School of Health Sciences

Location:  Southampton General Hospital
Salary:   £25,627 to £30,497 per annum
Full Time Fixed Term for 12 months
Closing Date:  Monday 13 December 2021
Interview Date:   To be confirmed
Reference:  1607621CF

University of Southampton and an industry collaborator are offering a unique opportunity to evaluate a series of support surface technologies for the prevention of pressure ulcer. This includes research to evaluate the biomechanical and thermal interactions between an individual and an advanced mattress technology, used in hospital settings. The project will work in close collaboration with the Skin Health Research team and the company to inform design parameters for current and future mattress designs.

You will work closely with the Skin Health research team at the University of Southampton adapting established research methods from previous mattress evaluations. In addition you will work with our industry collaborator on product development, in association with their research and development team.  This will involve establishing biomechanical and thermal parameters from healthy individuals who are asked to adopt a series of postures whilst lying in a hospital bed. Skills in lab-based volunteer testing, data acquisition and processing is critical to undertake the project. 

Key aspects of the role include:

• Bench testing of mattress systems, involving physical phantom models to assess thermal and moisture conditions. 
• An evaluation of mattress designs on a cohort of healthy participants 

About us

The University of Southampton (UoS) is in the top 1% worldwide and currently ranks in the top 100 QS World University Rankings (2019). It represents a research-led Academic Institution with strong inter-disciplinary research activity. This ESR position will be based in the School of Health Sciences, which is at the forefront of world-class teaching and research. It has a culture of collaboration, discovery and excellence, pioneering advances in clinical practice to shape the future of healthcare delivery. The Skin Health group in the School of Health Science, has an established programme of research led by Professor Dan Bader, whereby the status of mechanically impaired skin tissues can be monitored. This has been informed by utilising the latest bioengineering tools to evaluate the conditions at the interface between skin and devices including pressure, shear and the microclimate. In addition, the group have been at the forefront of developing an array of biophysical, biomarker, imaging and modelling technologies to monitor the health of loaded skin tissues. The Skin Health Group incorporates senior bioengineers, healthcare researchers, biologists and post-graduate students. 

Personal Requirements 

• Ability to work in a laboratory environment, passion for experimental research with the determination to understand the underlying physical fundamentals
• Good analysis skills and an analytical mind-set, as well as oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a research team
• Ability to engage with interdisciplinary studies and healthcare technological areas
• A Master’s or BSc degree in Mechanical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biology or Materials Science or a closely related discipline is desirable 

This position is full time for 12 months. Informal enquiries are encouraged and should be directed to:  Dr Peter Worsley (P.R.Worsley@soton.ac.uk )

Application Procedure

You should submit your completed online application form at www.jobs.soton.ac.uk. The application deadline will be midnight on the closing date stated above. If you need any assistance, please call Hannah Farrance (Recruitment Team) on +44 (0) 23 8059 2507. Please quote reference 1607621CF on all correspondence.