Postgraduate Research

Two PhD positions, commencing 30^th September 2013 are available for UK/EU students in the group of Professor Christopher Exley in the ‘Human Exposure to Aluminium’ programme.

(i)   The body burden of aluminium in infants (ref EPSAM 2012-7):  The project will determine how infants aged 0-12 months are exposed to aluminium and whether the exposure, for example, through infant formulas, has any immediate effects relating to cognitive development. The project will have a strong clinical component in collaboration with local paediatric centres and significant analytical aspects relating to the measurement of aluminium in biological tissues.

(ii)  Aluminium in human tissue (ref EPSAM 2012-8):  The project will measure the aluminium content of human tissues, primarily brain tissues, obtained post mortem from a range of human diseases and in particular conditions for which no such data are currently available. Complementary methods will also try to determine the location of aluminium in tissues and any associations with pathologies. 

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 “Smart” or adaptable sensors are considered as “modern sensor technologies” that exhibit a high rate of growth (10%/year as opposed to 4%/year of “traditional technologies”) in the global market with an estimated worth between $15-$25 billion^1,2,3,4. “Smart sensors” are generally thought to be able to adapt themselves automatically to the measuring task and/or to have self-diagnostic and self-calibration capabilities. Development of sensors with increased level of functionality will be the key in the development of new sensing technologies and their application in wide variety of industries (e.g. environmental, food, pharmaceutical, automotive, sport etc).A very exciting research direction is where sensors are integrated with “smart materials” or materials capable of responding to external stimulus via an active control mechanism. 

Applications are invited from UK/EU Nationals for a 3-year PhD studentship on a joint project between Keele University, UK and Clark University, USA. The two groups will team up in order to (a) design and synthesize hybrid materials capable of changing physico-chemical properties when exposed to external stimuli and (b) use these stimuli-responsive materials as the active layer for chemical sensors capable of modulating their selectivity upon changes in the media and the nature of the samples. Research at Keele would be focused on the latter; however some degree of involvement in the former is also planned.  In this respect, the student will spend a certain amount of time conducting research at Clark University, so willingness to travel overseas is important.

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To develop novel methods in the modelling and prediction of percutaneous absorption of exogenous chemicals for drug delivery, cosmetic application and toxicity / risk assessment applications.

Available from April 2013.

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Advancement in knowledge of cell-materials interaction has led to development of novel materials for use in implant technology, in vitro expansion of cells for regenerative medicine and medical diagnostics. Scaffold materials provide the architecture to support 3D tissue growth, although often such materials cause problems for long-term regeneration. Biodegradable scaffolds that collapse after a fixed time period, either naturally or after external stimulus, are therefore advantageous. Addition of nanoparticles into the intrinsic structure of a scaffold can enhance functionality and lead to exciting new properties including ability to remotely trigger structural collapse and drug release. Here we are interested in the incorporation of such nanoparticles into a thermo-responsive biocompatible scaffold. This sophisticated system will result in remotely triggered scaffolds for controlled degradation and release of pharmaceuticals.

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Magnetic nanoparticles have become widely studied for biomedical applications in recent years including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nerve regeneration, drug and gene therapy. Coating the MNPs with gold results in a rigid coat shielding the external environment from the iron oxide. This results in safer particles with increased applications. Colloidal gold possess’ unique surface plasmon resonance (SPR) properties. When nanoparticles are irradiated with light of appropriate wavelength, particles undergo absorption and scattering of the photons. This absorption of Au nanoparticles is followed by rapid conversion of light into heat. In biomedicine this unique property can be exploited for applications such as photo thermal ablation and thermo responsive drug delivery. Pancreatic cancer is the 4^th main cancer in the western world with only 5% of patients surviving up to 5 years after treatment. There is a huge clinical need for more efficient treatments for this disease. This group is interested in the application of gold coated magnetic nanoparticles for image guided stimuli responsive drug delivery for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Apply online here