Prof Sandy Cochran, Prof M Lucas
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
About the Project
Description: Only approximately 15% of people diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour survive more than 5 years (www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/brain-tumours). To improve this low figure, biomedical ultrasound imaging is beginning to be used by some neurosurgeons for intraoperative guidance, including gross differentiation of healthy and diseased tissue. However, this work is presently based on ultrasound imaging systems adapted only very simply from standard tools, for example, by modifying their shape and size to reduce the physical impact of use in the brain.
The exciting PhD studentship that is now available will look at advanced ultrasound techniques to differentiate between diseased and healthy tissue. This will allow more complete surgical removal of cancerous tissue whilst sparing as much healthy tissue as possible, maximizing post-operative brain function. It will also contribute to optimization of ultrasound imaging probe design for neurosurgery.
The project will be performed in partnership with Stryker (www.strykerneurotechnology.com), a multinational medical technology company with a specialism in neurotechnology. Stryker provides leading edge medical solutions and the project has exciting potential ultimately in the use of robotics and artificial intelligence, through robotic deployment of the techniques that are developed and their basis in machine learning.
Prof. Sandy Cochran (www.gla.ac.uk/schools/engineering/staff/sandycochran/) and Prof. Margaret Lucas (www.gla.ac.uk/schools/engineering/staff/margaretlucas/) will supervise the project. They are senior academics in Medical and Industrial Ultrasonics, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, with specific experience in the development of microultrasound(1), surgical tools(2), and quantitative ultrasound analysis(3) for differentiation of tissue.
MIU also has very strong links with industry, working with more than 20 companies, including through existing industrially-funded PhDs. Its students and researchers are qualified in topics including many engineering disciplines, instrumentation, acoustics, neuroscience, pharmacology, and physics and find employment in universities and industry around the world when they leave.
The outcomes of the project will be protected and licensed to Stryker for development into commercial products to add to their existing portfolio. Crucial to this process will be the relationships Stryker and the academic supervisors already have with neurosurgeons and the fact that Stryker supplies products for neurosurgery and can therefore open up routes into clinical practice. This will ensure the work remains relevant to the clinical needs of patients with brain tumours and that ways to apply it already exist.
For more details on how to apply, please see the ’Apply Online’ link above/below.
Funding Notes
Funding is available to cover tuition fees for UK applicants, as well as paying a stipend at the Research Council rate (estimated £14,553 for Session 2017-18) for four years.
Additionally supported by Stryker, the project will benefit from a cash contribution of more than £10,000 per year, including £5,000 per year for consumables. Stryker will also support the project through provision of expertise in neurosurgical practice, including access to relevant neurosurgeons. Its staff will attend review meetings and provide guidance on commercial requirements and it will cover the cost of six months working on-site at Stryker during the 48-month studentship.
References
1. Y.Jiang et al. “Dual Orientation 16-MHz Single-Element Ultrasound Needle Transducers for Image-Guided Neurosurgical Intervention” IEEE Trans. Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, vol. 63, issue 2, Feb. 2016, http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7349221/
2. A.Mathieson et al. “Ultrasonic needles for bone biopsy” IEEE Trans. Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, Vol. 64, Issue 2, Feb. 2017, http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7776895/
3. H.S.Lay et al. “ Microultrasound characterisation of ex vivo porcine tissue for ultrasound capsule endoscopy” J.Phys Conference Series, vol. 797, conf. 1, http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/797/1/012003