Unravelling the foreign body responses to implantable synthetic polymers

· Full time opportunity for 3.5 years

· Use your expertise in conducting research for the Faculty’s research agenda

· Annual Stipend of $41,753 p.a.

About the Opportunity

Australia is committed to becoming an international leader in technology innovation by 2030, as a pathway towards bolstering the country’s economic strength and healthcare quality. A growing global demand for implantable technology, ranging from medical devices, cosmetics, and consumer electronics, represents a market with a projected compound annual growth rate of approximately 7% from 2020 to 2027, that is estimated to reach a value of nearly $155 billion USD by 2026. However, for implantable materials to functionally perform they must seamlessly integrate with the body. This requires proper fitting to the surrounding complex anatomy where the material is implanted, as well as overcoming foreign body responses (FBR), a mechanism by which the body rejects foreign materials. Failure to address these two key aspects results in the development of fibrosis around the implant which compromises the material’s effectiveness and longevity. Addressing these challenges is critical to Australia’s future manufacture of implantable technology that better integrate with our bodies and maintain performance over time. This project will provide new biological insight into its foreign body responses using next generation spatial tissue profiling, aiming to discover novel biological processes in fibrosis-driven implant failure. The project will also develop a high-throughput animal model that can non-invasively track these failure responses to the implanted polymers in real-time.

We are currently seeking to appoint a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) student in Bioengineering

Your key responsibilities will be to :

· conduct research relating to innate immune responses towards implantable devices and materials

· assist with in vitro characterisation of biomaterials to evaluate biological responses of key innate immune cell phenotypes

· lead experiments involving pre-clinical in vivo models and post-hoc histological analysis

· contribute to writing scientific publications and contributing to innovative research directions focused on developing strategies to mitigate foreign body responses to implanted biomaterials

Eligibility criteria:  

· have a Bachelors and/or preferably an Honours Degree in a relevant academic field

· demonstrated experience in animal handling and surgery

· experience in cell culture, ELISA, western blot, qPCR, histology, and/or immunohistochemistry staining

· knowledge of and willingness to learn more about tissue-material interfaces and foreign body responses

· knowledge of and willingness to learn more about spatial transcriptomic analysis platforms including 10x Xenium

· ability to work independently and as an integral member of a multidisciplinary team. 

How to apply

 Applications (including a cover letter, CV, and any additional supporting documentation) will be requested following a Registration of Interest through the button at the top right of the page. For a confidential discussion about the role, or if you require reasonable adjustment or support filling out this application, please contact Dr. Richard Tan at [email protected]