Start date for studentship: 1 Oct 2013
How the post is funded, including name of funding body: Industrial EPSRC CASE PhD Studentship in collaboration with TWI Ltd
Duration of studentship: 4-year
Value of the award, e.g. fees, stipend amount: Tuition fees plus a stipend of about £15,500 pa
Description of studentship: Valve replacement with percutaneous transcatheter implantation allows a prosthetic valve to be implanted without surgery, by delivering it into the anatomical position with a delivery system inserted through peripheral vessels. A multidisciplinary team at UCL has recently developed an innovative transcatheter aortic valve (UCL-TAV), which comprises an occluding component, consisting of three flexible leaflets made of polymer or pericardial tissue, supported and secured through a self-expanding wire frame, made of super-elastic alloy.
The proposed project aims at maximising the durability of this new generation of cardiovascular implants, by enhancing the properties of the joints as well as improving or initiating new surface functionalities of super-elastic metal frames. Novel joining methods will also be developed for fixing  the metal frame and biological tissues or biocompatible polymers.
The improved understanding of the structural implications of the different joining techniques that can find application in super-elastic shape memory alloys is essential in a number of cardiovascular medical devices, including transcatheter valves, angioplasty stents and stented grafts.
Funding requirements dictate ONLYÂ UK citizens and EU passport holders need apply.
Person specification Applicants should have (or expect) a first degree – 2.1 or higher – in a relevant branch of material science, engineering or physics, and should have good communication skills in both written and spoken English.
Application process: See http://www.ucl.ac.uk/admission/graduate-study/application-admission/ for information on application.
Please attach a CV and cover letter stating how the project meets your research interests in the first instance and e-mail to g.burriesci@ucl.ac.uk
For further information about the department please see http://www.ucl.ac.uk/mecheng/
Closing Date â 5th July 2013
Interview date 15 Jul 2013
Administrative contact for applicant e.g. advice on the application process: Charlotte Reisch/ Dr. William Suen, Graduate Tutor in the Department (k.suen@ucl.ac.uk)