PhD studentship in 3D printing of bioinspired mechanical structures

School of Engineering

University of Portsmouth

Location: / Portsmouth
Funding for: / UK Students, EU Students, International Students
Funding amount: / £13,863 per annum
Hours: / Full Time
Closes: / Open till Filled

Nature produces a range of structures that are optimized for specific mechanical functions. The project is an exciting development in examining a range of structure produced biologically to allow the manufacture of engineered equivalents using 3D printing technologies. The resultant structures are expected to be high performance, such as drawing inspiration from tough structures found in nature, or address specific healthcare needs including bioprosthetic substitutes for endovascular repair. The approaches developed in the project are expect to be broad based and involves the construction of virtual 3D structural models through to 3D printing and validation using experimental and numerical modelling.

The project will be supervised by Prof Asa Barber, a recent appointment within the School of Engineering. As part of his appointment, new infrastructure is being purchased and the student will access state-of-the-art equipment to complement their research. Further supervision and support in relevant fields will be provided by academic staff, including Dr Afshin Anssari-Benam, Dr Andrea Bucchi and Dr Gianluca Tozzi. The project team is highly multi-disciplinary and will allow significant professional as well as personal development of the student throughout the project.

The studentship is for 3 years and is intended to start in October 2015. The studentship provides a tax-free stipend of £13,863 per annum for the duration of the studentship plus tuition fees at the UK/EU rate. International (non-EU) students may apply but will need to find the difference in fees between those for a UK/EU and international student themselves.

Applicants are expected to hold at least a 2:1 degree (or equivalent) in an engineering science discipline and have an interest in bioinspiration. A relevant Master’s degree and/or experience in one or more of the following will be an advantage: solid mechanics; experimental mechanics; materials engineering and finite element modelling.

For informal enquiries about the project, please contact Professor Asa Barber (), to whom a CV and the names of two references should be sent. The post will stay open till filled.