Restoration of human functional activity has been a drive for many centuries dating back to early Egyptian and Greek civilizations. These interventions would often take the form of a prosthesis made from various materials-depending upon the body part. Technology has progressed to using newer materials enabling lighter devices and more realistic appearances. Current state of the art research is looking at the integration of robotics, electrical components, temperature, pressure sensors etc. The question is what is the next iteration? In parallel with the developments detailed above, the field of tissue engineering has progressed significantly with various relevant tissues now able to be “fabricated” in vitro. This vacancy is one a group of 4 PhD researchers that will be working together to integrate the latest prosthetic and bioengineering developments to develop “smart prostheses”. The areas of study will include Biological and Chemical Interfaces, Loading and Performance, Materials, Manufacturing, Design and Integration. The supervisory group is composed of academics from across the whole of Loughborough University.

This PhD programme will address the interface of the prosthetic with biological tissue. It will include elements of surface science, synthetic chemistry, biology and tissue engineering. Specifically, this project will ally expertise in musculoskeletal biology with surface chemistry to determine the optimum conditions required for attaching tissue to artificial surfaces. It will link to and build on the other work of the related PhD projects looking at different materials, mechanics and design issues.

This PhD is part of a larger multidisciplinary “smart prosthetics” project being pursued by academics from several Schools under the University strategic theme of Health & Well Being. The project embraces the disciplines of design, engineering, chemistry, materials and life sciences and aims to create a step change in prosthetic rehabilitation. This opportunity will appeal to students interested at the interface of chemistry, biology and materials science.

The studentship provides a tax free stipend of £13,726 per annum for a period of three years. Due to funding restrictions, this studentship is open to UK and EU applicants only. Non UK applicants must meet the minimum English language requirements, details available by clicking the Apply link below.

For an informal discussion please contact Prof Mark Lewis (e-mail m.p.lewis@lboro.ac.uk; phone: 01509 226430), or Dr. Steve Christie (s.d.christie@lboro.ac.uk, phone: 01509 222587).

Applications are now invited from students who want to embark on a full-time research degree programme commencing in Autumn Term 2013.

For full details please visit the Apply link below.

The deadline for applications is 5th July 2013

However, early application is strongly encouraged as a 1st October 2013 start is preferred.