Development of New Biomaterials for Regenerative Medicine

Our research cuts across the traditional disciplinary boundaries, and we therefore invite applications for research leading to the PhD degree from scientists and engineers in all appropriate subjects who have an interest in any of our research areas.

The main application sectors addressed by our research are: energy conversion; environmental protection; transport; electronics/optoelectronics; and healthcare. Across all themes the research is carried out with strong support from and involvement of industrial organisations. This close collaboration with industry, alongside our first class facilities, ensures that the Department is at the forefront of Materials Science and Engineering research.

Background:
Despite the number of incredible advances made in tissue engineering during the past
decades, there still remains an enormous demand for innovative materials that can be used
as regenerative scaffolds. Polymer-based materials have provided fundamental knowledge
involving the effects of specific physical and chemical cues on cell behaviour, yet still only a
select few designs are successful in translation. Novel cell-instructive polymer-based
constructs need to be designed and tested for their clinical suitability in terms of how they
can mimic the properties of native tissues, while their mechanical properties and tailored
biofunctionalisation will need to be elucidated to yield controlled bioactivity.
The aim of this project is to understand how these materials can be designed and optimised
for clinical translation by exploiting the knowledge gained at the cell-material interface.
The Project:
This project will initially concentrate on the synthesis of polymer-based materials that will be
designed according the requisites in engineering bone and/or cardiovascular tissues. The
understanding of the physical and chemical properties as elucidated using state of the art
materials-based characterisation techniques will be a major goal. The emphasis of the
material characterisation will lie on the cell-material interface and how the engineered
biomaterials influence this region. The key features of the materials’ properties on the
influence of cells in 2D and 3D culture will then be assessed. This project will involve
advanced synthetic techniques, complete material characterisation as well as biological
tests.
 

Applicants should have or expect to obtain a first class undergraduate degree (or equivalent)
in a relevant discipline such as Bioengineering, Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry or
Engineering. You will be a highly self motivated individual with demonstrable experience of
experimental research.

Applications are invited for a PhD studentship on the development of new biomaterials for
regenerative medicine, paying a non-taxable bursary of £15,590 per annum (current stipend)
as well as will cover tuition fees at the home/EU rate. Funding is available only to applicants
who have been ordinarily resident in the UK for three years prior to the start date.