologies Used: Hyperspectral Sensing, Spectroscopy, Optical Hardware Design, C , MATLAB.Outcomes: 2 undergraduate research reports, 1 MSc thesis, 4 conference presentations, 1 award.
Robotic Wide-Field Optical Biopsy Imaging for Early Detection of GI Cancer
Duration: Jan 2015 - PresentAssociation: Imperial College LondonDescription: Developing a semi-automatic robotic endoscopy framework for early detection of gastrointestinal cancers.Technologies Used: Solidworks, Rapid-prototyping, Mechatronics, Machine Learning, C , MATLAB, Python.Outcomes: 2 patent applications, 1 submitted journal article, 5 conference papers, 5 awards.
PV: An Online Clinical-peer Knowledge Sharing Platform
Duration: Jul 2010 - May 2012Association: Cuarenta HertzDescription: Full-stack development and management of "Pasando Visita", a web platform for clinical-peer knowledge sharing.Technologies Used: Apache Linux, LAMP, MySQL, PHP, CSS, HTML, HTTPS.
Use of Mechanical Circulatory Support as a Bridge to Transplantation
Duration: Jun 2008 - May 2010Association: University of Pittsburgh School of MedicineDescription: Analysis of clinical outcomes in heart failure surgeries and mechanical circulatory support.Technologies Used: SPSS, MySQL, LAMP.Outcomes: 2 clinical trial protocols, 4 international conference papers and presentations.
Carbon Nanotubes' Effects on Actin Organization and Cell Proliferation
Duration: Jan 2008 - Jul 2008Description: Investigated the interaction of carbon nanotubes with human cell cytoskeletons, analyzing actin organization and cell proliferation impacts.Technologies Used: Confocal Multiphoton Microscopy, Fluorescence Life-time Imaging Microscopy (FLIM), UV-Vis-NIR Spectroscopy.Outcomes: 2 conference presentations.
Role of Intercellular Communication in Ischemia-reperfusion Injury
Duration: Mar 2003 - Dec 2005Association: Pontificia Universidad Católica de ChileDescription: Explored the role of connexin channels in ischemia-reperfusion injury using an in vitro model.Technologies Used: Fluorescence Microscopy, Microinjection, Live-cell assays.Outcome: 1 undergraduate research report, 3 conference papers.
Molecular Basis of Primary Aldosteronism and Hypertensive Disease
Duration: Mar 2001 - Dec 2002Association: Pontificia Universidad Católica de ChileDescription: Screening of polymorphisms/mutations in DNA samples from hypertensive patients. Found a clinically significant mutation in the 11β-HSD2 gene.Technologies Used: DNA extraction, PCR, Sequencing.Outcomes: 5 conference presentations, 1 award, 1 ISI journal article.
Biologically Active Compounds of Chilean Propolis
Duration: Mar 1997 - May 1998Description: As a high school senior, worked on isolating and identifying active compounds from Propolis and tested their biological activities.Technologies Used: Organic solvent partition, NMR Spectroscopy, in-vitro bioassays.Outcome: ISI Journal Article, 2 conference presentations, 1 award.