PhD Studentships
PhD Studentships
Project Topics September 2023 – Cohort 10
The following is a list of the research projects that were available to our students.
| Prof Vasileios Koutsos, Dr Christopher J. Ness, Dr John R. Royer and Prof Alex Lips (Edinburgh University) |
| Mechanical, adhesive and rheological properties of liquid foams: A multiscale approach |
| Prof Steven L. Cobb, Dr Clare S. Mahon and Dr Will Brittain (Durham University) |
| Synthesis of tunable and selectively degradable bis-phenol polymers |
| Dr. David Head & Dr Lorna Dougan (University of Leeds) |
| Many-blob modelling: Developing the theoretical underpinning of protein unfolding in biocompatible and biodegradable hydrogels |
| Dr Margarita Staykova, Dr Gary Sharples (Durham University) in collaboration with Dr Meng Zhang and Prof Martyn Dade-Robertson (Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, Newcastle) |
| Designing living materials from bacteria and vesicles |
| Prof Alexander Morozov and Prof Davide Marenduzzo (University of Edinburgh) |
| Large-scale simulations of active matter |
| Prof Halim Kusumaatmaja, Dr Abhinav Naga (Durham University) and Prof Glen McHale (University of Edinburgh) |
| Understanding the Mechanisms of Self-cleaning Surfaces |
| Prof ME Ries, Prof L Lin, Dr PJ Hine, and Dr Y Benitez-Alfonso (University of Leeds) with Futamura Chemicals |
| Sustainable packaging from agricultural waste |
| Prof Ed Llewellin, Durham University |
| Formation, maturation, and failure of viscosity-stabilized foams: application to volcanic eruptions |
| Dr Matteo Degiacomi, Durham University |
| Machine learning for biomolecular assembly |
| Dr Amin Sadeghpour and Prof Kieran Tuohy, University of Leeds |
| Developing oxygen-impermeable microfibre networks for encapsulation of sensitive probiotics |
| Dr. Anders Aufderhorst-Roberts and Prof. Steven Cobb, Durham University |
| Rational Design of Antimicrobials from Self-Assembling Peptoids |
| Prof. Sharon Cooper, Prof. Phil Dyer and Prof. AnnMarie O’Donoghue, Durham University |
| N-Heterocyclic Carbene Organocatalysis in Sustainable Media |
| Dr. Anders Aufderhorst-Roberts and Dr. Clare Mahon, Durham University |
| Designing an Artificial Blood Clot with Synthetic Polymers |
| Dr Russell A. Taylor, Durham University |
| Chemical recycling of polymers with novel dual function catalysts. |
| Dr Mamatha Nagaraj, Prof Helen Gleeson, Prof Gordon Love, Dr Richard Mandle, University of Leeds |
| Nano-patterned surfaces and structures for augmented reality and virtual reality applications |
| Dr Richard Mandle, Dr Mamatha Nagaraj, University of Leeds |
| High Refractive Index Polymers for AR/VR Optics Applications |
| Dr Johan Mattsson, Dr Nicholas Warren, University of Leeds |
| Vitrimers: a new class of re-processable polymers with applications in batteries and gas separation technologies |
| Dr Matthew Kitching, Dr William Brittain and Dr Tim Blower, Durham University |
| Development of the next generation of chiral surfactants |
Project Topics September 2022 – Cohort 9
Project Topics 2021 – Cohort 8
| Prof Rosalind Allen and Dr Simon Titmuss (both University of Edinburgh) |
| Applying the principles of soft matter formulation to aid the search for new antibiotics |
| Dr Anders Aufderhorst-Roberts, Prof Kislon Voïtchovsky and Prof Ehmke Pohl (All Durham University) |
| Unpicking the Cellular Safety Belt: Structure-Mechanics Relations in Cytoskeletal Intermediate Filament Bundle Networks |
| Dr Anders Aufderhorst-Roberts and Dr Natasha Shirshova (both Durham University) with Reckitt Benckiser |
| Leveraging the Mechanics of Double Network Hydrogels as Soft, Strong Materials |
| Prof Steven Cobb and Dr Clare Mahon (both Durham University) |
| Synthesis of tunable and selectively degradable bis-phenol polymers |
| Dr Matteo Degiacomi and Dr Chris Willcocks (both Durham University) |
| Machine learning for biomolecular assembly |
| Prof Lorna Dougan and Dr David Head (both University of Leeds) |
| Hierarchical biomechanics: towards a cross lengthscale understanding of folded protein-based hydrogels |
| Prof Francisco Goycoolea and Dr Celia Ferreira (both University of Leeds) with Reckitt Benckiser |
| Deconstructing the Complexity of the Mucus-Bacteria-Soft Matter Gut Microbiome Triangle |
| Prof David Harbottle, Dr Paul Thornton and Dr Nils Wedler (all University of Leeds) with Reckitt Benckiser |
| The Mode of Action of Polymeric Deposition Aids |
| Prof Halim Kusumaatmaja and Prof Kislon Voitchovsky (both Durham University) with P&G |
| Ternary Dewetting: The Flow Physics of Cleaning using Limited Resources |
| Dr Clare Mahon (Durham University) with P&G |
| Biodegradable polymers for environmentally-friendly fabric care formulations |
| Dr Paul McGonigal (Durham University) |
| Synthetic Polymer Networks with Dynamic Topologies |
| Prof Glen McHale, Dr Gary Wells and Dr Rodrigo Ledesma-Aguilar (all University of Edinburgh) |
| Wetting of Metamaterial Surfaces |
| Dr Davide Michieletto and Prof Paul Clegg (both University of Edinburgh) |
| Protein-functionalised DNA hydrogels |
| Prof Brent Murray, Prof Anwesha Sarkar, Prof Michael Rappolt and Dr Paraskevi Paximada (all University of Leeds) with Nestlé, York |
| Protein particle fillers in non-acqueous media: procolate |
| Dr Chris Prior and Dr Matteo Degiacomi (both Durham University) with Diamond Light Source |
| Developing statistical, topological and geometrical techniques for ab-initio protein structure prediction |
| Prof Daniel Read, Dr Johan Mattson and Dr Costas Velis (all University of Leeds) with Dow |
| The molecular science of recycling plastics |
| Dr Mike E Ries, Dr Peter J Hine, Prof Chris Carr and Dr Muriel Rigout (all University of Leeds) |
| Materials from Nature |
| Dr John Royer and Dr Chris Ness (both University of Edinburgh) |
| Dense polydisperse suspensions – a matter of complexity |
| Prof Anwesha Sarkar, Dr Simon Connell and Prof Brent Murray (all University of Leeds) with PepsiCo |
| Nanomechanical properties of biocompatible particles: from bulk to interface |
| Prof Margarita Staykova, Dr Gary Sharples, Prof Tiago Moreira (all Durham University) and Prof Wilson Poon (University of Edinburgh) |
| Synthetic symbiosomes for living materials |
| Prof Jon Steed, Prof Mark Wilson and Dr Clare Mahon (all Durham University) with AstraZeneca |
| Understanding PROTACS (PROteolysis TArgeting Chimeras) as a new modality |
| Dr Arwen Tyler and Dr Paul Beales (both University of Leeds), with Dartmouth College, USA and Peroxyium Ltd |
| Hybrid Lipid – Inorganic nanoparticles for drug delivery to the brain |
| Dr James Walton and Dr Clare Mahon (both Durham University) |
| pH-Responsive Micelles for Controlled Enzyme Inhibitor Release |
| Dr Nick Warren, Prof Nik Kapur and Dr Richard Bourne (all University of Leeds) and Prof Lian Hutchings (Durham University) with Synthomer |
| Accelerated discovery and development of functionalised block copolymers using continuous-flow anionic polymerisation platforms |
Project Topics 2020 – Cohort 7
| Dr Mike E Ries, Dr Peter J Hine, Prof Chris Carr and Dr Muriel Rigout (all University of Leeds) |
| Materials from Nature |
| Professor Daniel Read, Dr Johan Mattsson and Dr Costas Velis (all University of Leeds) – with Dow |
| Material evolution during repeated recycling of plastics |
| Professor Simon Connell and Dr Peter Adams (both University of Leeds) |
| Nanotechnology of fluorescent proteins in a lipid/polymer matrix: soft thin film materials for artificial photosynthesis |
| Dr Clare Mahon and Dr Richard Thompson (both Durham University) |
| Synthesis of well-defined biodegradable polymers and study of their materials properties |
| Professor Ed Llewellin and Dr Fabian Wadsworth (both Durham University) – with Rolls Royce |
| Volcanic ash in jet engines – bouncing, sticking, and spreading of molten glass droplets |
| Dr Jennifer Garden (University of Edinburgh) with Croda |
| Environmentally degradable soft/hard block copolymers |
| Dr Chris Prior (Durham University) |
| Developing statistical, topological and geometrical techniques for ab-initio protein structure prediction |
| Dr Davide Michieletto and Professor Alexander Morozov (both University of Edinburgh) – with Tilibit Nanosystems |
| Microrheology of DNA Origami |
| Professors Wilson Poon and Alex Lips (both University of Edinburgh) – with the Leverhulme Centre for Forensic Science, Dundee University |
| Dirty Linen: the forensic soft matter science of body fluids on fabric |
| Dr Beth Bromley, Prof. Kevin Weatherill, Dr. Matteo Degiacomi (all Durham University) |
| Listening to proteins with EARS: Enhanced Acoustic Raman spectroscopy of information flow across the interface between proteins and their environment |
| Dr Mark Miller (Durham University) |
| Dynamic percolation in composite materials |
| Dr Paul Thornton (University of Leeds) – with AstraZeneca |
| Highly-Functional Poly(amino acids) for Controlled Therapeutic Delivery |
| Dr Natasha Shirshova and Prof. Lian Hutchings (both Durham University) |
| Block copolymers to promote a bicontinuous morphology in epoxy/ionic liquid formulations during reaction-induced phase separation |
| Dr David Harbottle, Prof. Kevin Roberts, Dr. Robert Hammond (all Leeds University) – with Infineum |
| Dispersion Modelling of Polyaromatic Compounds |
| Professor Stefano Brandani (University of Edinburgh) – with Air Liquide |
| Characterisation of Nanoporous Materials Using Adsorption at Cryogenic Conditions |
| Dr John Sanderson (Durham University) – with GSK |
| Drug Stability in Soft Matter Systems |
| Dr John Royer and Dr Aidan Brown (both University of Edinburgh) – with Crover |
| A Robot that Swims Through Granular Materials |
| Dr Kislon Voitchovsky (Durham University) and Prof. Teuta Pilozota (University of Edinburgh) – hosted in Durham |
| Bio-inspired active nano-membranes |
| Dr Paul McGonigal (Durham University) |
| Polymeric Fluorescence Standards from Medium-Independent Emitters |
| Dr Matt Kitching (Durham University) |
| March of the Materials: Molecular walkers for dynamic responsive polymers |
| Prof Colin Bain (Durham University) and Prof Andrew Bayly (University of Leeds) – hosted in Durham |
| Inkjet manufacturing: from Droplets to Films |