Supervisors: Dr Zuowei Wang

Project Overview: Polymeric biomaterials have a range of applications in healthcare for regenerative medicine and drug delivery. Since the performance of such materials crucially depends on the detailed structures formed at nanoscale, it is essential to obtain clear microscopic understanding of the self-assembly behaviour of polymer molecules and the physical properties of the resulted nanostructures. This target is generally difficult to tackle in experiments due to technical limitations but becomes possible by computer simulation thanks to dramatic increases in computer power.

This PhD project applies large scale computer simulations to study the self-assembly behaviour of bio-related block copolymers and the physical properties of nanostructured materials for healthcare applications. The research combines computer simulations, the development of efficient molecular simulation programmes and possibly theoretical modelling, depending on the skills and background of the applicant. The research will be carried out in close collaboration with experimental polymer groups at the University of Reading under an EPSRC platform grant scheme on Nanostructured Polymeric Materials for Healthcare.

The candidate should have a strong background in Physics, Mathematics/Statistics or Engineering, as well as good programming skills. The research will be supervised by Dr Zuowei Wang, Prof. Ian Hamley and Prof. Alexei Likhtman. You will be part of the dynamic and well established Theoretical Polymer Physics group in the University of Reading.

Eligibility: 

• Applicants should hold a minimum of a UK Honours Degree at 2:1 level or equivalent in Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Engineering or related disciplines. Experience in programming and computational algorithms is an advantage.
• Due to restrictions on the funding this studentship is open to UK/EU students.

Funding Details:   

• Starts October 2015
• Three year award
• Tuition fees plus £13,863 stipend

How to apply:   

To apply for this studentship please submit an application for a PhD in Mathematics athttp://www.reading.ac.uk/graduateschool/prospectivestudents/gs-how-to-apply.aspx. 

*Important note* Please quote the reference ‘GS14-010’  in the ‘Scholarships applied for’ box which appears within the Funding Section of your on-line application.

Further Enquiries:  

Please note that, where a candidate is successful in being awarded funding, this will be confirmed via a formal studentship award letter; this will be provided separately from any Offer of Admission and will be subject to standard checks for eligibility and other criteria.

For informal enquiries please contact Dr. Zuowei Wang, email zuowei.wang<στο>reading.ac.uk, telephone +44 (0) 118 378 4618.