Non-destructive Monitoring of Musculoskeletal Tissue Interface Development

Interfaces are ubiquitous in the body and are essential for joint motion and stabilisation. They are prone to injury through trauma or excessive daily exercise. Current treatment involves the use of autografts and allografts. However, these strategies are limited due to donor shortages and immunogenic reactions. Regenerative Medicine aims to improve the health and quality of life for people worldwide utilising approaches including cellular isotropic biomaterials as artificial implants. The use of isotropic biomaterials does not allow for the growth of heterogeneous cell populations typically found in tissue interfaces, which results in diminished implant stability, reduced host-implant integration and failure, and hence reduced long-term clinical outcome. Tissue-to-tissue interfaces demonstrate a structural and mechanical gradient from soft tissue to hard tissue enabling load transfer between tissues, promoting cellular communications and interface homeostasis.

The formation of multi-phase tissues, the synchronised interactions between orthopaedic tissues and their assembly into complex organs is still a major hurdle in Regenerative Medicine. In order to provide functionality, these tissues, each with their distinct structure and composition, need to act in unison. Hence, mechanical properties at tissue interfaces are of great importance.
In this project, a novel approach will be employed to create and monitor gradient tissue implants to allow for load transfer between tissues, support cellular communication and interface homeostasis resulting in functional musculoskeletal tissues for clinical translation of regenerative medicine technologies from bench to bedside.

Training Opportunities: Training will be provided in techniques including: stem cell culture, biomaterials, 3D printing, non-destructive imaging, bioreactor technologies, scaffold manufacture, tissue engineering among others.

Details of Research group: This novel multidisciplinary project is part of the new Department of Engineering, Medical Technologies and Physics at NTU.

Contact: Dr Yvonne Reinwald, [Email Address Removed]

Specific qualifications/subject areas required of the applicants for this project
Entrants must have a first/undergraduate Honours degree with an Upper Second Class or a First Class grade, in Biomedical Engineering/Medical Physics/Medical Technology or similar. Entrants with a Lower Second Class grade at first degree must also have a postgraduate Masters Degree at Merit.

Panel members who will perform shortlisting

Chair: Prof Barbara Pierscionek, [Email Address Removed]
Panel member 1: Dr Yvonne Reinwald, [Email Address Removed]
Panel member 2: Assoc Prof Demosthenes Koutsogeorgis, [Email Address Removed]

Interviews are likely to take place on the following dates: 08/01/2018 to 19/01/2018

This studentship competition is open to applicants who wish to study for a PhD on a full-time basis only. The studentship will pay UK/EU fees (currently set at £4,195 for 2017/18 and are revised annually) and provide a maintenance stipend linked to the RCUK rate (this is revised annually and is currently set at £14,553 for the academic year 2017/18) for up to three years. Applications from non-EU students are welcome, but a successful non-EU candidate would be responsible for paying the difference between non-EU and UK/EU fees. (Fees for 2017/18 are £12,900 for non-EU students and £4,195 for UK/EU students). The studentships will be expected to commence in October 2018.