PhD Scholarship in Mechanical Engineering

 

The objective of this fully-supported three-year Ph.D. studentship is to develop novel minimally invasive instrumentation for use in endoscopic clinical applications such as gastrointestinal and pulmonary medicine.  

Goals
The goal of the Ph.D. studentship is to develop new and innovative solutions to real clinical problems in endoscopic and minimally invasive procedures. The laboratory is particularly interested in developing improved devices for endoscopic lung biopsy, in the use of advanced instrumentation for colon repair in the aftermath of colorectal cancer surgery, and new instrumentation for endoscopic gastrointestinal procedures. The successful applicant will be expected to work closely with our clinical collaborators in the realisation of these goals.

Duties
The student will be responsible for mechanical design, simulation and prototyping of advanced endoscopic instrumentation at the centimetre and sub-cm scale. UCC School of Engineering has a wide range of advanced mechanical prototyping facilities (3D rapid prototyping, 4-axis CAM, fully-staffed mechanical workshop). Working closely with clinical collaborators, the student will be expected to fully participate in bench-top and preclinical testing to evaluate device performance as part of the laboratory’s team. Where appropriate, the student will also be expected to contribute to commercialisation of any devices developed.

Candidate Selection Criteria
Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a minimum first-class honours degree (or equivalent) in mechanical or biomedical engineering or an associated discipline and, preferably a Masters degree or equivalent. Priority will be given to students with (1) a demonstrated knowledge in CAD drawing tools such as Solidworks or AutoCAD and (2) experience in mechanical design and prototyping of biomedical devices. Industry candidates are welcome. No background in medicine is required. However, demonstrable English communication skills, both written and spoken are expected.

Contact
Please send applications and enquiries to Dr. Padraig Cantillon-Murphy (p.cantillonmurphy@ucc.ie) including:
•   A CV, including full details of all University course grades to date
•   Contact details for three academic or professional referees
•   A personal statement (750 words maximum) outlining your suitability for the work

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.