PhD projects available for an October 2024 start

I am currently recruiting two PhD students for an October 2023 start, in the fields of biophotonics and computational microscopy The projects are suitable for a student with a strong first degree in the physical sciences, a good grounding in optical physics, and an aptitude for computer programming (our preferred language is Python). If you are a strong student who would be a competitive applicant for the scholarship schemes described further down this page, we can also discuss other possible research topics connected with my research interests - contact me by email to discuss.

Cell-level biophotonic measurement of forces in living, moving tissue

New advanced imaging technologies such as single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) arrays allow detailed measurements of individual photons emitted by living tissue via fluorescence. This includes measurements of fluorescence lifetimes, a sensitive probe of the molecular environment and mechanical forces present in living cells. Researchers are starting to use these probes to understand for the first time how forces and related biophysical processes at a subcellular level influence organ development, normal function and disease pathology. It is particularly hard to make and interpret these measurements in the moving environment of a living organisms, since the measurements typically require long integration times of many seconds.

This project will research new biophotonic approaches for measuring forces via fluorescence lifetime probes in living, moving organisms. Until recently this has seemed impossible, but recent advances in optics (fast single-photon imaging cameras), biology (genetic modification approaches), chemistry (force-sensitive fluorescent probes) mean that this challenge is now within reach. The student will design and construct new optical and computational systems to tackle this challenge, collaborating with hardware manufacturers to get the most out of cutting-edge technologies, and collaborating closely with biological collaborators to apply our research to answer real-world biological questions.

More details here, or contact me for more info.

Strong applicants from anywhere worldwide interested in these projects or other topics within my research interests can potentially be nominated for competitive scholarship funding (contact me urgently - deadline for completed formal application is 31st January at the latest) - see details in next sections below.

Computational image reconstruction for dynamic biological samples

New microscope designs developed by optical researchers are revolutionising biomedical research by providing rapid 3D+time imaging of live biological samples. The raw data acquired often requires further computational processing, such as deconvolution and multi-view fusion, to deliver the best images. This project will research new computational strategies for reconstructing high-quality images of moving samples, in circumstances where that motion would previously have irretrievably corrupted the data acquisition. Questions to be explored within this project include:

• Can we deduce and correct for motion even when we have no external information on what that motion was?
• Can we use computational approaches to fill in missing or locally-corrupted image content in space and time?
• Can “classical” physics-led algorithms perform just as well as machine-learning based approaches?
• Can our approaches deliver improved performance even on unmodified commercial microscope platforms?

More details here, or contact me for more info.

Strong applicants from anywhere worldwide interested in these projects or other topics within my research interests can potentially be nominated for competitive scholarship funding (contact me urgently - deadline for completed formal application is 31st January at the latest) - see details in next sections below.

Environment and funding

Both projects will involve close collaboration with an industrial partner (leading UK microscopy companies) as well as biomedical research collaborators seeking to use our techniques to further their own research studies. You will experience broad interdisciplinary training, becoming an expert in optical microscopy, instrumentation technology development, and also develop a working understanding of the biomedical research applications that are driving our work. During the PhD you will be embedded in the Imaging Concepts Group (ICG) at the University of Glasgow, a research group in which individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds are all supported to thrive. Our group consists of four academics and 15-20 postdocs, research fellows and PhD students all working on related aspects of optical imaging, with a strong focus on biomedical applications including cardiovascular and ocular biomedicine.

Prospective PhD students

I normally advertise PhD projects on findaphd.com from around November each year, but if you are interested in a particular research area where I am not advertising a specific project, let’s talk about it. I may have one or more fully-funded projects available in any given year.

There are also various scholarship routes available for a suitably-qualified applicant. In all these cases, applications must be made via the university, with varying deadlines, so you should contact me well in advance to discuss this:

• Scottish-resident applicants with a strong first-class degree are eligible for Glasgow University scholarship funding. Contact me by early December; internal selection early January.
• Black UK-domiciled students can apply for the James McCune Smith PhD Scholarships; final application deadline 31st January. In addition to full funding these provide an enhanced experience through external mentors, placements, leadership training, community-building activities and networking opportunities. Contact me by early December (guidance available for putting together an application); application deadline end of January.
• Chinese applicants with a high-achieving undergraduate GPA are eligible for the China Scholarship Council scheme. Contact me by December; internal selection late January.
• Non-UK applicants with a high-achieving undergraduate GPA are eligible for the College Scholarship scheme. Contact me by December; internal selection late January.

I wrote some general guidance for prospective PhD applicants here.

To submit a formal PhD application to the university, use this link.

Prospective postdoctoral researchers

I advertise funded postdoctoral vacancies on jobs.ac.uk as and when they become available.

If you want to develop your own research ideas and join my lab, please get in touch to discuss my supporting you with a fellowship application. We have previously hosted a number of research fellows, including a Marie Curie postdoctoral fellow and an EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellow.

Coming to Scotland

Scotland is a friendly and welcoming country, with Glasgow being located on the beautiful west coast. Glasgow has a thriving cultural scene, is a great city to be based in for access to the outdoors, and has a very affordable cost of living. Hiking, mountain biking, sea kayaking and mountaineering are just some of the activities that our group members enjoy. Scotland’s mountains are small by global standards, but are wild and remote, and liberal land access laws mean you can basically roam and explore anywhere you want!