About us
A 3-year PhD studentship is available at the UCL Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, within the Research Department of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Science based at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital.
The funding covers an annual tax-free stipend (around £20,000 p.a.) and tuition fees at the UK rate. The stipends awarded to PhD students are tax free and incur no income tax or national insurance contributions. The amount received increases each year over the duration.
There is an opportunity to add a 1 day/week technician employment (8K/year) to join a group of orthopaedic surgical technologists to further support the student, if willing to do so. Income tax, etc will be payable on this employment.
About the role
Approximately 1.71 billion people have musculoskeletal conditions worldwide. Among musculoskeletal disorders, low back pain (LBP) causes the highest burden with a prevalence of 568 million people and is the highest contributor to the global need for rehabilitation.
Previous studies have proposed that there is a relationship between low back pain and morphology and composition of paraspinal muscles. However, results have been conflicting, especially regarding fatty infiltration of muscles, previous studies have been limited to a 2-dimensional analysis of the muscles.
The main challenge to overcome is the segmentation of individuals muscles from MRI which currently is done manually slice by slice, it is extremely laborious, time consuming and subjective, therefore qualitative data in used instead, derived from individual MRI slices. This has hindered the development of imaging biomarkers for muscles health so far.
The PhD project is titled “Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging MRI of the spine”. The student will investigate the impact of dose of physical exercise on the spinal muscles of physically inactive individuals to prevent, arrest and reverse damage.
Overarching aim of the PhD: To better understand the impact of dose of physical exercise on the spinal muscles of physically inactive individuals to prevent, arrest and reverse damage.
Topics for Scientific Research:
- To better understand the health status of the spinal muscles of inactive individuals of different age groups
- Software solution for the analysis of spinal muscle morphology and composition.
- The use and development of software solutions for the evaluation of imaging biomarkers of muscle health;
- Application of the software solution to study the spinal muscles of sedentary individuals in comparison with active individuals.
The thesis will consist of at least 4 well-developed chapters, in addition to chapters discussing a detailed literature review, introduction and discussion. The student will be expected to publish peer-reviewed papers for each chapter of your thesis.
The student will be expected to complete this PhD with: (1) a track-record of peer-reviewed publications, (2) an expertise in the science of physical exercise and medical imaging computational analysis methods and (3) ability to interact with engineers and surgeons of all levels.
This studentship offers a strong foundation for building an academic career. Our previous students gained employment in the medical devices industry, science media, science writing and medical editorship.
About you
We are looking for a motivated student to take on a novel and exciting project. The individual should have good IT and programming skills.
Engineering background, such as a degree in biomedical engineering (MSc, MEng), computer science, software engineering is essential.
The individual will be expected to respond to tight deadlines. Good analytical and verbal reasoning skills and experience in academic presentation are essential.
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Study design, data collection and analysis
2. Attend UCL courses and trainings (e.g. in research study design, good clinical practice, medical statistics, time management, paper writing)
3. Literature research
4. Manuscript writing (for submission to peer-reviewed journals)
5. Attend weekly research meetings
6. Other duties as required by the supervisor for the delivery of the role
What we offer
The studentship covers only the fees for UK students. Additional fees may be required for students applying who do not fulfil the criteria for UCL home students. Please check the UCL website for full criteria at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/current-students/money/fees-support/fee_status_proc.
The English language level for this programme is standard, please see the following link for more information: UCL's English Language Requirement Page. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/learning-and-living-ucl/international-students/english-language-requirements
How to Apply:
To apply for the vacancy please email your CV, full transcript and a personal statement letter to [Email Address Removed]
Your statement letter should explain your interest in the project, previous research experience (including examples of previous project work) and why you would be a suitable candidate for this post.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Continue with Facebook
