Project supervisor: Dr Owen J Guy (Associate Professor and Engineering Director, Centre for Nanohealth)

This PhD project will be undertaken in Swansea’s £22 million Centre for Nanohealth. The Centre for Nanohealth (CHN) at Swansea University is a collaborative venture between engineering, science and medicine- integrating nanotechnology into medical science applications to provide solutions to healthcare providers and the healthcare industry.

The centre houses fully integrated nanotechnology cleanrooms and biomedical R & D laboratories in a unique facility. The nano-fabrication and characterisation class 1000/100 cleanroom are fully equipped for graphene, silicon and non-silicon, microfluidics (lab on chip) and MEMS processing, whilst the class 1000 bioclean room is used for device functionalization and 3D printing. The sensor houses a £1.3 million NanoProbe- one of only 5 in the world, as well as new AFM, SEM, XPS, Raman, fluorescence microscopy and other characterisation facilities.

The biosensor and microfluidics research group within CNH are developing novel sensors and devices, for the early and rapid detection and diagnosis of disease onset, integrated with lab-on-chip microfluidics, for point of care, near-patient applications.

The successful PhD student will develop methods of specific functionalization of surfaces and fabrication, and characterisation of sensor and microfluidic devices.

The primary project goal is to develop improved monitoring and prediction capabilities of sensing techniques for diseases such as stroke, dementia, cardiac markers or cancer marker. The researcher will develop sensor and microfluidic devices for fluid transport (e.g. urine, blood), analysis and delivery of therapeutic agents. The researcher will collaborate with other researchers and academics working on related projects to identify key requirements and design parameters for each sensor/microfluidic device. The researcher will work closely in Dr Guy’s group and will also be actively encouraged to identify and engage in other projects within the group. These may encompass projects in the general areas of graphene or silicon nanowire devices, sensors and microfluidics.

The researcher will have access to state of the art photonics, lithography, micro/nano fabrication, imaging and characterization and chemical/bio-functionalisation facilities within the centre and also to the facilities in the College of Engineering and Institute of Life Science (ILS).

To encourage cross fertilization of ideas and methods, the student will be encouraged to work with a range of groups with expertise in sensors, microfluidics and macrofabrication, rheology, imaging and modelling expertise within the university.

Academic Requirements:

Applicants should be expecting to receive or already holding a 2.1 class degree or higher in a relevant subject area, such as physics, electronic engineering, chemistry or materials.

Residency Criteria:

To be eligible for a full award (stipend and fees), you must have:

Settled status in the UK, meaning there are no restrictions on how long you can stay.

Been 'ordinarily resident' in the UK for three years prior to the start of the studentship grant. This means you must have been normally residing in the UK (apart from temporary or occasional absences).

Not been residing in the UK wholly or mainly for the purpose of full-time education. This does not apply to UK and EU nationals.

To be eligible for a fees only award, you:

must be ordinarily resident in an EU member state, in the same way as UK students must be ordinarily resident in the UK.

For more details please see the EPSRC website:

http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/skills/students/help/eligibility/