Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Additive manufacturing (AM) encompasses a wide range of processes that create structures through deposition or binding of materials in successive layers to produce a 3D object. Our research group are experts in conventional thermoplastic processing, and particularly injection molding to produce drug delivery devices. We are uniquely placed in our use of Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF), a thermoplastic, high pressure, droplet deposition printer.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project This PhD project will develop advanced biodegradable implants for the localised and sustained delivery of anti-inflammatory drugs to treat arthritis. The research will focus on the use of 3D printing technologies to fabricate implants that are anatomically tailored to individual patients, enhancing therapeutic precision and comfort.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project According to WHO, cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, with nearly 1 in 6 deaths been due to cancer. The principal modes of cancer management are surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and pharmaceutical agents. However, there are many side effects from extant treatments e.g., invasiveness of surgery, and with other treatments being systemic in nature; therefore, only a small fraction of the drugs reaches the tumour site.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Would you like to join a highly dynamic, international research group to develop super small drug nanocrystals (NCs)? In this project, you will develop drug NCs of ~100 nm to target intracellular organelles.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Antimicrobial resistance is a global health challenge and there is an urgent need for precision antimicrobials that can eradicate pathogens and biofilms without driving broad-spectrum resistance. This project develops and evaluates bacteriophage-derived proteins (endolysins, depolymerases, and receptor-binding proteins/tail fibre derivatives) as next-generation antimicrobials. The successful candidate will: 1.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project The incidence of infection associated with indwelling medical devices is considerable and increases with the dwell time and location of the device. This results in significant morbidity and mortality. Following microbial colonisation on the surface of the device, a microbial biofilm is formed, an ecosystem that offers increased resistance to antimicrobial chemotherapy. Hydrogels are hydrophilic polymers that are used as coatings for urinary medical devices.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Intermittent urinary catheterisation is commonly used to address chronic urinary retention in patients suffering from conditions such as spinal cord injury, stroke, and multiple sclerosis. The majority of intermittent catheters are designed as single-use lubricated devices and as such can be associated with a high cumulative cost – the UK's National Health Service (NHS) spends >£88 million annually on intermittent catheters.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Proteases are classically viewed as degradative enzymes that function in the cytoplasm or extracellular space. Emerging evidence reveals a surprising role for specific proteases within the nucleus, where they influence key processes such as chromatin remodelling, transcriptional control, and DNA repair.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Current clinical therapies often rely on intermittent drug administration, such as frequent oral tablets or injections, as seen in diabetes management. However, drug concentrations in the bloodstream tend to drop below therapeutic levels within hours, necessitating frequent doses.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project With the increasing prevalence of debilitating eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and dry-eye syndromes, there is a pressing need for the development of novel therapeutic strategies. The development and testing of an ophthalmic drug currently rely mainly on animal models, which may require many years before results can be translated into clinical practice.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project One in two cancer patients will receive radiotherapy as part of their standard-of-care treatment. For patients with a localised cancer diagnosis effective radiotherapy represents the best chance for a curative outcome but is not without risk. Significant advancements in radiotherapy administration have helped minimise off-target effects.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Humans have been fighting viruses throughout history, from smallpox, Ebola, HIV to SARS, MERS and Zika, which have costed billions of lives and made severe socio-economic impacts irreversibly. Amid the unprecedented COVID-19 global crisis, it has now never been more imperative and urgent to search and develop cost-effective, eco-friendly and broad-spectrum antiviral agents.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project One in two people will develop cancer in their lifetime and it is a leading cause of death. While significant progress has been made in the treatment of some cancers, there still remain some forms of the disease with limited treatment options and poor outcome.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Minimally invasive microneedles (MNs) offer unique opportunities to address current challenges in the effective management of ocular disorders, such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. There is a clear unmet clinical need for efficient, safe, minimally/non-invasive and patient-friendly strategies for the treatment of prevalent diseases of the posterior segment of the eye.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project This project aims to develop and validate an advanced microfluidic lung-on-a-chip platform that uses cutting-edge 3D printing technologies to recreate the airway microenvironment of patients affected by chronic respiratory infection, including those with cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, and COPD.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Ocular drug delivery presents one of the greatest challenges in pharmaceutical science, largely due to the eye’s unique anatomy, which limits drug permeation to the intended site of action. Traditional methods, such as topical (e.g., eye drops) and systemic (e.g., oral tablets) delivery, often result in sub-therapeutic drug levels due to multiple ocular barriers.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Ocular drug delivery remains a major challenge due to the eye’s complex anatomy and dynamic protective barriers that restrict drug absorption. Dry eye disease (DED), a highly prevalent and multifactorial condition, is typically managed with frequent instillation of lubricating or anti-inflammatory eye drops.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Medical device-related fungal infections caused by Candida spp., e.g., in urinary catheters, account for 17.8% of catheter-associated urinary tract infections, posing significant health risks, especially in individuals with compromised immunity. Antifungal treatments are often delayed or ineffective due to the growing issue of antifungal resistance, such as azole-resistant Candida .
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Three drug products are now available to prevent HIV prevention: Truvada®/ Descovy®—daily oral pills containing the antiretroviral drugs emtricitabine and tenofovir DapiRing®—a vaginal ring device release dapivirine for 28-day (invented and developed in part here at Queen's University Belfast) Apretude®—a long-acting injectable product containing the antiretroviral cabotegravir However, other product types are needed to further improve efficacy and…
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project The project aims to develop next-generation delivery systems that combine the structural advantages of lipid nanoparticles with the targeting and membrane-translocating properties of peptides. While LNPs have demonstrated remarkable success in clinical mRNA delivery, their broader application is limited by challenges such as poor cell-type selectivity and inefficient endosomal escape.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a chronic airways disease caused by mutations in a cAMP-dependent chloride channel called the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). In the lungs, defective ion channel activity and mucus obstruction results in chronic cycles of infection and inflammation, with tissue damage leading to progressive lung function decline and premature death.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project This PhD project will develop biodegradable implants for the localised treatment of solid tumours using combination therapy. The implants will be primarily fabricated using melt-processing techniques, enabling scalable and reproducible production of drug-loaded devices. These implants will be designed to deliver a combination of anticancer drugs and radiosensitisers, such as gold nanoparticles, directly to the tumour site.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project In-cell quantification of drug concentrations is fundamentally important to drug function, efficacy and toxicity, and for understanding and accurately predicting drug interactions and inter-subject variability in drug response (either on-target or off-target effects).
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Medical care has transformed over the last century with significant improvements in the variety and extent to which various diseases can be treated and/or prevented. One of the most transformative factors has been the increased use of indwelling medical devices, particularly in critical care, such as endotracheal tubes, intravenous catheters, and urinary catheters.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Recent advances in nutritional science and technological innovation have led to pioneering methods for delivering essential nutrients that the body cannot produce in sufficient amounts, such as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Natural, food-based materials like cacao, honey, and milk, with their complex compositions of polyphenols, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids, serve as multifunctional excipients.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project The development and testing of drugs currently rely mainly on animal models, which may require many years before results can be translated into clinical practice. The development of new medicines is resource-intensive, and the high costs of development and attrition rates in drug development represent significant challenges for the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare providers and patients.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease represent a growing global health burden, with limited treatment options that effectively target the brain. One of the major challenges in developing therapeutics for these conditions is the blood-brain barrier, which restricts access of systemically administered drugs to the central nervous system.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Biofilms, complex multi-species consortia of microorganisms existing either as surface attached communities or non-surface-attached aggregates, are characterised by significantly elevated tolerance to antimicrobial challenges and often an inability to adequately treat the infection with conventional antibiotics.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive airways diseases associated with cycles of infection and inflammation, lung tissue destruction and pulmonary decline. Intensive management needs and frequency in hospitalization give rise to significant treatment costs (UK £4.7 bn & USA $42.6 bn pa).
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a major global risk to human health by causing death, disability, longer hospitalisations, and increased healthcare costs. In respiratory diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and COPD, the lungs are colonized by diverse polymicrobial bacterial communities. Inhaled antibiotics are currently only used in the treatment of chronic P.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Various strategies have been widely investigated as enabling technologies to enhance drug compounds that face challenges in terms of delivering the intended clinical efficacy, processibility across a range of production methods, and stability during manufacturing, storage and drug delivery.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Medicines optimisation at the end of life is essential in palliative and end of life care, where the priority shifts from disease treatment to enhancing quality of life and minimising harm. Previous studies have shown that PIMs in patients with palliative care needs are linked to negative outcomes, including reduced quality of life and increased symptom burden.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Progress in drug design has led to the development of new peptides, proteins, and drug molecules. However, the limited ability to deliver selectively these molecules at well-defined dosing regimens and without invoking drug-resistance remains a significant challenge. Another challenging aspect of some smaller sized biologics is the clearance rate. Certain modifications are required to enable effective residency time in the body.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Though immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of cancer to improve disease outcomes, an array of challenges remain that limit wider clinical success, including low rate of response and immune-related adverse events. Targeting immunomodulatory drugs to therapeutically relevant tissues offers a way to overcome these challenges by potentially enabling enhanced therapeutic efficacy and decreased incidence of side effects.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Infection development, including surgical site infections (SSI) and urinary tract infections (UTI), remains a major cause of morbidity, prolonged hospital stay, and antimicrobial use. Many of the causative organisms of these infections originate in the gut, and growing evidence suggests the gut microbiome may be a modifiable driver of infection risk.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Oxidative stress is a defining feature of several chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetic complications, and neurodegenerative disorders. In these conditions, affected tissues exhibit dramatically elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and glutathione, often 4 to 20 times higher than in healthy tissue.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Summary descriptive text / Example of research project Lactoferrin Lactoferrin is a multifunctional globular protein. As a component of the body’s immune system, it has broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and is produced in various body fluids, including vaginal fluid.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Provide a brief description of the project Progress in drug design has led to the development of new peptides, proteins, and drug molecules. However, the limited ability to deliver selectively these molecules at well-defined dosing regimens and without invoking drug-resistance remains a significant challenge. Therefore, the development of effective therapies relies on the development of effective carriers that can mitigate these challenges.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project This PhD project explores the development and mechanistic evaluation of advanced disinfection technologies targeting bacterial spores and biofilm-forming pathogens on hard surfaces and medical devices.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Pathological retinal neovascularisation is a leading cause of vision loss globally which is characteristic of diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and retinopathy of prematurity, collectively affecting >300 million people worldwide.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) present a significant clinical challenge, affecting millions worldwide and often leading to severe complications, including infection and amputation. Standard treatments frequently fall short due to issues such as slow wound healing, susceptibility to bacterial infection, and inadequate moisture control.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Bovine mastitis has already been recognized as one of the most serious problems that affects milk production and quality, resulting in large financial losses to dairy farmers. The milk produced by sick cattle cannot be used for food production, and the cattle will suffer irreversible tissue damage because of infection.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Provide a brief description of the project HIV in women, girls and mother-to-child transmission in pregnancy remain a significant source of new infections and the needs of females are inadequately addressed.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Provide a brief description of the project Rationale: There is a significant need for innovative treatments to alleviate the burden of macular disease. For example, ~200M people worldwide suffer with age related macular degeneration (AMD) and is expected to rise further in line with an aging population. Current AMD therapy requires regular injections, every 4-8 weeks, into the eye of biologic drugs e.g.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Provide a brief description of the project There is an urgent need for new convenient drug delivery platforms to combat global health challenges in infectious disease, including malaria, and especially within low to middle-income countries (LMIC). In 2021, there were 247 million cases of malaria and almost half of the global population was at risk of infection.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Provide a brief description of the project Low to middle-income countries (LMIC) account for 95% of tuberculosis infections and deaths. Tuberculosis is currently the second highest infectious killer worldwide, after Covid-19, and is responsible for more deaths than HIV/AIDS. There is an urgent need for new convenient drug delivery systems to combat global health challenges in infectious disease, including tuberculosis.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Provide a brief description of the project Glioblastoma is the most aggressive and malignant form of brain tumour with ~3,200 new cases annually within the UK and a median survival of 15 months. A technology that could locally deliver multiple anticancer drugs with independent modes of action to the irregular shapes of the resected tumour cavity would significantly improve patient outcomes e.g.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Point-of-care (POC) diagnostic devices play a vital role in managing chronic diseases by enabling rapid, on-site testing and continuous monitoring. These technologies empower healthcare providers to make timely decisions, improve treatment precision, and reduce hospital visits. By integrating microfluidics and biosensors, cost-effective solutions that enhance patient outcomes in both primary and secondary care settings can be prepared.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Protein therapeutics are a fast-acting and potent class of medicine with remarkable success in the treatment of several relevant disorders. Despite significant advantages, therapeutic safety and efficacy are hampered by protein instability, short circulation half-life and immunogenicity.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project The student will be involved in an exciting project related to the design, formulation and in vitro/in vivo characterisation of super small drug nanocrystals with specific surface properties to enhance drug accumulation in target tissues, such as the lymphatic or central nervous systems. This approach will be applied to the treatment of infectious and degenerative diseases.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project A major problem associated with medical devices is infection. With infection rates of approaching 100% in some devices, ways to prevent formation of bacterial biofilm on medical device surfaces are urgently required. This project will develop methods in preventing the development of bacterial growth on polymer surfaces using a combination of strategies.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project According to WHO, cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, with nearly 1 in 6 deaths been due to cancer. The principal modes of cancer management are surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and pharmaceutical agents. However, there are many side effects from extant treatments e.g., invasiveness of surgery, and with other treatments being systemic in nature; therefore, only a small fraction of the drugs reaches the tumour site.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project PhD projects aim to develop advanced biomaterial-based and implantable drug delivery systems that address key clinical needs in oncology, urology, and chronic pain management. The research integrates pharmaceutical formulation, polymer science, and engineering to create innovative systems for localised, sustained, and controlled drug release.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project This PhD will design and develop ionic liquid–enabled supramolecular formulations capable of in situ sol-to-gel transition triggered by pathological microenvironmental cues such as acidic pH, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and enzyme activity. The project will combine computational prediction with experimental optimisation to engineer self-assembling, pathology-responsive depots for localised and sustained therapeutic delivery.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project A major problem associated with medical devices is infection. With infection rates of approaching 100% in some devices, ways to prevent formation of bacterial biofilm on medical device surfaces are urgently required. This project will develop methods in preventing the development of bacterial growth on polymer surfaces using a combination of strategies.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Provide a brief description of the project Lipid-based drug delivery systems offer tremendous potential for addressing unmet medical needs, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and infectious diseases. These nanocarriers encapsulate a wide array of active pharmaceutical ingredients, from small-molecule drugs to proteins and nucleic acids, improving therapeutic efficacy while minimising off-target toxicity.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Almost all physiological processes are regulated through the activation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). It has become widely accepted that most GPCRs possess binding sites spatially distinct from their natural ligand binding site (orthosteric site), termed as allosteric sites. These allosteric sites can be targeted by small molecule ligands to modulate the receptor responsiveness to their natural ligand.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Major abdominal surgery is a metabolically and psychologically significant event associated with prolonged recovery and convalescence. Patients experience debilitating post-operative fatigue for up to three months even after uncomplicated abdominal surgery. Prolonged recovery is associated with significant physiological, psychological and social disturbances.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Medicines are a cornerstone of chronic disease management, including for people living with dementia (PLWD), who frequently experience polypharmacy and complex medication regimens. These challenges are particularly acute for community-dwelling PLWD, especially those without regular carer support. Inappropriate prescribing and poor adherence can lead to adverse outcomes such as falls, hospitalisation and increased treatment burden.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project This research explores the transformative role of digital technologies, particularly machine learning, microfluidics, and bioprinting, in advancing pharmaceutical design and therapeutic delivery. By integrating data-driven modeling with precision fabrication techniques, the project aims to develop smart drug delivery systems tailored to individual patient needs.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Recent advances in cancer research are highlighting the potential of nanoparticles to address the challenges posed by "cold" tumours. These tumours occur in a non-inflammatory, immunosuppressive environment, which compromises the effectiveness of treatments. However, the use of multifunctional nanoparticles offers promising opportunities to transform the tumour microenvironment, enhance immune responses, and promote tumour rejection.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Pharmacy
Queen’s University Belfast
About the Project Critically ill patients often depend on life-saving devices such as breathing tubes, called endotracheal tubes (ETTs), to help them breathe when they cannot do so on their own. However, ETTs can increase the risk of a serious lung infection called ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). VAP is one of the most common infections picked up in intensive care units, responsible for 3,000-6,000 deaths in the UK each year.
- Location
- Belfast, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only