University of Southampton - School of Engineering Sciences
A PhD studentship is now available in the Bioengineering Sciences Research group, School of Engineering Sciences (SES), which fully covers University tuition fees (at EU/UK level**) and provides a tax-free bursary of £13,290 per year, rising annually (each October) in line with the UK Government (EPSRC) recommended rate, for a 3-year duration.
**EU/UK fees £3390 p.a., Overseas fee £13,885 p.a. (figures subject to annual increase).
There is NO additional funding available for overseas fees. We regret it will not be possible to consider your application unless you can provide funding from other sources to pay the fees difference (£10,495 for 2009/10).
Project description:
As a result of trauma and disease there is a large unmet clinical need for the repair of skeletal tissues such as bone and cartilage. Regenerative medicine or tissue engineering is an exciting new approach which aims to repair skeletal damage by regenerating bone or cartilage using the patient's own cells. Typically this involves the combination of cells with a porous biomaterial (scaffold) which serves as a temporary carrier and template. However, lack of tissue ingrowth into such scaffolds is currently a major problem in the application of porous biomaterials for regenerative medicine strategies, as well as the integration and stability of orthopaedic implants used in for example hip revision surgery.
The aim of the project is to understand exactly how cells form new tissue within porous biomaterials and how cell mechanics interacts with pore geometry.
The approach will be centred around the use of in-vitro cell culture systems with well defined pore shapes and structures to determine the type, growth and organisation of the tissue formed. This work will involve the development and design of experimental (mechanical loading) set ups, planning and conducting cell culture experiments, microscopy/histology, and could involve the analysis of the experimental results using computer simulations. It is therefore expected that the successful candidate will have broad research interests, cell culture experience is not essential, as training will be provided. The project will use the brand new cell culture facilities within the School of Engineering Sciences and will be conducted in close collaboration with the Bone and Joint Research Group at the School of Medicine.
The School is a diverse community which is committed to creating an inclusive working and learning environment in which all individuals are equally treated and valued, and can achieve their potential. The School considers all studentship applications in relation to academic criteria and regardless of the individual's race, nationality, gender, or belief.
Entry requirements: Candidates will have a first class or upper second class degree (or its equivalent) in relevant disciplines, e.g. engineering, biomedical/biomechanical engineering, or relevant biological disciplines. The successful candidate will work with a group of highly motivated, first class research students in the areas of bioengineering and tissue engineering
Commencing on: 1 January 2010
Closing date for applications: A rolling deadline applies.
If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Dr Bram Sengers, Bioengineering Sciences Research group, Email: bramseng@soton.ac.uk.
How to apply: Go to this link and read the notes carefully before applying
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