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Structured PhD Programme in Biomedical Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
Educating leaders and innovators for academic research and the medical technology industry
Structured PhD Programme in Biomedical Engineering
and Regenerative Medicine (BMERM) Introduction This Structured PhD programme spans the Biomedical Engineering and Regenerative Medicine domains and aims to become a leading international graduate education programme in the field, in which Ireland is already taking a strong international role. The overall objective is to develop PhD graduates who will produce ground‐
breaking scientific results benefiting human health and contributing to economic growth, and who will, in turn, lead research and development in these fields in industry and academia. BMERM combines a PhD research project with a unique experiential learning and didactic programme, resulting in an unparalleled learning experience for the student in terms of its combination of world‐class research and focused clinical and industrial interaction. The BMERM programme will be delivered by a core partnership of institutions: National University of Ireland Galway, University of Limerick and University College Cork, linked with a wider consortium of partner institutions nationally and internationally: Galway‐Mayo Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Sligo, University of Ulster, Queen’s University Belfast, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Pittsburgh, Duke University, Irish Medical Devices Association (IMDA), Rice University, Mayo Clinic, RWTH Aachen University and Georgia Tech Ireland. Ireland’s medical technologies (Med Tech) industry sector is one of the leading clusters for medical device and diagnostic products globally. Over 160 companies are involved in developing, manufacturing and marketing a diverse range of products and services, including over 90 indigenous companies. Medical device and diagnostics product exports are valued at €6.8b annually, representing 8% of Ireland’s total merchandise exports. The sector employs 24,000 people, the highest number of people working in the industry in Europe, per head of population, with 60% employed in the West and Midwest region. The BMERM programme incorporates a very significant interaction with this industrial sector through the direct involvement of IMDA representing >100 companies, facilitating industry mentorship, industry visits, industry research placements (PhD project dependent) and the provision of industry‐delivered transferable skills training (innovation, commercialisation, pre‐clinical and clinical evaluation, medical device regulation, etc.) through the BioInnovate Programme (see below). The BMERM programme is funded under the HEA Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions Cycle 5 (PRTLI‐5). 15 4‐year PRTLI‐5 funded fellowships will be available in 2011 (NUI Galway: 9, UL: 5, UCC: 1), and the minimum entrance requirement will be a bachelors degree (grade H2.1 or higher) or equivalent. An annual stipend of €16,000 is available plus PhD fees (EU students), plus allowances towards research and travel costs. Each student will have a Graduate Research Committee (GRC) appointed to guide the student through the PhD formation experience. Research Themes The research programme within BMERM Programme is focused on the following five research themes: Functional Biomaterials In this theme, research will focus on (i) development of functionalised nanobiomimetic architectures for scaffolds and coatings that respond to external stimuli and (ii) delivery of therapeutic biomolecules for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular/neural regeneration and wound healing. This will include the development of polymeric systems using biological building blocks, the design, printing and functionalisation of composite nanospheres, synthesis and nano/micro‐patterning of the surface of implantable biomaterials, development of molecular magnets for imaging, micellar constructs using self‐assembly and responsive polymeric systems to deliver biomolecules (genes, drugs, proteins and peptides) for therapeutic applications. The interaction of biological species with non‐biological implants will be simulated and probed by surface and interfacial modelling and characterisation techniques. Tethering strategies will employ controlled/living polymerization synthesis techniques to provide well‐defined dendrimeric and hyperbranched polymeric structures. Cell surface targets using glycobiology and antibody screening strategies based on phage display methodologies will be incorporated for specific targeting of cellular entities. Mechanics of Biological Cells, Tissues and Systems This research theme will focus on fundamental in‐vitro experimental and computational research into mechanics, mechanobiology and cellular mechanotransduction for healthy/injured/diseased musculoskeletal and cardiovascular tissue and cells, including the development of active multi‐scale models linking cellular formulations to tissue mechanics. Research will also explore the multi‐scale mechanics of bodily flows, focusing on blood flow and biomolecule (drug, gene) elution and transport, with studies from arterial to cellular regimes using a variety of techniques from in‐vitro models to cellular studies to computational investigations. Strong emphasis will be placed on the interaction between the human biological system and medical implants and devices, leading to the design and development of novel medical implants, devices and diagnostic tools, and enhanced design methodologies for minimally invasive and guided operative procedures. The research will be enabled by the development and implementation of advanced computational mechanics methods, involving multi‐physics at multiple scales, and experimentally through the extensive exploitation of novel bioreactor technology. Bioelectronics and Rehabilitation Engineering In this research theme, a specific research focus is the development of wearable and ambient electronics for home health management. A multi‐disciplinary approach will be taken, so that the most appropriate medical parameter set is measured and so that developed systems are viewed positively by the wearer as contributing to their quality of life. Issues to be addressed include the development of miniature wearable generators for power generation, use of RFID technology to enable the contextualisation of mobility data from kinematic sensors, development of devices and algorithms for the enhanced detection of falls, mobility and exercise adherence, data mining of recorded data, development of diagnostic strategies and capabilities for home and body area heterogeneous wireless networks. Additional themes will include the development of miniaturised muscle stimulator devices for Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation assisted venous return and application of Ultra Wide Band radar in the detection of cancerous lesions. Regenerative Orthobiologics and Neurotherapeutics This research theme is concerned with the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system, including cartilage and bone defects and osteoarthritis, and treatment of diseases or injuries of the nervous system, including spinal cord injury (SCI) or significant peripheral nerve loss. Recent advances in stem cell biology, therapeutic gene delivery and nanomaterials provide new opportunities for novel interventions representing a convergence of these technologies. The research strategy will focus on this convergence, and will use biomaterial scaffolds to optimise the behaviour of transplanted cells in a tissue‐ or disease‐specific manner. There is a strong rationale for this approach because central and peripheral nerve injuries are invariably associated with significant orthopaedic trauma and treatment modalities should take this into account. Devices will also be deveolped for delivery of the engineered cell constructs to the target tissue. For neurotherapeutics, the programme has a translational goal including animal studies followed by human trials. Regenerative Cardiovascular Therapeutics
This research theme is focused on the development of novel therapies for cardiovascular regeneration using stem cells, gene therapy and biomaterials. A central thrust of the research is to understand the mechanism of stem‐cell‐based cardiovascular regeneration. The investigators have shown that mesenchymal stem cell and endothelial progenitor cell‐based cardiovascular regeneration occurs via paracrine mechanisms and have identified novel causative factors. This work will facilitate the development of rational next‐generation stem‐cell therapies in which the property of the cell will be augmented by safe and effective gene delivery. The programme will also develop novel biomaterials and delivery device technologies to improve cell engraftment and persistence, which are major limitations of current approaches. All of this work will be done in an environment in which a GMP Facility, Clinical Research Facility and industry partnerships will ensure translation to the clinic and product development. Programme of Study Research Project At the core of the 4‐year programme is the PhD research project, performed in collaboration with internationally renowned investigators, in one of the five themes described above:  Functional Biomaterials  Mechanics of Biological Cells, Tissues and Systems  Bioelectronics and Rehabilitation Engineering  Regenerative Orthobiologics and Neurotherapeutics  Regenerative Cardiovascular Therapeutics Students must accumulate 360 ECTS for successful completion of the programme, composed of the PhD thesis and the following experiential learning and didactic content. Student Placement (15 ECTS) An industrial or international research placement, or a laboratory internship. The industrial research placements (PhD project dependent) will be organised with individual medical technology companies, facilitated by IMDA. Additionally, all students will participate in an Industrial Visit Programme during their first year visiting IMDA member companies. Each student will also be assigned an Industry Mentor from a medical technology company. 1
NUI Galway and UCC delivered modules 5 ECTS or multiples thereof. UL delivered modules 6 ECTS or multiples thereof. Summer School (10 ECTS) An annual week‐long Summer School, where world leading researchers will participate in a lecture series on focused high‐impact research topics in the field of biomedical engineering and regenerative medicine. Didactic Content Medical Sciences and Clinical Attachment (5/6 ECTS)1 This module comprises lectures by clinicians, complemented by exposure to the clinical environment, surgical procedures, etc. BioInnovate I & II (30 ECTS) These modules add significant uniqueness and added value to the BMERM programme as they are shared with the newly introduced BioInnovate Fellowship programme starting in 2011 http://www.nuigalway.ie/bioinnovat
e/. These courses are focused on medical device development and encompass the entire process from identifying and validating clinical needs, to concept generation and product development and commercialisation. These modules cover a comprehensive range of transferrable skills topics relevant to medical technologies, including innovation of medical technologies, clinical evaluation and regulatory affairs
Generic Skills (5/6 ECTS)1 A selection from the following generic topics (dependent on the home institution) will be possible: research skills, teaching and learning, statistical methods for research, etc. Advanced Discipline‐Specific Modules (5 modules) (5/6 ECTS per module)1 Students select 5 modules as decided by their individual GRCs. Modules will normally be taken in the first two years of the programme, depending on the specific module combination chosen, module availability and scheduling and pre‐requisite requirements. Modules available for the first year of the programme are given in the following table. ADVANCED DISCIPLINE‐SPECIFIC MODULES Semester I Semester II Biomaterials I (UL) Biomaterials II (NUI Galway) Tissue Engineering (NUI Galway) Fundamentals of Continuum Advanced FE in Biomedical Mechanics (UL) Engineering (NUI Galway) Advanced Computational Fluid Mechanics (UL) Bioinstrumentation Design (NUI Galway) Translational Medicine (NUI Galway) Stem Cells and Gene Therapy II (NUI Galway) Immunology (NUI Galway) Introduction to Biomedical Systems: Genomic Technologies (NUI Galway) NUI Galway University of Limerick
UCC For further details please contact:
Professor Peter McHugh, Programme Director Discipline of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering College of Engineering and Informatics, and National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science National University of Ireland Galway Galway, Ireland Tel: +353 (0)91 493152 Fax: +353 (0)91 563991 Email: peter.mchugh@nuigalway.ie http://www.nuigalway.ie/mechbio/staff/staff_pmh.html The Structured PhD Programme in Biomedical Engineering and Regenerative Medicine is funded under the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions Cycle 5