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University of Bradford
Creating knowledge through research
Study a research degree at the University of Bradford and join our mission to create new knowledge. You’ll work with academic experts to tackle major global challenges and help shape the future of your sector.
Our inspirational students and academics are at the cutting edge of research. Recent achievements include:
- breakthrough development of a new blood test for cancer
- the detection of a ‘super-henge’ – potentially the largest Neolithic monument built in Britain
- investment in 21 research projects related to understanding and responding to COVID-19 and its impact
The Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) rated 96% of our research as world-leading, internationally excellent or internationally recognised.
Facilities for students
The University is continuously investing in state-of-the-art facilities to enable you to get the most out of your time here, and to help you contribute to world-leading research. Our focus is to engage students in conversation, and there is no better place to do this than the Postgraduate Research Lounge.
The PGR Lounge is a space dedicated for research students (undertaking a PhD programme). If you’re doing a PhD, this Lounge is a place you can call your own, where you can socialise, work, and help each other grow intellectually by having inter-disciplinary conversations.
The PGR lounge supports collaborative work, sharing of ideas, exploring other disciplines, socialising and engaging with extracurricular activities.
Support for research students
PGR Connect is a student-led support scheme that aims to offer a support network and community for our PG researchers.
It strives to foster wellbeing and a sense of belonging, to help mitigate the feeling of isolation that research students can sometimes develop due to their unique way of studying.
Groups of research students meet informally every 2-3 months with the support of a trained PGR Connect Leader. The groups are confidential, informal, and provide a safe space for researchers to share experiences and form supportive connections.
Distance learning research degrees
Our new distance learning research degrees allow you to pursue your passion and discover new knowledge from anywhere in the world.
Inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, we’re taking advantage of new, flexible methods of working and communicating to ensure students have consistent access to materials, resources and support networks.
As we move out of the pandemic, our distance learning options will continue to provide a practical alternative to campus-based study.
Our postgraduate themes
We harness technology for the good of society through our three overarching research themes. We welcome postgraduate research applications related to these themes.
Advanced Healthcare
Changing Lives
We’re pioneering new models of healthcare delivery, health promotion and technology-enabled treatment. Our researchers are developing the next generation of cancer drugs – a ‘smart bomb’ that has the potential to destroy solid tumours, made from a natural compound found in the crocus plant.
Innovative Engineering
Pioneering Technology
We apply cutting-edge technology and techniques to major global challenges, working alongside leading industry partners. We’re revolutionising facial recognition technology with Halo. This new system provides unprecedented identification accuracy, capturing quality images and biometric data with high-resolution cameras and software.
Sustainable Societies
Global Development
Our work addresses the big issues facing global society; conflict, poverty, development, climate change, resource security and terrorism. We’re developing new ways of thinking. Our innovative Foreign Direct Investment model has been adopted by the G20 group, helping forge successful partnerships between foreign enterprises and developing countries.
Find out more about studying at the University of Bradford
Break new ground by undertaking a research degree at the University of Bradford. You will join our community of pioneering researchers, pushing the boundaries of research for the benefit of all. Register your interest here.
Academic Units
The Faculty of Engineering and Informatics attracts students from around the world and carries out research funded by grant-awarding bodies in the UK and EU, often in partnership with industry. This has fostered a first-class, well-equipped research environment for the benefit of our postgraduate students. The Faculty maintains an impressive reputation for quality in research. From blue skies to fundamental and application oriented cutting edge research is carried out within the three Schools of the Faculty: Engineering; Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Media, Design and Technology. Leading international academics and committed scholars work within the dedicated research groups and centres.
Project List:
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Mai Elshehaly)A Framework for Machine Learning-aided Visualisation to support Collaborative Decision Making
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Sohag Kabir)A Model-driven Bayesian Approach for Probabilistic Analysis of Cyber Physical Systems
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Chakib Kara-Zaitri)A smart risk assessment and early failure detection system based on sound fingerprinting
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Amir Khan)Acoustical Properties of Meta-Materials
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Cuong Dao)Advanced Maintenance Management of Offshore Renewable Energy Systems
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Daniele Scrimieri)Agent-based cyber-physical production systems for Industry 4.0
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr John Buckley)Ankle moment contribution in everyday tasks: effects of ageing
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Daniele Scrimieri)Application of machine learning techniques to the reconfiguration of automated manufacturing systems
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Ci Lei)Applications of graph theory in data science
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(PhD Supervisor: Prof Felician Campean)Automatic Engineering Knowledge Extraction from Automotive Field Failure Data
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Ibrahim Ghafir)Blockchain Technology and Smart Contracts for the Security of Internet of Things and Wireless Communications
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Farshid Sefat)Breast Reconstruction: Design, fabrication and charactrisations of 3D printed breast construct for females with breast cancer after mastectomy.
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Nejat Rahmanian)CFD simulation of a perforated rotating bucket in the prilling process
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Irfan Mehmood)Content-based Information Retrieval Framework Considering both Relevant and Diverse Representations of User Query
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Nejat Rahmanian)Control of Granulation Process using Seeded Granulation
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Yakubu John)Co-processing of biomass and fossil fuel as feedstock to the fluid catalytic cracking unit
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Ibrahim Ghafir)Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Blockchain Technology: Mitigating Cyber Attacks and Detecting Malicious Activities in Network Traffic
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Mai Elshehaly)Design and Evaluation of Task-driven Visualisation Dashboards
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Xianghe Dai)Development and performance improvement of structural concrete using reused aggregate
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr David Bryant)Development of Efficient Models of Frictionally Induced Vibrations for the Prediction of Automotive Brake Squeal.
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Amir Khan)Development of novel materials for acoustic, thermal and vibration applications
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(PhD Supervisor: Prof Yakun Guo)Effect of bed slope and roughness on the spreading and dilution of gravity currents
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(PhD Supervisor: Prof Raed Abd-Alhameed)Efficient low-complexity localization system for tracking objects
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Dhaval Thakker)Explainable AI: Making Machine/Deep Learning models explainable
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Kulvinder Panesar)Exploring how Natural Language Processing (NLP) can help with the diagnosis of dementia
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Kulvinder Panesar)Exploring the challenges and opportunities of Natural Language Processing (NLP) in Social Media Analytics within healthcare
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Irfan Mehmood)Facial emotion analysis to assess the engagement level and reduce video conferencing fatigue
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(PhD Supervisor: Prof Ashraf Ashour)Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Stay In Place (SIP) formwork for structural concrete elements
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(PhD Supervisor: Prof Ashraf Ashour)Geopolymer reinforced concrete structural elements
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Farshid Sefat)Glioblastoma: A Nanotechnology Approach for Glioblastoma Targeted Therapy
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(PhD Supervisor: Prof Raed Abd-Alhameed)How to compensate the effects of squinting beam effects for mmWave
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Jaan Pu)Impact of Sediment Transport and Vegetation to the Reservoir Hydrodynamics within Fluvial Environment
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(PhD Supervisor: Prof Felician Campean)Intelligent Reliability Optimisation for Automotive Systems
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Dhaval Thakker)Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Climate Change
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Farshid Sefat)Investigating the effect of red and infra-red (Low-Level) Lasers on cellular behaviour
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Dhaval Thakker)IoT and AI-supported Decision Support System for Circularity Decisions
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Raluca-Elena Lefticaru)Machine Learning Testing
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Daniele Scrimieri)Methods and tools for the verification of plug-and-produce robots in distributed manufacturing systems
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Geev Mokryani)Multi-vector Energy Systems Planning and Operation with High Penetration of Renewable Energy Sources
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Kulvinder Panesar)Natural Language Processing (NLP) in Artificial Intelligence: Design and development of a Hybrid – Linguistic and ML – conversational – dialogue agent
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(PhD Supervisor: Prof Iqbal Mujtaba)Optimisation of Batch Reactive Distillation Process
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Geev Mokryani)Planning and Design of Distribution Networks with Integration of Smart Grid Technologies
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Qichun Zhang)Probabilistic stability analysis and optimisation for human-machine interactive systems using stochastic distribution shaping
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(PhD Supervisor: Prof Felician Campean)Resilience and Reliability Assurance for Multidisciplinary Autonomous Systems
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(PhD Supervisor: Prof Daniel Neagu)Responsible AI for Health and Social Care
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(PhD Supervisor: Prof Daniel Neagu)Responsible Decentralised AI and Big Data Analytics
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Chakib Kara-Zaitri)Risk assessment of complex protective systems in large chemical installations using advanced Markov modelling and Monte Carlo Simulations
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(PhD Supervisor: Prof Felician Campean)Robust Machine Learning Models for Automotive Warranty Heterogeneous Data
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Sohag Kabir)Safe and Secure IoT-enabled Smart Systems
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Sohag Kabir)Safety and Reliability Analysis of Cyber-Physical Systems
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Sohag Kabir)Safety and Reliability Analysis of Cyber-Physical Systems
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(PhD Supervisor: Prof Ashraf Ashour)Self Sensing reinforced concrete structural elements
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Yakubu John)Simulation, optimization and control of fluid catalytic cracking unit for CO2 minimization
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(PhD Supervisor: Mr E Munive Hernandez)Strategies for Supply Chain Resilience
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Nejat Rahmanian)Techno‐Economic Impact of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Raluca-Elena Lefticaru)Testing Robotics and Autonomous Systems Using Search-based Techniques
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr David Bryant)The Development of New Models for the Prediction of Vehicle Brake Judder Under Transient Conditions
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Jaan Pu)Water Engineering: Complex Natural River Flow Modelling and Flood Analysis
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(PhD Supervisor: Prof Iqbal Mujtaba)Water Management-Desalination and Wastewater Treatment
We focus on research themes that have a direct impact on the quality of care.
Our research is locally and internationally significant, undertaken in collaboration with NHS and other partners.
Our REF 2014 (Research Excellence Framework) results were outstanding:
92% of our research classified as world leading or internationally excellent
In terms of impact, 100% of our research was judged as world leading or internationally excellent
Project List:
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Lisa Edwards)Exploring the barriers and experiences of migrant/ Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities accessing physiotherapy services
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Andrea Capstick)The impact of historical trauma on the lived experience of dementia
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Andrea Capstick)The impact of visual images on verbal fluency for people living with dementia
We are the largest faculty in the University and comprise of four Schools and their associated research and knowledge exchange centres.
We are fully engaged in cutting-edge research and seek to apply the knowledge we generate through our extensive links with industry, business and the professions. The majority of our courses are accredited by external bodies and lead to rewarding and highly-regarded careers. Our students experience innovative approaches to teaching and learning in modern and well equipped laboratories and have access to some of the most advanced technology-enhanced learning opportunities in the country.
Our students also benefit from working "on placement" in laboratories, clinics, industrial facilities and archaeological excavations. As well as being excellent and committed teachers, the majority of our academic staff are also active researchers and/or practitioners so our students experience the excitement surrounding new discoveries, and their application, and are aware of the latest developments long before they appear in textbooks.
Project List:
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Klaus Pors)Aldehyde dehydrogenase expression and function in cancer stem cells
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Liz Breen)An assessment of professional burnout within the pharmacist profession: A comparative study of Kuwait and the UK
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Philip Drake)Analysis of Magnetically Susceptible Nanoparticles via confocal and fluorescence spectroscopy
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Mojgan Najafzadeh)Application of animal corneal cells for skin regeneration, tissue engineering and wound healing enhancement
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Sanjit Nayak)Biodegradable composite materials (Bio-PolyMOFs) for applications in targeted delivery of drugs to improve healthcare and reduce antimicrobial resistance in developing countries and worldwide
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Samantha McLean)Biological rhythms and the dopamine system in cognitive dysfunction
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Gisela Helfer)Central role of the adipokine chemerin in energy balance regulation and neuroinflammation
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Anna Wu)Click chemistry inside porous metal-organic framework
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Tom Swift)Computation and Confirmation Experiments on Solvated Hydrogen Bonding Complexes
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Beverly Stewart)Computational Design of Multimodal Nanoparticle Components
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Stephen Hickey)Core and core-shell nanomaterials synthesis for Optoelectronics
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Jacobo Elies Gomez)Deciphering the molecular basis of cardiac arrhythmias induced by pollutant gases
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Helen Sheldrake)Design, synthesis and evaluation of new integrin-targeting drugs
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Rob Falconer)Design, synthesis and evaluation of novel polysialyltransferase inhibitors as anti- metastatic agents
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Rob Falconer)Design, synthesis and evaluation of protease-activated anti-cancer prodrugs
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Ritchie Williamson)Determining brain glycosylation in ageing and Alzheimer’s disease
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Talat Nasim)Development of a personalized therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Klaus Pors)Development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for oncology indications
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Klaus Pors)Development of chemical tools and bioactive compounds to explore the importance of enzyme activity in cancer diseases
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Sanjit Nayak)Development of highly stable porous composite membranes for separation of greenhouse gases
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Steven Shnyder)Development of Naked Mole Rat Colonic Crypt Models to Use in the Search for Bowel Disease Preventatives
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Colin Seaton)Directed Co-Crystallisation of Pharmaceuticals: developing a predictive method for co-crystallisation
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Tom Swift)Discovery and Development of Biocatalytic Solutions to Mitigate Microplastic Pollution
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Steven Shnyder)Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT): Investigation of the role in acquired drug resistance in colon cancer
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Mojgan Najafzadeh)Enhancing Student Assessment Performance:  Development of a novel tool to enhance OSCE Assessment Literacy for Healthcare Students and Staff
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Jurgen Muller)ERK5 MAPK signalling in Alzheimer’s disease
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Krzysztof Paluch)Formulation and biopharmaceutical characterisation of novel pro-antibiotics for improved oral permeability
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Krzysztof Paluch)Formulation of heterogenous solid dispersions produced by spray drying and hot-melt extrusion for improved delivery of amorphous drugs
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(PhD Supervisor: Prof Anne Graham)Health Opportunity for Patient Empowerment in Gestational Diabetes (HOPE-GDM)
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Simon Twedell)Healthcare Degrees: What are the key drivers and influencers in choosing a healthcare career?
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Liz Breen)Healthy Ageing, Resilience and In/Continence in Bradford Communities
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Xiangli Liu)How effective is 3D reconstructed human skin as an alternative to human skin for permeation studies?
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Steven Shnyder)How has Long COVID impacted on student educational attainment and experience?
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Samantha McLean)Identifying cognitive and biochemical changes underlying lifestyle risk factors for dementia
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Lindsay Rountree)Investigating links between visual symptoms, patient information material and treatment adherence in glaucoma
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Khaled Assi)Investigation into the in-vitro lung deposition of liposomal formulations of the dual fixed-dose combination inhaler
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Helen Sheldrake)Investigation of antagonism of multiple RGD-binding integrins as a therapeutic strategy in advanced head and neck cancer
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Stephen Hickey)Nanomaterials as White Light Emitters for Low Cost Lighting
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Philip Drake)Nanoparticle synthesis and application in magnetic field hyperthermia for cancer therapy
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Anais Pitto-Barry)Novel design of metallodrugs by mechanochemistry: towards a greener future
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Stephen Hickey)Oxidic Nanomaterials for High Density Storage in Li-ion Batteries
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Venu Vangala)Pharmaceutical cocrystallisation for improved medicines
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Rob Falconer)Polysialyltransferases as a target in metastatic cancer
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Colin Seaton)Rational Control of Crystal Morphology
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Talat Nasim)Re-purposing established drugs for the resolution of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Sanjit Nayak)Strategic synthesis of magnetically interesting high nuclearity complexes of 3d-4f metal ions
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Sanjit Nayak)Synthesis and functional studies of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) derived from high oxidation state metal ions
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Jurgen Muller)Targeting the MAPK scaffold protein KSR1 for the treatment of prostate cancer
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Talat Nasim)Therapeutic resolution of BMPR2-mediated signalling defects in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Talat Nasim)Therapeutic resolution of coronavirus (COVID-19) diseases by natural products
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Talat Nasim)Therapeutic resolution of Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) by natural products
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Talat Nasim)Therapeutic resolution of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) by natural products
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr David Ansell)Understanding skin ageing using a vascularised human skin equivalent model
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Mojgan Najafzadeh)Using ex-vivo genetic systems as models to detect genetic susceptibility to co-morbidities in Covid 19 infection, and to test specific anti-inflammatory / antiviral drugs in Covid 19 infection
The Faculty of Management, Law and Social Sciences has been working at the cutting edge of research for more than 40 years, attracting leading international academics and committed scholars to work within dedicated research groups.
The School’s research centres provide a wide range of services for international organisations, national governments, local authorities and non-governmental organisations. Our research environment is vibrant, committed, cross disciplinary and outward-looking.
With a highly professional ethos but a welcoming atmosphere, the Faculty continues to build on its reputation for excellence.
Project List:
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Natalie Wilmot)Approaches to Language Management: Beyond MNCs
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Gill Waters)Children and adolescents’ experiences of hearing voices when reading
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Elvira Ismagilova)Connection between digital literacy and susceptibility to misinformation
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Hanqun Song)Consumers’ authenticity perception towards smart technologies in the service industry
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Yunis Alam)Ethnicity, Class and Consumption - Continuity and change in ethnic minority cultural practice in the UK
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(PhD Supervisor: Prof Sankar Sivarajah)Exploring the role of behavioural and technological factors for transitioning to a Circular Economy
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Rashmi Arora)Financial Literacy and Access to Finance to Women Entrepreneurs
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Muhammad Khawar)Impact of Environmental Taxes on Taxpayers’ Behaviour
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Fiona Macaulay)State responses to tackling femicide/feminicide in Latin America and beyond
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Gill Waters)The development of sentimentality towards objects
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Min Yong)The effects of fiction consumption on Theory-of-Mind in adults
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Ria Vaportzis)The Impact of Befriending on Younger and Older Adults: An Intergenerational Project
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Mark Van Hoorebeek)The regulation of biotechnology: Intellectual property protection of patents and plant variety rights
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Andrew Kozhevnikov)The skills gap in rural UK: Brexit and COVID-19
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(PhD Supervisor: Dr Min Yong)Virtual reality (or mobile app) as a tool for loneliness and wellbeing
Other PhD Programmes
- Applied Dementia Studies (PhD, Faculty of Health Studies)
- PhD (School of Law) Doctorate
- PhD (School of Management) Doctorate
- PhD (School of Social Sciences) Doctorate