PhD Project Opportunities

Project 1: Computational and experimental studies of nasal surgical manoeuvres

Disordered nasal airflow can lead to significant impairment in quality-of-life. As the incidence of nasal airway obstruction is high, surgery to relieve nasal obstruction is a commonly performed elective procedure. The engineering discipline of fluid dynamics provides highly detailed information on airflow behaviour that can reveal precise causes of obstruction and the effects of corrective surgery. Experimental fluid dynamics (EFD) using PIV and PLIF at CSIRO, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) using Ansys-Fluent provide visualisation and analysis of flow properties.

This PhD project will:

• use an integrated computational-experimental approach to study the effects of surgical manoeuvres in the nose, in the form of "virtual surgery" on computer models, then compare the results with test subjects undergoing routine surgery, thus leading to a rational scientific basis for each technique;
• exploit fluid dynamics principles as the scientific foundation to develop novel, efficacious surgical techniques, without requiring experimentation on actual patients;
• impact upon the practice of Otolaryngology by providing scientific evidence-based results that prove precisely which surgical manoeuvres are effective in nasal airway obstruction surgery.

The work will involve ENT surgeons and fluid dynamics engineers.

Value and duration

This is for a PhD Scholarship, or a top-up scholarship, for a period of 3 years. The value of the scholarship is up to $31,000 per year. For a candidate already holding a scholarship, a top-up of up to $10,000 per year is available for work on this project.

Number of scholarships available

One

Eligibility

• Have a Degree (or equivalent Masters by Research) in engineering or related discipline, biomedical, physics, or related discipline.
• Be an Australian citizen, Australian Permanent Resident, or a self-funded international student.
• Preferably have research experience involving computational modelling, image processing, and experimental techniques.
• Possess a strong desire to study fluid dynamics using computational and experimental techniques, and passion for modern supercomputing.

How to apply

Applicants should contact Dr Kiao Inthavong (contact details on his RMIT staff profile) to discuss eligibility.

Open date

Applications are open as of 14 December 2018.

Project 2: Computational and experimental studies of targeted nasal drug delivery

Nasal drug delivery has emerged as a potential for systemic and possibly pulmonary treatment. It offers an interesting alternative for achieving systemic therapeutic effects of drugs that are comparable to the parenteral route — which can be inconvenient at times — or oral administration, which can result in unacceptably low drug bioavailability. Targeted and controlled delivery devices will enable opportunities for new drugs to be delivered to targeted sites such as the olfactory region, sinuses, and even the pulmonary region.

Drug delivery efficiency in a realistic human nasal cavity for a variety of aerosol drug administration systems targeting the olfactory region will be investigated. Outcomes of this work will lead to new innovative delivery device designs for effective respiratory treatment.

This project will involve experimental fluid dynamics (EFD) using PIV and PLIF at CSIRO, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) using Ansys-Fluent aimed at providing practical solutions to improving drug delivery efficiency of inhalation therapy devices. Experimental measurements will be performed using both light scattering methods and high-speed photography.

Value and duration

This is for a PhD Scholarship, or a top-up scholarship, for a period of 3 years. The value of the scholarship is up to $31,000 per year. For a candidate already holding a scholarship, a top-up of up to $10,000 per year is available for work on this project.

Number of scholarships available

One

Eligibility

• Have a Degree (or equivalent Masters by Research) in engineering or related discipline, biomedical, physics, or related discipline.
• Be an Australian citizen, Australian Permanent Resident, or a self-funded international student.
• Preferably have research experience involving computational modelling, image processing, and experimental techniques.
• Possess a strong desire to study fluid dynamics using computational and experimental techniques, and passion for modern supercomputing.

How to apply

Applicants should contact Dr Kiao Inthavong (contact details on his RMIT staff profile) to discuss eligibility.

Open date

Applications are open as of 14 December 2018.