Faculty of Engineering – Division of Electrical Systems and Optics - PhD Studentship

PhD Studentship

Applications are invited for a 3 year PhD studentship to work jointly with researchers in the Institute for Biophysics, Imaging and Optical Sciences (IBIOS) and the George Green institute for Electromagnetics Research (GGIEMR), within the Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham. The studentship covers tuition fees and provides a tax-free stipend for the three-year duration of the project starting at £13,590 per annum and increasing with an annual increment.

Researchers in IBIOS carry out both experimental and theoretical studies in the areas of cell biophysics, advance optical and ultrasound imaging techniques and the development of novel CMOS cameras. While the research expertise of the GGIEMR lie in the development and application of numerical methods to simulate the interaction of electromagnetic fields with structures ranging from engineering components to biological systems. Both institutes have an ethos of multi-disciplinary research and have attracted considerable research funding from UK research councils and industrial partners alike.

The focus of this studentship will be the modelling of the electromagnetically induced deformation of a new class of biocompatible nano-transducers. These nano-transducers will be applied to a novel biomedical imaging technique to enable both diagnostics and the monitoring of tissue regeneration. This PhD studentship aims to (1) develop an electrohydrodynamic numerical model of nano-transducer deformation in the presence of a time varying electric field, (2) to implement a coarse-grain model of the nano-transducers in which the nano-transducer composition and size can be varied to produce input parameters necessary for the electrohydrodynamic numerical model, (3) validate the numerical model through the use of experimental data obtained in partnership with research fellows in IBIOS.

This studentship will be supervised jointly by Dr Melissa Mather (IBIOS) and Professor Dave Thomas (GGIEMR). Informal enquiries prior to making an application may be addressed to: Dr Mather, email: [Email Address Removed]. If you are interested in making an application, please contact Dr Mather directly with a covering letter stating clearly how you fulfil the requirements of the studentship, and include a CV and the names and addresses of two academic referees. Interviews will take place at the University of Nottingham Please quote ref. ENG/692. The position will remain open until filled.