英国布莱顿大学体内电化学博士后职位

英国布莱顿大学体内电化学博士后职位

Research Fellow in Vivo Electrochemistry

University Of Brighton

Description

We are currently seeking a Research Fellow to work on an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) project, to provide research support to a project that is focused on the development of a drug-eluting in vivo electrochemical probe to monitor age-related lower bowel dysfunction.

Increasing age is frequently associated with a build-up of faeces in the large bowel due to difficult, infrequent, and incomplete emptying of the bowel (chronic constipation) as well as leaking of bowel contents (feacal incontinence). These are known as age-related bowel disorders. Over one third of the over 65-year-olds in the community and more than half of those in care homes will suffer these age-related bowel disorders. To the sufferer the symptoms can cause significant embarrassment, loss of dignity and quality of life. To the health service the cost of treating such conditions reached £1 billion in 2010. The number of people aged 65 and over will increase by more than 40% within 20 years, making this a major social and economic problem. Therefore, there needs to be an approach that allows for the early detection of predictive markers of age-related bowel disorders so that effective treatment can commence at an early stage, delaying/preventing the onset of the disorder and extending healthspan.

To resolve these challenges this project begins our journey. Within this project we will develop a novel in vivo electrochemical probe to monitor, understand and track age-related changes in the lower bowel function. The longer-term goal is to utilise the probe as a theranostic device for the early detection of age-related lower bowel dysfunction. This will be achieved by the following objectives: (i) Convert the ex vivo electrochemical sensor into a drug-eluting in vivo probe (H.H.B. Hamzah et al, Anal. Chem., 2019, 91 (18), 12014-12020); (ii) Enhance the sensitivity and linear range of the in vivo probe to monitor contractions and mucosal signalling markers and (iii) Monitor in vivo age-related changes in lower bowel signalling and function.

In order to be successful in this post, you should have:

Informal enquires may be addressed to Professor Bhavik Patel (b.a.patel@brighton.ac.uk).