Background
This is an exciting opportunity to be one of a four student cohort, working at the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infection (HCAI) and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) at Imperial College London.
The Unit is a collaboration between Imperial College London and its partners, Public Health England, Imperial College Health Partners, Warwick University, and Cambridge Veterinary School.
The ethos of the Unit is one which embraces interdisciplinarity and multi-professional research to tackle AMR and HCAI, producing a vibrant and diverse research environment in which world-class facilities and access to international experts make the exploration of exciting and innovative research projects across the breadth of AMR possible.
The Unit’s Director, Professor Alison Holmes and our Theme Leads represent international expertise from the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Engineering, the Dyson School of Design, the School of Public Health and the Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection.
Depending on the choice of topic, there are also opportunities to collaborate with two other HPRUs at Imperial; the HPRU in Respiratory Infection and the HPRU in Modelling Methodologies and Health Economics. Whichever project you choose, you will be working closely with our experienced research staff who include bench scientists, medics, epidemiologists, pharmacists and systems dynamics modellers. You will also be supported by the Unit’s dedicated administrative team who can assist students in adopting patient and public engagement in their projects and in applying for post-doctoral fellowships at the end of their studies.
The Project
This is a 3 year PhD project, offering a stipend of £18,000 per annum. Fees are available at the home rate only.
Prevention and management of infections caused by multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria are a major challenge. This PhD will explore the application of artificial intelligence (AI), diagnostics, and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) principles to develop and test novel strategies for the management of MDRGN organisms. The objectives of the project are to:
(i) explore the use of artificial intelligence to define and phenotype based on microbiology laboratory data.
(ii) explore the use of AI to support optimal treatment regimen selection.
(iii) explore novel approaches to combination antimicrobial therapy and PK-PD principles to optimise infection site target concentration in specific populations (e.g. Central Nervous System infection).
Eligibility Criteria
To apply you must have a minimum of an upper second class honours degree or equivalent, meet the College’s English language requirement and meet the criteria to be eligible for home fees.
To apply for this position please, use the enquiry form below to send a cover letter explaining why you are a suitable candidate for this PhD studentship, together with your CV and the names of two referees.