Research Fellow in Ultrasound Rewarming
Applications are invited for a research position to work on the development of ultrasound rewarming of biological cells and tissues after cryopreservation within the Biomedical Ultrasound Group at UCL.
The project is part of a larger UKRI funded research program to develop a system and methods for ultrasonic rewarming of biological cells and tissues after cryopreservation (storage at low temperatures). Storage by cryopreservation has the potential to facilitate the increased availability of cells, tissues, and organs for transplant and tissue and cell therapies. A significant barrier to this is the rewarming of clinical-scale volumes without damage (current clinical standard techniques are restricted to <3 ml). To avoid damage, samples must be warmed quickly and uniformly. However, for volumes of more than a few ml, this is not possible using existing standard water bath methods, so the development of volumetric rewarming methods is needed. The aim of this research program is to develop a novel ultrasonic warming technology for larger volumes of cells and tissues. As ultrasound passes through biological materials, energy is deposited as heat. By controlling the pattern of ultrasound waves throughout the tissue volume, energy can be deposited where needed for uniform and rapid warming.
Key aspects of this project will include designing experimental set ups to integrate cells and tissues with ultrasound delivery systems, and optimising parameters for ultrasound warming by assessing cell viability and function post warming.
The post offers an opportunity to conduct research at an internationally leading university and contribute to the state-of-the-art in medical and therapeutic applications of ultrasound. The appointed person will work in a multidisciplinary team led by Dr Elly Martin (UKRI Future Leaders Fellow). The postholder will be affiliated with the Wellcome / EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences (WEISS), and will work in collaboration with the BioArtificial Liver research group at UCL Institute for Liver & Digestive Health.
The post is available from November 2020, initially funded for 3 years with possible extension subject to funding.
Closing date: 18th October 2020
Research Fellow in Biomedical Ultrasound
Applications are invited for a postdoctoral research position to work on experimental ultrasound measurements for ultrasound therapy within the Biomedical Ultrasound Group at UCL.
The post holder will join the programme of experimental work which spans several projects and applications within the Biomedical Ultrasound Group. These projects form part of larger research programs focused on therapeutic applications of ultrasound including ultrasonic neuromodulation, and the development of ultrasonic rewarming of biological cells and tissues after cryopreservation (storage at low temperatures).
The work will involve the characterisation of laboratory and clinical ultrasound sources, measurement of ultrasound fields, designing and building experimental setups and phantoms for validation of computational models of ultrasound propagation in complex media, development of ultrasound metrology techniques including those suitable for the measurement of high intensity fields, characterisation of the acoustic properties of materials, measurement of secondary effects such as ultrasonic heating.
The post is available from November 2020, initially funded for 2 years with possible extension subject to funding.
Closing date: 18th October 2020
