PhD Studentships
Proposed PhD studentships
Please note that applicants are NOT required to express a preference at the point of application to join the CDT. For further information about PhD supervisors please visit supervisor websites.
(https://soficdt.webspace.durham.ac.uk/people/supervisors/).
Project Topics September 2023 – Cohort 10
If there is further information connected to individual studentships click on the studentship title – highlighted in blue.
The following is a list of the projects that we anticipate being available. In the unlikely event that a project becomes unavailable it may be necessary to withdraw it from the list. This list will be added to over the course of the year once we know the research interests of the 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
If there is further information connected to individual studentships click on the studentship title – highlighted in blue.
The following is a list of the projects that we anticipate being available. In the unlikely event that a project becomes unavailable it may be necessary to withdraw it from the list. This list will be added to over the course of the year once we know the research interests of the students. We aim to offer in the region of 30 projects for the 20 PhD studentships in 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 |