PhD Position is available
School of Engineering, Dr. Lev Sarkisov group, University of Edinburgh
A PhD. position is available in "Rational design of new materials for
controlled drug delivery" in Institute for Materials and Processes,
School of
Engineering and Electronics, University of Edinburgh, starting September 2006
----------------------------------
ABSTRACT
The efficacy of drug therapies can be increased immensely by precise
control of the location and rate of the drug release. One way to
control drug delivery is to store the active agent in a porous
material, or a matrix, which would slowly release the medicine through
its pores. This can be useful in sustaining the desired level of a
medicine in the body over an extended period of time for a range of
conditions such as diabetes and some forms of cancer. This approach can
be even further improved if there was a way to prepare porous materials
which would selectively and strongly bind the desired drug molecules,
making the release time even longer.
The purpose of this proposal is to construct models of possible
materials for controlled drug delivery and to investigate their
properties as a function of processing conditions using theory and
computer simulations. This will help us understand the mechanism of
molecular recognition and what features a material should have in order
to exhibit this property. We will also show how this property depends
on various factors involved in material synthesis and how it is
interconnected with other important characteristics of the material
such as accessibility and selectivity. Eventually, we aim at designing
a faster, cheaper and more efficient route to synthesis of new
materials for controlled
drug delivery, hoping it will help to battle a range of illnesses, from
arthritis to diabetes and cancer.
The project provides an excellent opportunity for someone who is interested in
multidisciplinary research, as the project will be conducted in close
collaboration with several groups of experimentalists at the University
of Edinburgh and other institutions in the UK
You should have a degree in chemical engineering or the physical
sciences. The scholarship covers fees and a stipend of £12,000 per year
tax free for 3 years and is available for EU nationals. Informal
enquiries can be made to Dr Lev Sarkisov ([log in to unmask],
+44-(0)131-650- 4862). Formal applications, which should be sent to Mrs
Liz Patterson (School of Engineering and Electronics, University of
Edinburgh, Sanderson Building, King's Buildings, Mayfield Road,
Edinburgh, UK, EH9 3JL), should include a completed formal application
form, which is available from the web site (
http://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/postgraduate/applications/forms.html) or
by contacting Mrs Patterson ( [log in to unmask] or
+44-(0)131-650-5573), and all the necessary documentation as indicated
on this application form.
-------------------------------------
Dr. Lev Sarkisov
Institute for Materials and Processes
School of Engineering and Electronics
University of Edinburgh
Kenneth Denbigh Building
The King's Buildings
Mayfield Road
Edinburgh, EH9 3JL, United Kingdom
Phone: ++44 (0)131 650 4862
Fax: ++44 (0)131 650 6551
To join or leave the molecular-dynamics-news email list, go to:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/molecular-dynamics-news.html
|