Chemical & Process Engineering

Location: Guildford
Salary: £35,308 to £43,155 per annum
Fixed Term
Post Type: Full Time
Closing Date: 23.59 hours BST on Monday 29 May 2023
Reference: 025723

Research Fellow in Computational Modelling of Skin Biophysics and Biomarker Extraction

The University of Surrey is delighted to announce an exciting opportunity within the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering for a postdoctoral research fellow position in computer modelling of skin biophysics, and model-aided design of micro-suction devices to extract biomarkers from the human skin. This post will contribute to our EPSRC funded project on “A multiplexed micro-suction biomarker extraction device to understand atopic eczema in babies”. The position is available for up to 3 years, starting on 1^st August 2023 or soon after.

In this role, the research fellow will be in charge of developing a computer model of skin tissue stretching and relaxation due to mechanical stress induced by micro-suction, and integration of the biomechanical model with a model of extracting interstitial fluid from the skin. Once validated with experimental data, the models will be used to guide the design of the micro-suction device for extracting biomarkers from the skin. This project is a collaboration between the University of Surrey (computational modelling) and King’s College London (experimental and clinical study). The research fellow will work in a multidisciplinary team and closely interact with colleagues to obtain data for model development, calibration and validation, to optimally design and prototype the device iteratively, and to feed relevant information to clinical study.

The ideal candidates should hold a PhD (or is close to PhD completion) with significant experiences in mathematical modelling and computational optimisation. Whilst the project is specifically about modelling skin biophysics, it could also be suitable for candidates whose experiences are in modelling related biological and/or soft material systems (for example, blood vessel deformation due to pressure change and its impact on blood flow, insertion of biodegradable implant for drug delivery, just to name a few). Therefore, we welcome applicants from diverse background in chemical/biochemical engineering, biomechanics, biophysics, biomedical engineering, mathematical biology, amongst others. We expect the successful candidate to be a quick learner, have the ability to critically analyse existing data and own results, and have strong communication skills to be able to work in a consortium.

If you are an enthusiastic individual who shares our Surrey ethos of “Forward Thinking & Doing” and is keen to work on an exciting new development, we would be delighted to hear from you. By joining a multidisciplinary team, you will receive unique training opportunities. In addition to conducting novel research that is likely to lead to impactful outputs and tangible innovations, you will be mentored by the line manager to develop your own professional development plan, to identify training needs (e.g., communication & people skills, leadership & management, fellowship application, etc.), and to prepare for your next stage of career in either academia or industry -- we are proud of having successfully helped numerous early-career researchers through this journey.

For an informal discussion, please email Professor Tao Chen: t.chen@surrey.ac.uk.

Further details: Job Description

Please note, it is University Policy to offer a starting salary equivalent to Level 3.6 (£34,314) to successful applicants who have been awarded, but are yet to receive, their PhD certificate. Once the original PhD certificate has been submitted to the local HR Department, the salary will be increased to Level 4.1 (£35,308).