Research Officer in Biomedical Engineering

Location: Bay Campus, Swansea

About The University

Swansea University is a research-led university that has been making a difference since 1920. The University community thrives on exploration and discovery and offers the right balance of excellent teaching and research, matched by an enviable quality of life.

Our stunning waterfront campuses and multicultural community make us a desirable workplace for colleagues from around the world. Our reward and benefits, and ways of working enable those who join us to have enriching careers, matched by an excellent work-life balance.

About The Role

Protecting the extremities of dismounted soldiers presents several challenges, including the added weight and restricted movement from modern combat gear. Injuries caused by ballistic threats can result in significant and, in some cases, irreparable damage. Innovative materials and systems offer options to reduce the severity of bullet wounds. This project aims to develop materials and methods for wearable deployment capable of reducing injury severity while maintaining circulatory health and range of motion. Computational and experimental mechanics approaches will be deployed to streamline the design process.

The team specializes in cardiovascular system modelling, collaborating with patients and clinical teams to develop detailed and personalized models. Recent studies on compression garments examined how limb shape and composition (skin, fat ratios) affect limb biomechanics, mapping internal stresses across tissue depth and limb length based on laser-scanned limb geometry. Another project developed detailed cardiovascular networks to model pressures and flows in over 500 major vessels. These modelling approaches can be combined to understand the impact of external pressures on circulatory function, aiding the design of effective protective garments prior to fabrication and appropriate testing.

The BEST Lab combines computational and experimental expertise to provide fundamental insights, novel technologies, and translational research solutions. It supports interdisciplinary researchers from concept to manufacture, instrumentation, and testing, integrating advanced computational mechanics, machine learning, and data analytics. The lab's dynamic team of over 20 postgraduate students and research staff excels in both simulation and testing, producing high-quality research outputs and services for industry collaborators.

The facilities and infrastructure will enable model development, device design, fabrication, and evaluation. The project will be delivered in collaboration with a wider team in industry (research scientists) and academic partners (Imperial College London, academics, and research officers) who will contribute significantly towards the ballistic injury biomechanical testing components.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

The University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity in all its practices and activities. We aim to establish an inclusive environment and welcome diverse applications from the following protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality, ethnic and national origin), religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation.

Closing Date: 19 January 2025

Interview Date: 27 January 2024

Informal Enquiries

•  Hari Arora hari.arora@swansea.ac.uk
•  Raoul van Loon r.vanloon@swansea.ac.uk

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