The nucleus of the non-radioactive noble gas isotope xenon-129 (129Xe) can be magnetised to extremely high levels by a process known as spin-exchange optical pumping (SEOP). When inhaled in the lungs while in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, the highly magnetised ("hyperpolarised") 129Xe enables exquisite visualisation of the airspaces of the lungs and, owing to xenon being soluble in tissue and blood, imaging of well-perfused organs such as the kidney and brain. A major challenge in SEOP physics however is generating 129Xe gas rapidly on demand while maintaining sufficiently high polarisation levels, which is crucially important for (i) routine clinical 129Xe lung MRI in a hospital setting and (ii) enhancing detection sensitivity to explore new biomedical applications of hyperpolarised 129Xe MRI.
There is a widely reported disagreement between theoretical predications and experimental observations of nuclear polarisation of xenon-129 with SEOP. Understanding the mechanisms giving rise to this disagreement is crucial to gain significant future improvements in spin polarisation technology. These technological improvements are necessary to unlock the full extent of biomedical applications with hyperpolarised 129Xe MRI, which with enhanced sensitivity has the potential to probe biological exchange processes at a cellular level.
Within this project, the successful PhD student will be given the unique opportunity to research the fundamental physics of large-scale nuclear spin polarisation. The student will have access to our state-of-the-art polariser labs within the POLARIS group, and the nature of the work will involve a balance between the theoretical and experimental aspects of nuclear spin polarisation physics and engineering by undertaking the objectives below:
The overarching purpose of this project is to bring theoretical models of spin polarisation physics closer to experimental observation and to significantly enhance the performance of existing polariser technology, ultimately opening up new clinical and biomedical applications of hyperpolarised xenon-129 MRI.
Entry Requirements:
We require the candidate to hold at least a 2.1 degree in physics or in a related engineering discipline.
How to apply:
Please complete a University Postgraduate Research Application form available here: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/phd/apply/applying
Please clearly state the prospective main supervisor in the respective box and select ‘IICD’ as the department.
Enquiries:
Interested candidates should in the first instance contact Dr Graham Norquay [Email Address Removed]
Start date - October 2023
Continue with Facebook
