Creating Prosthetic Design Spaces using Machine Learning

The Royal British Legion Centre for Blast Injury Studies (CBIS) (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/blast-injury/opportunities/studentships/) at Imperial College London welcomes applications for an October 2018 start from a high-calibre prospective PhD student. With access to world-leading academics (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/blast-injury/people/), facilities (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/blast-injury/research/facilities/) and networks (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/blast-injury/research/networks/), students benefit from a highly stimulating environment where they undertake a range of additional training and development opportunities as part of being part of a large CBIS PhD cohort. Students also have opportunities to share their research through a number of media, including conference attendance and public engagement and outreach activities (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/blast-injury/news-and-events/event-gallery/2016festival/). Comprised of multidisciplinary collaborations between military medical officers and civilian engineers and scientists that address difficult research issues with a clinically-led approach, CBIS is housed within the Department of Bioengineering (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/bioengineering/), which attracts outstanding students and researchers from around the world.

Area of research: Creating Prosthetic Design Spaces using Machine Learning

Among the Centres research is the advancement of the design process around prosthetic devices. The traditional cast-based design process can be accelerated by using software tools, similar to those used in engineering design, and offer the potential to incorporate detailed modelling of the performance of a prosthetic device and its fit to a patient. However, the process of incorporating patient-specific information into computer models as part of a design process is time-consuming. In this project, we aim to use machine learning to accelerate the process of capturing patient-specific geometry, and use it in the prosthesis design process. For this project, we will apply deep neural networks to construct a specific latent space – a prosthetic design space – and use it as a predictor for functional outcomes: e.g. stress-distributions, or the mechanical efficiency of a prosthetic device, weighting these with subjective feedback. Such a predictor could be used to accelerate and improve the patient-specific design process.

The project will be supervised by Dr Spyros Masouros (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/s.masouros04) and Dr Anil Bharath (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/a.bharath)

What does the studentship cover?

The Studentship will cover three years of tuition fees and provide a 3-year, tax-free stipend at the standard Research Council rate (£16,777 per annum for 2018-19). In addition, a generous allowance is provided for research consumables and conference attendance.

Application Process

Home and EU candidates who meet the College's PhD programme entry requirements (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/requirements/) are eligible to apply. Entry onto the PhD programme requires an undergraduate degree at 2:1 level or higher and, normally, a master’s degree with merit or higher (or non-UK equivalents) in engineering, or any of the physical sciences or mathematics.

To apply to the CBIS PhD programme please visit the College's admissions (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/how-to-apply/) webpages to view the instructions. Within the Postgraduate Programme Search section of the online application site, search for the CBIS application form using the code BHZC. You should then complete the Bioengineering Research (CBIS) – BHZC – Academic Year 2018/2019 form. This should be submitted no later than 06 August 2018.

Within your application you will be asked to upload a personal statement of up to 2 pages that covers the following:

• Any initial ideas you have for pursuing research in the proposed project;
• A description of how your experience to date would make you an ideal candidate to undertake this PhD.

The deadline for applications is 06 August 2018. These will be sent to the supervisors for review. We will then contact you to let you know if you have been shortlisted for interview. Interviews are expected to be held in the week commencing 13 August 2018.

For general enquiries about CBIS, its activities and opportunities, please contact us at [Email Address Removed].