PhD Studentship: The impact of biomaterial structure and mechanics on the cellular response

This project forms an integral part of a larger EPSRC funded project: SEE MORE: Secondary Electron Emission- Microscopy FOR ORGANICS WITH RELIABLE ENGINEERING –PROPERTIES.

You will be embedded in a group of multidisciplinary researchers, working with different industrial partners, as well as benefiting from additional personal development (e.g. for media training, international & inter-disciplinary collaborations).

Research within the multidisciplinary Biomaterials and Bioengineering group has several broad aims including the development and synthesis of novel tissue engineering scaffolds and new ways to characterise the behaviour of these scaffolds, and the translation of these to the clinic for the repair of tissue defects and replacement of damaged tissue.

The project aims to provide a better understanding of the interplay between cells and biomaterials at the nanometre scale. This will be done through novel scanning electron based characterisation techniques, pioneered in Sheffield, in conjunction with advanced mechanical test data and characterisation of the cell response to a range of biomaterials. Through the implementation and application of machine learning, you will link structural, chemical and mechanical information to cell behaviour. You will have access to state-of the-art equipment, unique to Sheffield and a wide network of international collaborators.

This project would suit a candidate with a 1st or 2:1 Bachelor or Masters degree in any of the following: materials science, physics or chemistry, bioengineering or related subjects.

Funding Notes

A fully funded studentship including fees and stipend for three years is available. To be eligible for the studentship, you must either be a U.K. citizen or a European Union national who has been resident in the UK for at least 3 years prior to starting the degree.