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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
PhD Project Template
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Use one form per project
Please complete & submit to international@nuigalway.ie as soon as possible, and by 27/11/2012
In your email, begin the subject line with [SWB] (be sure to use square brackets) to ensure that your email is filed correctly. Emails will be automatically
filed
PI name &
contact
details:
Dr Marie Coggins
School:
School of Physics
Has project
been agreed
with head (or
nominee) of
proposed
registration
school?
Research
Centre /
group
affiliation:
Member of the Environment and Health and the Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies (C-CAPS), research groups
within Ryan Institute NUI, Galway
Research
http://www.ryaninstitute.ie/research/
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
group /
centre
website:
PI website /
link to CV:
http://www.nuigalway.ie/faculties_departments/physics/staff_pages/m_coggins/
Brief summary of PI research / research group / centre activity (2 or 3 lines max):
If you are already involved in relevant scholarly activities relating to Brazil, please mention them here.
Lecturer in Occupational Hygiene, experience working in the area of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, working in research, industry and
academia. Her research interests include the assessment of environmental and occupational exposures and the completion of health based risk assessments.
Title & brief description of PhD project (suitable for publication on web):
Workplace intervention study for Occupational exposure to whole body and hand arm vibration in mining operations
Among the industries most likely to experience high vibration exposures are quarrying, and mining. Hand transmitted vibration is caused where vibrating
tools or equipment are gripped by the hand, and whole body vibration (WBV) occurs where the body is supported by a vibrating surface. Parameters such
as intensity of the vibration, frequency content and time of exposure all influence the degree of risk to the worker. Exposure to excessive levels of
mechanical vibration can lead to several disorders affecting the vascular, neurological and musculoskeletal systems of the human body. Vibration white
finger (VWF) is a well document occupational disease associated with exposure to hand transmitted vibration. Information on exposure and exposure
determinants can be used to design effective workplace intervention programmes for the reduction of worker exposures. The objective of this study is to
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
characterise the occupational vibration exposures of workers in mining, and identify determinants of increased exposure.
Unique selling points of PhD project in NUI Galway:
NUI Galway projects should emphasise features that are not typically available in Brazil – specific equipment, multi-disciplinarity, aspects of structured
programme, links with industry, placements, links with other research groups etc.
PI has experience in experimental techniques required to measure occupational vibration magnitudes, and has supervised
research work which investigated Human vibration exposures in the construction sector. The student will be trained in-house.
The PI has worked with UK scientists at The Institute of Naval Medicine, UK, on previous NUIG lead projects on occupational
vibration exposure measurement.
Student will benefit from being embedded within research centres (CCAPS- Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies and
Centre of Health for the Environment) that have large researcher numbers and extensive research facilities.
Name & contact details for project queries, if different from PI named above:
Please indicate the graduates of which disciplines that should apply:
Health Science, Science, Engineering
Ciência sem Fronteiras / Science Without Borders Priority Area:
Please indicate the specific programme priority area under which the proposed PhD project fits- choose only one (tick box):
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
Engineering and other technological areas
Pure and Natural Sciences (e.g. mathematics, physics, chemistry)/Physical Sciences (Mathematics,
Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Geosciences)
Health and Biomedical Sciences / Clinical, Pré-clinical and Health Sciences
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), Computing
Aerospace
Pharmaceuticals
Sustainable Agricultural Production
Oil, Gas and Coal
Renewable Energy
Minerals, Minerals Technology
Biotechnology
Nanotechnology and New Materials
Technologies for Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Disasters
Bioprospecting and Biodiversity
Marine Sciences
Creative Industry
New technologies in constructive engineering
x
x
Please indicate which of the following applies to this project (referring to Science Without Borders arrangements):
Suitable only as a Full PhD (Y/N): _ y____
Available to candidates seeking a Sandwich PhD arrangement (Y/N): __y___
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
Suitable for either/Don’t know: yes