Industrially funded PhD studentship: Advancing ostomy appliances

An ostomy is a surgery that makes a temporary or permanent opening in the skin called a stoma that acts as a route between an internal organ and the abdomen. A person with a stoma is fitted with an ostomy appliance that collects the waste from the exposed organ. This ostomy appliance consists of a pouch connected to a baseplate that sits on the skin and surrounds the stoma's output. Problems may be experienced with stomas from time to time that can significantly impact the quality of life of that person, such as leaks, skin irritation and more. These issues may sometimes be attributed to an incorrectly fitted or applied ostomy appliance. The successful applicant will help create a stoma appliance that will significantly impact the lives of many ostomists. Initially, the device performance will be assessed using suitable phantoms, with the possibility of some pre-clinical testing.

The applicant will be eligible for Home funding (UK or Ireland only) and have an excellent undergraduate degree (1st class honours degree) in Electronic, Mechanical, Chemical or Biomedical Engineering. Ideally, they would have practical experience in analog electronics and embedded system design.

The successful applicant will be a member of a team comprised of academics at the University of Birmingham and industrial collaborators, providing hands-on experience in the medical device industry, so a demonstratable interest in healthcare technology is recommended. The successful applicant will be supervised by Dr Gerard Cummins in the School of Engineering but is expected to collaborate with Dr Lucy Arkinstall, Dr Sophie Cox and Prof Anthony Metcalfe at the School of Chemical Engineering as well as an external research partner as part of this funded project.

The University of Birmingham is uniquely positioned to benefit any applicant interested in a future career in healthcare technology. The University emphasises the clinical translation of innovative research to ensure real-world impact through the Healthcare Technologies Institute where the student will be partially based. The School of Engineering also has an established Biomedical Engineering research group with links to several SME and multinational medical device companies. Informal enquiries are encouraged and should be addressed to Dr Gerard Cummins at the School of Engineering ([Email Address Removed])