PhD Studentship: Design, Development, Validation and Certification of a Gaming App for Screening of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Kids

Qualification: Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering (PhD)

Start date: 2nd October 2023

Funding for: 3.5 years

Supervisor: Dr Davide Piaggio

Project Description:

Learning disabilities are a complex genetic and environmental disorder with a prevalence of 5% to 20%. Underdiagnosis is a significant problem due to barriers to diagnosis (e.g., high cost, high waiting times, high distance to travel), leading to insecurity, anxiety, behavioural disorders, and high rates of school dropout and unemployment. PBH (Paperbox Health S.r.l) aims to increase accessibility to identification through screening with an accessible, fast, and easy to use device.

The proposed project aims to design, develop, and validate a novel health technology solution to improve patient outcomes and healthcare efficiency in pediatric neurology developed under a multistep certification strategy. Specifically, the project will focus on the design and testing of a Class II medical device (according to EU 2017/745) for the screening of neurodevelopmental disorders for kids in the 5-7 years old range, starting from the current Learning Disorders’ solution of PBH ‘’DINO’’. The industrial PhD will be conducted in collaboration with the University of Warwick, where the student will work closely with a team of interdisciplinary experts available from the Abspie Lab and from within the company, including computer scientists, biomedical engineers, bioethicists, etc. The PhD candidate will then work on developing a prototype of the proposed Clinical Decision Support system, thanks to a user-centered design approach to ensure that the solution meets the needs and preferences of patients, healthcare providers and stakeholders. The system will incorporate intelligent features such as automated risk classification index, personalized dosing instructions, and real-time monitoring of medication adherence for monitoring and treatment. The project will also involve testing the prototype in a real-world clinical setting, using a randomized double blinded controlled trial to evaluate the system's effectiveness and decentralized data capture protocols. Overall, this project represents an exciting opportunity to develop and validate a cutting-edge health technology solution that has the potential to disrupt current standards of care in this field. The collaboration between PBH and the University of Warwick will ensure that the project benefits from both industry and academic expertise, leading to the development of a highly innovative and impactful solution.

Scholarship:

The award will cover the tuition fees at the UK/Home rate £4,712, plus a stipend of £18,622 per annum for 3.5 years of full-time study.

Eligibility:

This project will suit anyone with an engineering or computer science background, preferably with a focus on biomedical engineering or computer science applied to the biomedical field. Experience with the following is desired and applicants with who fulfill this will be prioritized: medical device design and regulatory affairs (specific focus on EU2017/745), mHealth, mobile app development, image processing, signal processing. Matlab/Python knowledge is a plus. Good versatility, ability to work independently and in a team, organizational skills, spirit of enterprise, creativity are required. Italian or Spanish knowledge as a second language or mother tongue is a plus.

How to apply:

Candidates should submit a formal application, details of how to do so can be found here https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/eng/postgraduate/applypgr/ 

Application form 'Course search':

Department: School of Engineering

Academic Year: 2023/24

Type of Course: Postgraduate Research

• Engineering (MPhil/PhD) (P-H1Q2)

In the application form funding section, enter: Source: DP-Screening

If you have any questions or would like more information about this project, please contact Dr Davide Piaggio 

Advert information