Advances in Soft Matter for Healthcare Applications
A special issue of Bioengineering (ISSN 2306-5354).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 27
Special Issue Editor
Interests: biomedical engineering; AI in healthcare; computer modelling and validation; design and manufacturing; material science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Soft matter is everywhere in healthcare, from the gels we apply to wounds to the materials that make up wearable sensors, implants, and even drug delivery systems. What makes soft matter so remarkable is its ability to adapt, respond, and interact with the human body in ways rigid materials cannot. Whether it be stretching, flowing, self-healing, or responding to temperature or pH, these materials open new possibilities for patient care.
This Special Issue invites contributions exploring the role of soft matter in medical science and technology, whether you are working on hydrogel-based drug carriers, flexible electronics, tissue scaffolds, soft robotics, or even unexpected applications like thermally active cushions or bio-inspired adhesives. This Special Issue is interested in fundamental research and real-world solutions, especially those that bring soft matter closer to clinical use.
The aim is to bring together researchers from across disciplines, materials scientists, physicists, engineers, and clinicians, to share insights and push the boundaries of what soft materials can do in healthcare.
Dr. Ahmed Abass
Guest Editor
Dr. Joseph Towler
Guest Editor Assistant
E-mail: jtowler@liverpool.ac.uk
Department of Eye and Vision, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK
Interests: materials science; healthcare engineering; rubber and PVC (polyvinyl chloride) mechanics; finite element analysis
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Bioengineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- soft matter
- healthcare applications
- hydrogels
- drug delivery systems
- flexible electronics
- tissue engineering
- soft robotics
- bio-inspired materials
- responsive materials
- wearable sensors
- biomedical devices
- smart materials
- thermally active materials
- hot water bottles
- pain management
- biocompatible materials
- clinical translation
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