Dual-award between The University of Manchester and The University of Melbourne

This project will be based at The University of Manchester, with a 12 months spent at the University of Melbourne.

Project description:

Many critical problems in logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, and other fields are solved by optimisation and machine learning algorithms. Due to advances in automatic configuration tools, we’re now able to automatically tune the parameters of these algorithms for new problems with minimal human effort. Unfortunately, these tools are designed to tune algorithms according to a single criterion and assume that the characteristics of a problem don’t change over time. In the real-world, however, users of these algorithms often face conflicting criteria, such as the time required to solve the problem versus the expected quality of the solution returned by the algorithm. Moreover, it’s often the case that similar problems must be solved regularly (ie daily), for example in a parcel delivery service, a manufacturing plant processing orders in daily batches or the daily planning of operating theatres in hospitals. In those cases, the characteristics of the daily instances of the problem may evolve over time due to economical, societal and technological changes.

This project aims to extend the capabilities of automatic configuration tools to handle multiple conflicting criteria and adapt to changes in the problem characteristics. For this purpose, the teams at Manchester and Melbourne will join their expertise in automatic configuration of algorithms and instance space analysis.

This project will result in more powerful tools for tuning and deploying the critical algorithms that our modern world relies on, so that they can better adapt to changes in the problems being solved and let users decide the most appropriate trade-off among conflicting criteria.

Supervisory Team:

• Dr Manuel López-Ibáñez, Prof Julia Handl (The University of Manchester)
• Prof Kate Smith-Miles, Dr Mario Andrés Muñoz-Acosta (The University of Melbourne)

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• PhD Business and Management

This project will be based at The University of Manchester, with 12 months spent at the University of Melbourne.

Project description:

The objective of this exciting cross-disciplinary project is to investigate the potential of a bio-inspired coating of flexible devices to passively modify energetic modes of an unsteady crossflow, and to assess, for the first time, the role of colour in determining mechanical properties.

We seek an exceptional candidate with a strong first degree in Physics, Maths, Engineering or Bioengineering. The candidate should be keen to travel, spending at least 12 months in Melbourne. They must have some prior programming experience and should be able to evidence their ability to work across disciplines.

This project will build on recent interest in the bioengineering field focused on understanding the underlying potential of bio-inspired surfaces for future engineering applications. The role of filamentous structures such as feathers or fur is of particular interest since they exist as both branched and unbranched forms, they are actively controlled by muscles, and their effects on flow are complex and under-studied. Colour is known to have a direct impact on the mechanical properties of hairs and feathers, due to the structural role of melanin in the keratin strands that form them. In this way, colour is thought to directly affect structural endurance of the material, via UV resistance, but it has not been proven. Furthermore, ‘structural colour’ results from microscopic features that interfere with visible light, enabling them to reflect a far greater, sometimes iridescent, range of colours than would be possible from pigmentation alone. From a biological perspective this is interesting – which came first and why?

The coordinated response of arrays of fur/feathers to a flow instability is little understood, generally restricted either to the most simplified of scenarios or bulk analysis of more complex cases. The premise of this work is that a large group of flexible fibres can be configured as a filter, with pre-determinable bulk properties. The hypothesis is that the passive response of an array of fur/feathers can be made to either dampen or amplify energy at selected frequencies. Furthermore, a smart inhomogeneous arrangement of such structures may be able to redistribute energy across multiple frequencies. The resulting surface would have important consequences for engineering applications, where drag and noise reduction is paramount, or for energy harvesting devices designed to extract ambient energy. The parameter space of such a system is vast, and we navigate these dimensions by considering cases arising in nature, where conditions are clearly defined for given species. We will make use of existing data to categorise the structure of a range of filamentous structures for bird and mammal skin that are candidates for flow modification (such as penguin/cormorant feathers; seal/beaver fur). We link engineering fluid dynamics with world-leading natural science research at both institutions, to explore animal locomotion and the link between the colour, form and structure of natural coatings, to find out whether there is a link between performance and colour.

Supervisory Team:

• Prof Alistair Revell (The University of Manchester) 

• Prof Richard Sandberg (The University of Melbourne) 

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• PhD Science and Engineering

This project will be based at The University of Manchester, with 12 months spent at the University of Melbourne.

Project description:

Our immune systems have the incredible ability to fight off a multitude of potentially dangerous pathogens, we then remember these pathogens, so if we are re-infected with the same one we attack it more quickly and effectively. This phenomenon is called ‘immune memory’ and is the cornerstone of effective vaccination. Understanding how our immune system remembers pathogens via memory responses is therefore key in understanding how we eradicate pathogens, and how to design effective vaccines.  

Vital to immune memory are cells called memory T cells. These are formed during initial infection with a pathogen, remain in the body for long periods and react quickly to coordinate a protective response against re-infection. There are different types of memory T cell, all of which were thought to promote inflammatory responses during pathogen re-infection.

Our recent results have uncovered a new type of memory T cell, which instead of helping fight re-infection with influenza in the lung, regulate the immune response to limit tissue damage in the process of eliminating the pathogen. There are different types of memory T cell, all of which were thought to promote inflammatory responses during pathogen re-infection.

However, our recent results have uncovered a new type of memory T cell, which instead of helping fight re-infection with influenza in the lung, regulate the immune response to limit tissue damage in the process of eliminating the pathogen.

The project will be supervised by a collaborative team based in Manchester and Melbourne Australia, with world-leading expertise in immunology and memory T cells, with the student based primarily in Manchester and working in Melbourne for at least 12 months. The specific questions the project is looking to address are: 

Supervisory Team:

• Prof Mark Travis (The University of Manchester) 
• Prof Laura Mackay (The University of Melbourne) 

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• PhD Immunology

This project will be based at The University of Manchester, with 12 months spent at the University of Melbourne.

Project description:

After meal consumption, the value of its contents is relayed via connections between the periphery with the central nervous system (1,2). Although the brain is recognised as the master regulator of appetite and energy homeostasis, our understanding of which circuits encode the post-ingestive nutritional and hedonic value of food remain largely unknown. The advent of new genetic technologies provides a powerful means by which to unravel the contribution of discrete neurons with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution (2,3). 

We have phenotyped many of the neurons in the caudal brainstem, an important brain region that serves as a first relay station for peripherally generated signals (4). Published (2,5-8) and unpublished data suggest that segregated brainstem circuits selectively respond to distinct nutritional and non-nutritional signals and transmit this information to multiple second order regions (notably parabrachial, amygdalar and hypothalamic nuclei), so that the brain can attribute both nutritional content and motivational valence.
At the same time these regions also receive information regarding taste and smell via the piriform cortex. This leads to further regulation and learned conditioning. For example, neurons in the nucleus of the tractus solitarius (NTS), which contain prolactin-releasing peptide, are activated when lipids in the duodenum stimulate sensory vagal afferents (5,6). Similarly, amylin is secreted from pancreatic β cells after a meal and acts as a hormone on neurons in the area postrema (AP).

Both stimuli are thought to produce a positive valence (feelings of satiety). By comparison, the cytokine, GDF15, and systemic glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) analogues produce nausea and sickness behaviour. These stimuli produce a negative valence by activating cholecystokinin neurons located in the AP and NTS (7,8).

Interestingly, other nausea-producing agents, such as lithium chloride or lipopolysaccharide activate GLP-1-producing neurons in the NTS itself (4). Activation of each of these pathways may have the same outcome, i.e. anorexia, along with more selective alterations in energy expenditure, nutrient partitioning, valence and learned conditioning. 

The overarching aim of this project is to resolve the central circuits at the functional level. To this end, the student will receive training in using the latest technologies that will allow genetic tagging of distinct neuronal circuits after they have responded to nutritional or nonnutritional signals.

This permanent genetic tagging will then allow the student to identify the neurons and their connections, record their activity during normal behaviour and selectively activate/inhibit them to interrogate their significance. This approach will identify novel neuronal types and their connections. Resolving these circuits will not only expand our understanding of how ingestive behaviour is regulated, but it will also inform design of novel medications with improved efficacy and patient compliance. 

References: 1 Andermann and Lowell, 2017, Neuron 95:757; 2 Han et al., 2018, Cell 175:887; 3 Resendez et al., 2016, Nat Protoc.11:566-97; 4 D’Agostino and Luckman, 2022, Curr Op End Met Res. 24:100339; 5 Dodd and Luckman, 2013, Front Endocrinol 4:20; 6 Dodd et al., 2014, Cell Metab 20:639; 7 Worth et al., 2020, eLife 9:e55164; 8 Costa et al., 2022, Mol Metab. 55:101407. 

Supervisory Team:

• Prof Simon Luckman (The University of Manchester) 
• Associate Prof Garron Dodd (The University of Melbourne) 

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• PhD Neuroscience

This project will be based at The University of Manchester, with 12 months spent at the University of Melbourne.

Project description:

In the UK and Australia more hospitals are using Electronic Health Records (EHRs). Nurses, who are the largest group of healthcare professionals, use these digital record systems the most and if easy to use, EHRs can support nurses to provide patient-centred care. However, there are lots of hospitals where the EHRs are not easy to use, and in these organisations nurses are more likely to feel burnt out and want to leave their jobs.

There is already a shortage of nurses worldwide so it is essential to keep them in the profession by giving them user-friendly digital tools to support their work. The proposed PhD project will explore the usability of a recently implemented Electronic Health Record in Manchester, UK and Melbourne, Australia.

It will address the following potential research questions:

Supervisory Team:

• Prof Dawn Dowding (The University of Manchester) 
• Dr Sophie Jones (The University of Melbourne)

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• PhD Nursing

This project will be based at The University of Manchester, with 12 months spent at the University of Melbourne.

Project description:

The correct regulation of gene expression is critical to multicellular life, with transcription a major regulatory step in the gene expression pathway.

The Smad transcription factors represent a conserved family of transcription factors that are activated by TGF-beta/BMP signalling molecules.  These signalling molecules bind to a receptor complex, which then phosphorylates and activates a receptor-regulated Smad, or R-Smad.  This phosphorylated R-Smad interacts with a common Smad, Smad4, to activate and repress target gene transcription.

Mutations in Smad transcription factors result in developmental disorders and many human diseases, such as cancer and intellectual disability syndromes.

Currently it is unclear to what extent the stoichiometry of Smad complexes, such as the number of R-Smad and Smad4 proteins in the complex, is regulated in cells.  Therefore, the aim of this project is to take a multidisciplinary approach to study how the oligomeric state of Smad transcription factors determines their function.

We will study Smad oligomerisation in the Drosophila embryo due to its genetic tractability, short life cycle and suitability for single molecule imaging.

This project will provide training in:

• Advanced live imaging.
• Molecular biology.
• Biophysical.
• Developmental biology.
• Genome editing.
• Computational approaches.
  

CRISPR genome engineering will be used to generate fluorescent protein fusions with the R-Smad and Smad4 transcription factors.  We will then use fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy to determine Smad stoichiometry in wildtype embryos and in different mutant backgrounds.

Disease mutations in Smad4 will also be engineered into the Drosophila ortholog to test whether these affect Smad stoichiometry.  In addition, we will use live imaging to determine how changes in Smad oligomerisation affect the ability of Smads to activate downstream targets.

Supervisory Team:

• Prof Hilary Ashe (The University of Manchester) 
• Associate Prof Elizabeth Hinde (The University of Melbourne) 

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• PhD Developmental Biology or PhD Biological Physics

This project will be based at The University of Manchester, with 12 months spent at the University of Melbourne.

Project description:

The global shipping industry plays a pivotal role in our interconnected world. However, its environmental footprint is significant, and there is a pressing need for deep greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) to align with the Paris Agreement's climate change goals before 2030. 

Although there's increasing interest in low-carbon fuels, their large-scale deployment is unlikely before 2030. Therefore, operational and technical efficiencies applied to the current fleet are essential.

One promising strategy involves adjusting ships' speeds, especially curbing the practice of a "sail fast then wait" (SFTW) approach, where ships speed to a port, only to wait for days before docking, leading to energy inefficiency.

Tyndall Manchester is part of the Blue Visby Consortium, which has developed an algorithmic system to eliminate SFTW, optimising ship arrival times, and potentially saving up to 16% of fuel. This solution will undergo prototype trials in Australia in 2024. 

Another strategy to reduce emissions is the use of wind-assist technologies. By optimizing routes based on beneficial wind conditions, the GHG emissions associated with each ship voyage can be significant reduced. However, this method requires further research and realworld testing. 

This PhD project, based at the University of Manchester, aims to bridge these two strategies. Collaborating with the Blue Visby Consortium, wind optimization industry partners and the University of Melbourne, the research will explore how to integrate wind-assist optimisation with SFTW solutions. 

The project has three main objectives: 

Supervisory Team:

• Prof Alice Larkin (The University of Manchester) 
• Prof Alessandro Toffoli (The University of Melbourne) 

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• PhD Environmental Engineering

This project will be based at The University of Manchester, with 12 months spent at the University of Melbourne.

Project description:

Applications are invited for a 3.5-year PhD studentship on a multidisciplinary project developing an ex vivo model to study the impact of electrostimulation on dental implant integration. ct developing an ex vivo model to study the impact of electrostimulation on dental implant integration. This position is part of a collaboration between the University of Melbourne (Prof. Sloan, Dr. Moses, and A/Prof. Judge), and the University of Manchester (Prof. Cartmell and Dr. Aguilar Cosme). 

Titanium-based dental implants have generally high survival rates, but marginal bone loss (MBL, present in almost all patients) and peri-implant mucositis caused by bacteria (PIM, 43%) significantly impact patient quality-of-life and remain an unaddressed clinical issue.

Capacitive electrostimulation (CES) is a non-invasive treatment used in dentistry for pain management which enhances new bone formation, reduces inflammation, and decreases bacterial biofilm formation. Our previous results demonstrate CES significantly increases mesenchymal stem cell osteogenic differentiation and proliferation on titanium surfaces.

This project aims to build upon our previous work by expanding into an established model for bone repair – the ex vivo mouse mandible. You will have the opportunity to design a CES bioreactor aided by computational modelling, fabricate electrodes using conductive polymers and 3D printing, and evaluate biofilm formation on titanium-based dental implant mimics at the University of Manchester.

Afterwards, you will evaluate tissue response to stimulation at the University of Melbourne using a variety of techniques including spatial transcriptomics, immunohistochemistry, and light sheet microscopy. 

We are seeking a self-motivated and passionate individual who can demonstrate independent thinking and working capabilities. Candidates should possess, or be on track to acquire, a first or upper second-class degree from a UK university, or an equivalent qualification from an international university, in Engineering or a related discipline relevant for the proposed area of research, such as Materials, Physics, or Computer Science.

Ideally, the candidate would have a solid foundation in computational modelling and be willing to receive training to work with animal tissue. It would be advantageous if the candidate also has practical experience in additive manufacturing, materials characterisation, and computer-assisted design within a research setting. 

Supervisory Team:

• Prof Sarah Cartmell (The University of Manchester) 
• Prof Alastair Sloan (The University of Melbourne) 

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• PhD Biomaterials

This project will be based at The University of Manchester, with 12 months spent at the University of Melbourne.

Project description:

This research project aims to delve into the growing 'decarbonisation divide' within the United Kingdom. The divide arises from greater accessibility of modern climate technologies to affluent households, potentially leaving lower-income groups lagging behind in the transition to a net-zero carbon economy.

As low-carbon technologies increasingly permeate housing, this creates new forms of structural inequality within society that are challenging to overcome. 

The central focus of the project is to comprehend and investigate the policies and real-world implications associated with the phasing out of fossil gas boilers in the UK. To achieve this, the project seeks to develop new conceptual and policy tools to analyse the legal frameworks, strategic decisions, and policy practices linked to the shift away from fossil fuel use in households.

The phase-out of gas boilers, in particular, is of crucial importance given that 14% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions originate from residential energy use, primarily driven by boilers for heating and hot water. 

The UK is not alone in addressing fossil fuel usage in homes - Australia is also pursuing similar initiatives. In the UK, the project aligns with the government's plans to prohibit gas boilers in all new-build housing from 2025 and the subsequent phase-out of natural gas boiler installations beyond 2035, all aimed at achieving the country's Net Zero 2050 goals.

However, the transition away from gas heating is complex and contentious due to the high initial costs of alternative technologies, which are not universally suitable for all types of housing. Evidence suggests that households adopting these alternatives, such as heat pumps and electricity, tend to be on the higher end of the income scale, reinforcing existing inequalities. 

The research project will examine how governance practices impact the promotion and regulation of low-carbon energy technologies. It will also investigate the socio-demographic and spatial factors that influence fossil fuel phase out dynamics. 

The project will employ innovative research methods, including a documentary analysis of relevant policy acts, interviews with decision-makers, practitioners, business sector representatives, and policy advocates. It will also undertake institutional ethnographies within private or public sector organisations to understand their decision-making practices and choices regarding the gas boiler phase-out.

Additionally, broad-level statistical analyses will be conducted to explore socio-demographic and geographical vulnerabilities in relation to these practices. 

In the final six months of the project, a policy toolkit will be developed, emphasising the importance of a combination of strategies involving resource building and technical measures. The project will disseminate its findings through various channels, such as conference presentations, websites, and social media, contributing to ongoing Net Zero policies in the UK and globally. It aims to empower citizens to engage and take co-ownership in low-carbon interventions. 

The project's timeline spans across several phases, including a literature review, data collection, comparative case studies, policy brief issuance, and dissemination activities, conducted both in Manchester and Melbourne, Australia, over a period of 42 months. 

Supervisory Team:

• Prof Stefan Bouzarovski (The University of Manchester) 
• Dr Sangeetha Chandrashekeran (The University of Melbourne)  

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• PhD Human Geography

This project will be based at The University of Manchester, with 12 months spent at the University of Melbourne.

Project description:

This project explores how people make sense of sexuality within families and personal life, with respect to the dimension of openness and concealment.

Increasingly, it is expected that LGBTQ minorities live 'out of the closet', but research suggests that this remains a key challenge for younger people, and that the effects of coming out and living openly are often carried through the lifecourse. Older generations had different experiences of sexuality and openness. So far, our understanding of these issues has been partly shaped by data that are now out of date, and there is a pressing need to engage in substantive research to understand how people live secrecy and sexuality today. 

The mass observation project provides a powerful method to use to understand this issue. Emerging in the early 20th century, mass observation sought to explore, record and archive everyday life in Britain. The movement helped to shape UK sociology’s interest in family, class and identity, and included the first ‘Little Kinsey’ study of British sexuality in 1949.

Mass observation then had a period of non-activity in the mid-20thC, but returned with vigour in the 1980s. MOP today comprises a large panel of volunteer respondents, asked to write about their experiences four times a year. Participants are given a writing ‘directive’, usually involving a series of open-ended questions, and some suggestions of things to consider, but respondents have significant freedom in how they interpret and respond. 

This project re-engages with a mass observation directive conducted in 2001 on family life, secrecy and sexuality. Many respondents to that directive described bigotry and stigma that LGBTQ family members experienced in their family histories, and many expressed bigoted sentiments themselves about queer people in their families.

Queer social movements and campaigns have developed prominently in the past 30 years since the mass observation directive was originally run. This invites us to re-do the directive and explore how people discuss sexuality in their family with respect to secrecy today. 

The project asks: How can mass observation methodology help us to understand continuity and change in sexual secrecy over the past three decades? 

Supervisory Team:

• Dr Andy Balmer (The University of Manchester)  
• Dr Ashley Barnwell (The University of Melbourne)  

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• PhD Sociology