A PhD studentship is now available in the Computational Engineering and Design research group, Engineering Sciences (SES), which fully covers University tuition fees (at EU/UK level**) and provides a tax-free bursary of £13,900 per year, rising annually (each October) in line with the UK Government (EPSRC) recommended rate, for a 3-year duration. **EU/UK fees £3732 p.a., Overseas fee £16,120 p.a. (figures subject to annual increase).
This position is available to EU/UK applicants only, unless additional funding/scholarships are obtained by the student to cover the home/overseas fees difference (£12,388 for 2011/12).
Project description: This project seeks to exploit recent advances made in the collaborative efforts between Dr Neil Bressloff (Engineering) and Dr Nick Curzen (Medicine) such that a range of tools developed so far can be extended to better understand issues regularly confronted by interventional cardiologists, with the aim of developing improved forms of treatment for challenging coronary artery disease (CAD).
When attempting to treat CAD by deploying a stent into a diseased vessel, only a standard set of "off-the-shelf" devices are generally available. Thus, the constant and consistent observation that suboptimal deployment of stents is a potent risk factor for both target vessel revascularisation and stent thrombosis, suggests that there is significant scope to develop stents that improve apposition when deployed in challenging anatomy. Current devices can fail to closely follow lumen shape throughout a stented segment leading to unacceptably low lumen area, non-ideal lumen shape and stent malapposition in some regions. Thus, this research project focuses on two key questions: (1) How can the design of coronary stents and their deployment vehicles be improved to achieve far more uniform and consistent stent area in complex coronary anatomy, and (2) Can better conformability and more consistent stent deployment be obtained while maintaining/improving structural integrity, flexibility and stent-artery interaction? The research challenges are to devise novel methods for (i) stent and delivery system definition and (ii) a design strategy to efficiently optimize this system for deployment in geometries of challenging disease. Candidates should have experience in one or more of the following: computational engineering; design search and optimisation; finite element analysis (FEA); computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
Engineering Sciences at the University of Southampton has an international reputation for research excellence. In the 2008 UK Research Assessment Exercise, in collaboration with the Institute of Sound & Vibration Research we were ranked second in the total number of Unit 28 academics whose research was deemed world leading or internationally excellent.
Engineering Sciences has 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. We consider 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. Bioengineering; Mechanical Engineering.
The successful candidate will work with a group of highly motivated, first class research students in the areas of computational engineering; design search and optimisation; FEA and CFD simulation.
Commencing as soon as possible
Closing date for applications: A rolling deadline applies.
If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Dr Neil Bressloff, Computational Engineering and Design research group, Email: n.w.bressloff@soton.ac.uk , Tel: +44 (0) 2380 59 5473.
How to apply: An on-line application form (or hard copy version) with guidance notes can be accessed here.
Please read the notes carefully before applying. Applications will only be considered on receipt of a completed application form.
You can attach your supporting documents to the on-line application. If you are unable to do this, please send by email to Julia Zimbler jfz@soton.ac.uk and a copy to Dr Neil Bressloff, n.w.bressloff@soton.ac.uk (or send by fax or post if you are unable to send them electronically):
Julia Zimbler, Postgraduate Admissions, Graduate School Office, Engineering Sciences, Room 4009, Lanchester Building, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.
Fax: +44 (0) 2380 59 5167.
Please ensure you include a personal statement in your application, stating why you particularly want to do a PhD, why you think you are suited to a research degree and what particularly attracts you to this project.