These are PhD studentships for 3 years starting end September 2022.
Stipend starting at £17,983 per annum as well as the cost of tuition fees
Therapeutic ultrasound is a non-invasive medical technology for generating a range of bioeffects at a localised region of tissue by focusing ultrasonic energy, without incisions or ionising radiation. There are a large and growing number of clinical applications for therapeutic ultrasound, including for the treatment of many different types of cancer (prostate, liver, pancreas, bone metastases) Essential Tremor, Parkinson’s dyskinesia etc.
Applications are invited for two PhD studentships to work on high impact interdisciplinary projects at the interface between engineering and biophysics – aiming to develop novel applications for therapeutic ultrasound. These positions are within the Ultrasonics Group at UCL Mechanical Engineering, a vibrant and internationally leading environment. We encourage collaboration with other national and international researchers and there are strong links with medical/clinical researchers both nationally and internationally.
We have developed fundamental knowledge, experimental and computational models with applications in ophthalmology, cancer treatment and neuro-stimulation. We seek to further study the bioeffects of ultrasound on tissue, develop fundamental biophysical knowledge of this interaction and use this knowledge to design potential therapies. We wish to explore the application of ultrasound for promoting the function of cells (reducing cells’ atrophy and apoptosis), drug delivery, facilitating cell therapy, and stimulating neural cells.
The successful candidates will have access to state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, computational software and hardware and will collaborate with a strong multidisciplinary team of academics.
Person specification:
These are highly interdisciplinary projects, and applications are encouraged from a range of backgrounds. The successful candidates will hold an undergraduate degree in Engineering, Biological or Physical Sciences awarded at 2:1 level (UK system or equivalent) or above. The experience of working with cell cultures, fluorescence/optical microscopy and/or proficiency in applied mathematics, physics, and computing (MATLAB or Python) will constitute a distinct advantage.
Studentship description
These projects consist of several experimental and theoretical work packages, requiring 1) the use of multiphysics computer simulation techniques to determine the ultrasonic field in the experimental platform, 2) performing morphological, histochemical and immunological analyses to rigorously establish how ultrasonic waves interact with the target tissue.
The successful candidates will contribute to the development of the theoretical and experimental knowledge of therapeutic ultrasound. This will help develop novel intervention modalities for managing and treating different diseases.
Eligibility
Applications are accepted from home (UK) and overseas citizens.
To apply, please send a current CV including the contact details of two professional referees as well as a cover letter to Dr. Reza Haqshenas (r.haqshenas@ucl.ac.uk) and Prof. Nader Saffari (n.saffari@ucl.ac.uk).
Closing Date and Start Date: Please submit all applications by 23:59pm on Friday 16th September 2022.The start day is end September 2022 but negotiable (Duration of this role will be for 3 years).