Dr S Sandeman
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
About the Project
Cataracts are the leading cause of bilateral blindness globally and affect more than 24 million people worldwide. Whilst removal of the cloudy lens and replacement with a plastic intraocular lens (IOL) restores sight many patients experience difficulties related to loss of visual acuity and accommodation. Accommodating IOL design is currently restricted by the lack of materials which are transparent, flexible and conductive allowing response to ciliary muscle contraction by a change of refractive properties. This project introduces a new class of nanostructured, 2 dimensional materials for accommodating IOL design and will investigate the hypothesis that these materials may be developed as transparent, flexible, highly conductive IOL prototypes which suppress inflammation and respond to stimulus by controlled changes in lens refractive index. These materials may also provide a safe and effective phakic IOL as an alternative and more predictable refractive procedure to laser surgery. The PhD student will gain experience in material synthesis and physicochemical characterisation techniques, biological modelling and commercial aspects of accommodating IOL design. Based primarily in the biomaterials research group, at the University of the Brighton; the student will also spend time learning nanomaterials synthesis and characterisation techniques at AJ Drexel Nanotechnology Institute, USA and will gain industrial experience working at Ridley Innovation Centre, Rayner’s new £22 million state of the art training and IOL production facility.
Academic entry requirements
Applicants should have a minimum of a 2:1 undergraduate degree and desirably hold or expect to achieve excellent grades in a masters degree, in a relevant subject from a UK university or comparable qualifications from another recognised university.
Applicants are also required to submit a research proposal of no more than 1,000 words.
English language entry requirements
Applicants whose first language is not English, must have successfully completed a Secure English language Test (SELT) in the last two years. Applicants who have obtained or are studying for a UK degree may apply without a SELT. However, the university may request a SELT is taken as part of any award made.
English language IELTS requirements are 6.5 overall, 6.0 for writing, and none below 5.5.
If you have an English language qualification other than IELTS, please contact us to see if you are eligible to apply for a studentship.
Funding Notes
This studentship is funded by the MRC for up to four years, subject to satisfactory progress.
Applicants should refer to the MRC requirements to consider their residential status. This studentship is open to UK students only. To start October 2017.
For UK students the studentship consists of full UK tuition fees, as well as a Doctoral Stipend matching UK Research Council National Minimum (£14,553p.a. for 2017/18, updated each year) for up to four years. Additional funding is available over the course of the programme and will cover costs such as research consumables, training, conferences and travel.
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