Biology PhD | Biomaterials PhD

Our Biology PhD student body includes a range of bioscience PhD work including biomaterials PhD and molecular biology PhD.

Students are part of a thriving research culture that undertakes international collaborations and delivers high impact change to local and national environments.

As one of our team you will be providing material based solutions to emerging global health and environmental priorities, with membership offered across a number of relevant research groups and centres, for example the Centre for Lifelong Health or the Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices.

You will join our researchers as they examine and innovate in the structure, design and functional performance of natural and synthetically derived pure and composite biomaterials with diagnostic or therapeutic impact on living systems.

We conduct research within the broad areas of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biological Sciences, Biomedical Sciences and Chemistry. We are open to enquiries relating to any of these wider fields, but also have particular strengths in research in the fields of biomaterials, chemistry, chronic disease, ecology and conservation, paediatrics, sensory neuroscience, microbiology, biochemistry, regenerative medicine, ageing, diabetes, drug delivery, drug stability, and cancer.

Our diverse research provides an excellent environment to tackle global problems using multidisciplinary research approaches. A thriving postgraduate community of over 30 PhD students is supervised by subject specialists from across the life and physical sciences. Research is supported by postdoctoral researchers, visiting fellows and technical staff.

Key information

As a Biomaterials PhD student, you will benefit from

a supervisory team comprising 2-3 members of academic staff. Depending on your research specialism you may also have an additional external supervisor from another school, research institution, or industry.
desk space and access to a desktop PC, either in one of the postgraduate offices on the sixth floor of the award-winning Cockcroft Building.
access to a range of electronic resources via the university’s Online Library, as well as to the physical book and journal collections housed within the Aldrich Library and other campus libraries.
access to state-of-the-art research facilities on the Moulsecoomb Campus, including geochemical and geotechnical laboratories, microscopy laboratories (optical and scanning electron microscopes), specialist microbial and water quality laboratories.

Research themes

Our research is organised into the overlapping research areas of nanostructured biomaterials, smart and bio-responsive biomaterials and the bio-interface. Key strengths are in the blend of fundamental and applied research involving international innovation networks with academic, industrial and clinical partners to maximise research training potential and translational impact.

This allows a range of diverse and multidisciplinary research interests surrounding the structure, design and functional performance of advanced materials for use in biological and environmental systems.

You will be based in the University of 91快活林’s School of Applied Sciences, with Biomaterials PhD students and other related scientists across the fields of pharmacy, biology, biomedical sciences, chemistry and ecology. This diversity provides an excellent environment to tackle global problems using multidisciplinary research approaches.

We particularly welcome PhD students with interests in:

Nanomaterials
Smart and responsive polymers and polymer composites
Bio-interfacial phenomena and biocompatibility
Adsorbents for biotoxin removal
Medical device technologies
Ophthalmic biomaterials
Drug delivery
Environmental remediation

As well as the specialist research group for Biomaterials, we have two research centres which our students often join and which offer support and opportunities to present and discuss work

Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices

Centre for Stress and Age-Related Disease

Some of our supervisors

I am interested the in the absorption of drugs and particulates (including air pollution) in the nose and lung and their effect on permeability (cell junctions).聽 A particular interest is the role of mucus and mucociliary clearance in drug/particulate delivery to the airways. Further, I am interested in the local toxicity of inhaled compounds and I have extended this to studying the health implications of treated water using cell-based assays. I have supervised 11 successful PhD students and five postdoctoral scientists.

Current projects available for supervision include:聽

1. The delivery of drugs and particles to the nose and lungs, particularly the use of聽in vivo-reflective聽in vitro cell culture models of the airway epithelium (PhD/MRes) https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0939-6411(21)00202-2

2. The role mucus and mucociliary clearance plays in drug and particulate delivery to the nose and lungs. (PhD)

3. Use of powders to deliver drugs to the nasal cavity (PhD/MRes)

4. The role of mucus in biopharmaceutical models of the nose (absorption and biocompatibility) (PhD)

5. The use of high-speed imaging to study the role of mucus on the deposition behaviour of droplets and particles in the nasal cavity (PhD)

6. Determining the impact of ultra-fine particulate air pollution (UFPs) on mucus secretion, ciliary activity and epithelial permeability in the young and ageing lung. Do UFPs accelerate lung ageing? (PhD/MRes)

I supervise students in research areas related to biomedical materials and tissue engineering. I'm particularly interested in cell-biomaterial interactions and in strategies to understand changing tissue dynamics in disease and injury in order to optimise functional tissue repair and replacement.

Current PhD Students聽聽

Sertan Kiziloz (2023 -). Optimising the wound dressing interface.

Previous PhD Students

Natalia Noriega (2019-2023) Optoelectronic bionanomaterials for ophthalmic biosensing

Grace Cooksley (2019-2022) Optoelectronic nanomaterials to reduce the complications associated with cataract surgery

Neda Hedari (2017-2021)The role of senescence in bioartificial liver design

Emma Ward (2017-2021)A new class of two dimensional optoelectronic materials in accommodating intraocular lens design

Wulan Koagouw (2017-2021)Integrative Assessment of Marine Pollution - Impact of Pharmaceuticals on Marine Bivalves

Flavia Bonalumi (2017-2020)Engineering a bioartificial liver prototype using cell loaded macroporous hydrogel scaffolds

Tochukwu Ozulumba (2015 - 2019)Nanostructured scaffolds for remediation of environmental and biological tissue contaminants

Elsie Fok (2013) The development of advanced corneal epithelial stem cell delivery systems for the treatment of corneal epithelial defects聽

Yishan Zheng聽 (2012) Hybrid filtration adsorbent systems for extracorporeal applications聽

My聽 research and supervisory interests cover materials science and nanotechnology (colloids) related subjects. These traverse synthetic inorganic chemistry (PhD - Gennaro Dichello; Dr Penko Nikolov; Dr Krassimir Genov), carbon nanotubes (PhD - Evgeniya Seliverstova), nanoparticle and gel-based drug delivery systems (PhD - Shaimaa Shagarki; PhD- Kais Shaban; PhD - Othman Al-Hanbali; PhD - Atia Naseem), nanoparticle sensor systems (Dr Yunlong Xu; Dr Samaa Salem) nanoparticle food systems (PhD - Carla DiMattia), nanoparticle biophysics systems (PhD - Georgi Georgiev) and specialist analytical techniques (Dr Karl Pavey; Dr David Howbrook). The materials science aspects (physics and engineering) of medical materials and waste have formed the basis of recent work (Dr Charis Nathan). I routinely supervise Post-doctoral study, PhD's, Masters degree students, Erasmus students and industrially-linked researcher project work in the following areas:

Materials science - materials chemistry, polymer sciences (plastics and bioplastics), materials physics (photonics, plasmonics), mechanics and texture, design and device engineering
Nanotechnology - novel materials, fullerenes and graphene, micro- and nanoanalytics, sensing and diagnostic systems and applications
Condensed matter physics - complex fluids, wetting and detergency, dispersions (emulsions, foams, bubbles, droplets, gels), colloids (vesicles, micelles, nanobeads, SLNs), liquid crystals, rheology
Drug delivery system design - nanoparticle and coarse dispersion based systems
Sustainability and 3R's approaches (reduce, replace, recycle)
Materials specifically for food products and medical applications
Analytical chemistry and the theoretical basis for measurement science - physical sciences
Recycling and re-assignment of 'waste' materials
Packaging materials use and design
Composite materials and civil engineering construction materials
Environmental pollution and contamination with plastics (microplastics, nanoplastics) and plastic additives in addition to suspended and dissolved organic and inorganic pollutants
Mathematical modelling and simulation of real-world events聽
Industrial process improvement, quality control and quality assurance

聽Status: Approved post-graduate supervisor/examiner from the 91快活林 Doctoral College: renewed 29/03/2023聽Past and present PhD students from 2001PresentShima Khezri Aziz Far (2020- )

Responsive vesicular systems based on incorporated metallic nanoparticles

Natalie Huckle (2022- )Biocomposite materials for control of environmental pollutionSertan Kiziloz (2023- )Optimising host response biology to advance wound dressing efficacy

James Parmar

(2023-)

Encapsulation of Cannabinoids in Nanoparticles for use as Anti-infective Therapeutics

Tianyi Liu (2023-)

Stimuli-responsive 'smart' materials for textiles and other applications [School of Art and Media]

Kinza Tahir (2021-2024)

Commonwealth Scholarship (part undertaken with DKS at 91快活林, part undertaken with partner institution Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan): Metal nanoparticles for direct use in improving crop production

Completed PhD's (UK)Gennaro Dichello (2012-2018)

Targeting of brain tumours with photo-dynamic therapy using liposomes and encapsulated metal nanoparticles

Kais Shaban (2014-2018)Levothyroxine drug stability and formulation in fast-dissolving oral filmsShaimaa Shakargi (2014-2018)Synthesis and therapeutic use of environmentally-sensitive polymeric micelles for drug deliveryCristina Boscariol (2015-2019)The physics of impacting droplets on model solid surfaces聽Othman Al-Hanbali (2004-2008)A novel assay for block co-polymer non-ionic surfactants used in nanoparticle surface engineering聽Atia Naseem (2000-2003)Approaches to enhancing the dissolution rate of poorly soluble drugs聽

Completed PhD students at Overseas Institutions

Evgeniya Seliverstova (2011-2014) [Kazakhstan]

Energy transfer mechanisms and the photo-optical effects of fluorophore-conjugated graphene

Carla Di Mattia (2005-2009) [Italy]

Photo-oxidative changes in protein-stabilised olive oil emulsions聽

Georgi As. Georgiev (2005-2008) [Bulgaria]

Phase transitions in striated foam films as models of cells membranes

聽聽Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) research project supervisions聽2002-2005 - Dr David HowbrookModification of diagnostic plastics: ABgene Technologies (3 years funded project)2002-2005: Anne Van der ValkModification of diagnostic plastics: ABgene Technologies (3 years funded project)

2017-2018: Joshua Fennell

[early termination of project]

Phase change materials: ValetPro (3 years funded project)

2018-2020: Dr Chibi Takaya

[project paused to be ressumed]

Waste re-assignment - absorbent clinical waste: Medisort (3 years funded project)

2019-2020: Emma Hookham

[early termination of project]

Plasma vapour depostion of metallic materials (2 years funded project)

2021-2022: Felicity Boyce

[resumed Medisort project]

Waste re-assignment - absorbent clinical waste: Medisort (3 years funded project)聽

Projects on developing polymer materials, hydrogel, nanocomposites for biomedical and environmental applications. Particular interest in biomaterials, drug delivery systems, nanoparticles as catalyst and antibacterial agents, materials/methods for water decontamination.

For further supervisory staff including cross-disciplinary options, please visit .

Making an online application

You will apply to the University of 91快活林 through our online application portal. When you do, you will require a research proposal, references, a personal statement and a record of your education.

You will be asked whether you have discussed your research proposal and your suitability for doctoral study with a member of the University of 91快活林 staff. We recommend that all applications are made with the collaboration of at least one potential supervisor. Approaches to potential supervisors can be made directly through the details available online. If you are unsure, please do contact the Doctoral College for advice.

Please visit our How to apply for a PhD page for detailed information.

Fees and funding

Funding

Undertaking research study will require university fees as well as support for your research activities and plans for subsistence during full or part-time study.

Funding sources include self-funding, funding by an employer or industrial partners; there are competitive funding opportunities available in most disciplines through, for example, our own university studentships or national (UK) research councils. International students may have options from either their home-based research funding organisations or may be eligible for some UK funds.

Learn more about the funding opportunities available to you.

Tuition fees academic year 2024–25

Standard fees are listed below, but may vary depending on subject area. Some subject areas may charge bench fees/consumables; this will be decided as part of any offer made. Fees for UK and international/EU students on full-time and part-time courses are likely to incur a small inflation rise each year of a research programme.

MPhil/PhD
	Full-time	Part-time
UK	£4,786	£2,393
International (including EU)	£15,900	N/A
International students registered in the School of Humanities and Social Science or in the School of Business and Law	£14,500	N/A

PhD by Publication
Full-time	Part-time
N/A	£2,393

Contact 91快活林 Doctoral College

To contact the Doctoral College at the University of 91快活林 we request an email in the first instance. Please visit our contact the 91快活林 Doctoral College page.

For supervisory contact, please see individual profile pages.