Aislinn McAleenan's journey at Queen’s began in 2016 when she started an integrated master’s degree in mechanical engineering.

After graduating with a first class honours in her MEng in 2021, she continued her studies with a PhD, during which she designed, developed and prototyped CASPER, a patented medical robot for eye surgery.

Her research was supervised by Professor Yan Jin and Dr Dan Sun within the Smart Manufacturing and Robotics Research Group, with clinical support from Professor Johnny Moore at Cathedral Eye Clinic.

Research fellow in School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Her research has attracted recognition through multiple awards for publications and presentations at international conferences. She now works as a research fellow in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, where she is continuing to develop the technology towards clinical application and serves as delivery lead for an Invest NI Proof of Concept to Commercialisation project.

Supported by funding from Cathedral Eye Clinic, Invest NI, Queen’s University Belfast, and QUBIS, McAleenan is working within a multidisciplinary team to advance the robot towards commercialisation, with the long-term goal of improving access to safe, high-quality eye surgery for patients.

She said: “Graduating with a PhD is a moment I'm incredibly proud of. Looking back over almost ten years at Queen's, I'm grateful for the opportunities I've had and the people who have supported me along the way.

“Seeing my research development from an early concept into a patented surgical robot prototype has been hugely rewarding, and I'm delighted to be continuing that journey as a research fellow.

“I hope that, in the future, the technology will help improve access to eye surgery for patients around the world, particularly in regions where specialist care is harder to access.

“Engineering has always been close to home for me. My dad studied mechanical engineering at Queen's too, and he was a huge inspiration throughout my journey. It's really special to be following in his footsteps and celebrating this milestone with my family.”