PhD Studentship in Applied Mathematics: Optimising Stem Cell Therapies for Corneal Damage: Insights from Multiscale Mathematical Modelling Harnessing Artificial Intelligence

Award Summary

100% of home tuition fee and a minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £17,668 (2022-23 UKRI rate).

Overview

Optimising stem cell therapies for corneal damage: insights from multiscale mathematical modelling harnessing artificial intelligence 

In this unique inter-disciplinary PhD project you'll develop mathematical models, informed by experimental image analysis using artificial intelligence techniques, to optimise limbal stem cell transplants for damaged corneas. You will be based in the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, guided by supervisors Dr Laura Wadkin and Prof Anvar Shukurov. You will also have the exciting opportunity to collaborate with leading stem cell biologist, Prof Majlinda Lako, and pioneering ophthalmic surgeon Prof Francisco Figueiredo, developer of a new limbal stem cell transplant to restore the sight of patients with corneal damage. With access to a proprietary library of anonymised microscopic images of healthy and damaged corneas, you will apply a broad range of statistical, image analysis, and artificial intelligence techniques to deepen our understanding of the properties limbal stem cells and create diagnostic tools for assessing corneal health. This will then inform the development of multiscale mathematical models, consisting of agent-based and stochastic differential equation approaches, to simulate a variety of limbal stem cell behaviours. This project will suit a candidate with enthusiasm for mathematical modelling and computational approaches, and a keen interest in applying mathematics to a complex medical scenario.

Number of awards: 1

Start date: 18^th September 2023

Award duration: 42 months

Sponsor

School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, Newcastle University

Supervisors

Dr. Laura Wadkin (School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics) 

Professor Anvar Shukurov (School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics) 

Eligibility criteria

You must have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in a relevant subject such as Mathematics, Statistics, or another strongly quantitative discipline. Enthusiasm for research, the ability to think and work independently, excellent analytical skills and strong verbal and written communication skills are also essential requirements.

Home and international applicants (inc. EU) are welcome to apply. In the first instance the studentship covers only home tuition fees. The School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics has very limited additional funding to offer full studentships including international fees to exceptional international applicants.

Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each subsection.

International applicants may require an ATAS ((Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance certificate prior to obtaining their visa and to study on this programme.

How to apply

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal

Once registered select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.

Use ‘Course Search’ to identify your programme of study:

• Search for the ‘Course Title’ using the programme code: 8080F 
• Research Area: Applied Mathematics 
• Select ‘PhD Mathematics (full time) – Applied Mathematics’ as the programme of study 

You will then need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Questions’ section:  

• A ‘Personal Statement’ (this is a mandatory field) - upload a document or write a statement directly in to the application form  
• The studentship code MSP058 in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field  
• When prompted regarding your research proposal - select ‘Write Proposal’. You should then type in the title of the research project from this advert. You do not need to upload a research proposal.

Contact details

Contact the supervisors for project specific information or maths.physics.pg@newcastle.ac.uk for application information.

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