Post Doctoral Research Fellow

The Skin Sensing Research Group (SSRG) is offering a unique opportunity to deliver research activities as part of an Experimental Medicine grant funded by the Medical Research Council.  This project will investigate how temperature impacts the function and comfort of the skin when this is subjected to pressure and shear, and how this varies with age and clinical status. The findings will be translated to support innovation in the design of healthcare and user-centred technologies, such as support mattresses, clothing, and medical devices that control skin temperature and help maintaining skin health across the life course. 

Your role

Pressure ulcers (PUs) are a localised damage to the skin resulting from prolonged periods of pressure and shear when lying, sitting, or wearing a medical device such as a face mask. PUs worsen people's quality of life and they are also very costly to healthcare providers such as the NHS. Cooling the skin is a promising approach to increase the skin's resilience to damage induced by prolonged periods of pressure (e.g. when one is bedridden) or repeated rubbing against a hard surface (i.e. shear stress). Yet, we still do not know enough about why and how cooling makes the skin more resilient to pressure and shear. 

As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, you will design and conduct a series of lab-based trials to examine the effects of cooling on the physiological and perceptual tolerance of human skin to mechanical loading in younger and older healthy participants, as well as in sub-cohort of patients with a spinal cord-injury. The programme of research will include an innovative combination of non-invasive techniques including: 1) microvascular Laser Doppler Flowmetry; 2) inflammatory biomarker sampling from skin sebum; 3) structural and functional imaging via Optical Coherence Tomography; 4) biophysical modelling of skin friction; 5) quantitative sensory testing. The project aims to fundamentally change our understanding of normal and pathological skin function and this knowledge will be translated to support innovation of assistive thermal technologies that maintain skin health across the life course. 

Applications for Research Fellow positions will be considered from candidates who are working towards or nearing completion of a relevant PhD qualification. The title of Research Fellow will be applied upon successful completion of the PhD.  Prior to the qualification being awarded the title of Senior Research Assistant will be given.

What we can offer you

This will be a multidisciplinary project within the SSRG and will leverage expertise and facilities hosted within the Clinical Academic Facility (CAF) located within Southampton General Hospital. The CAF is a leading centre for clinical and biomedical research, and it will provide a world-class environment for your professional development, as well as avenues for clinical translation. Within SSRG you will be exposed to additional opportunities for further development in research and enterprise, which will contribute to your career progression. 

For informal discussions on the post, please contact Dr Davide Filingeri d.filingeri@soton.ac.uk 

Advert information