Dr O S Usmani, Prof D Murnane
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
3-year FDA-funded PhD studentship – commencing January 2021
Applications are invited for a 3-year studentship under the supervision of Dr Omar Usmani in the area of inhaled drug delivery. The project title is ”Patients’ Perception of Dry Powder Inhaler Airflow Resistance”, which is funded by the US Food and Drug Administration through the GDUFA programme.
Project Brief
The airflow rate generated by a patient through an inhalation device is determined by the lung function of the patient as well as the inhaler device’s intrinsic fluid mechanical resistance to airflow. This project aims to assess respiratory patients’ perceptions of the resistance to inhalation airflow. The primary outcome of this project is to design and develop a questionnaire that provides a quantitative evaluation of patients’ perception of the airflow resistance of inhalation devices. This will require defining the qualitative aspects of inhaling against airflow resistance to be included as criteria in the questionnaire, and establishing a scoring method for quantitative evaluation of the identified perception criteria. You will record patient inspiratory flow profiles, in conjunction with the questionnaire, of respiratory patient populations inhaling through varied airflow resistances through a drug-free clinical study.
You will be working as part of a research team at the National Heart & Lung Institute (Imperial College) led by Dr Omar Usmani (PI, consultant physician), Sally Meah (senior research nurse) and Dr Martyn Biddiscombe (research physicist scientist) and assisted by Professor Darragh Murnane (pharmaceutical scientist) at the University of Hertfordshire.
Provisional start date: January 2021
Enquiries to Dr Omar Usmani ([Email Address Removed]) and Professor Darragh Murnane ([Email Address Removed]).
Keywords: Inhaled Drug Delivery, Behavioural Science, Pharmaceutics, Respiratory, Physiology, Aerosol Science, Lung, Physics
How to Apply
Applicants must hold a first or upper second-class honours degree or UK equivalent in an appropriate subject from a recognised academic institution.
To apply please send to NHLI’s PGR Office [Email Address Removed]
• a CV with your grades clearly listed
• a one-page personal statement, identifying your suitability for the described project
• the names and addresses of at least two academic referees
The closing date for applications is Monday 23rd November 2020.
Please note that candidates must fulfil College admissions criteria.
Funding Notes
This position is available as a fully funded PhD studentship, including 3 years of tuition fees (Home/EU candidates) and provides a 3-year, tax-free stipend at the standard Research Council London rate.