PhD Studentship : Development of a Paper-Based Lateral Flow assay Platform for the Point-of-Care Management of Coagulopathy

Development of a paper-based lateral flow assay platform for the point-of-care management of coagulopathy

An opportunity to apply for a funded full-time PhD in the College of Health, Science and Society, UWE Bristol. The studentship will be funded by the UWE Wallscourt Foundation.

This is a prestigious and fully-funded PhD studentship supported by the Wallscourt Foundation, a charitable organisation with historic links to UWE Bristol.

Coagulopathies cause excessive bleeding or clotting, resulting in extensive morbidity and mortality. Venous thromboembolism is the cause of one-in-four deaths worldwide, while maternal death rates due to post-partum haemorrhage are extremely high in resource-poor regions. In the developed world, acute bleeding and thrombosis may emerge from precipitating events such as trauma, or relate to pre-existing risk factors, exacerbated by age, infirmity, and comorbidity. Testing for coagulopathy remains largely confined to the hospital, and a lack of early, rapid, and accessible testing delays or prevents diagnosis and treatment, increasing the risk of death and disability. There is, as yet no screening panel that has the potential to be cost-effective and deployable in prehospital emergency/distributed care, or in low-resource environments where access to a healthcare system is not available.

On-going research at UWE Bristol is exploring the development of a multi-assay platform for the diagnosis and management of coagulopathies which is simple and sustainable for deployment at the point-of-care and in low-resource settings. To achieve this, the technology is based on the emerging concept of ‘frugal innovation’ and employs paper-based lateral flow assay platforms. UWE has already developed a number of such assays for assessing blood coagulation.

This project will focus on the development of novel assay strategies to detect both quantitative and qualitative abnormalities of platelets and Von Willebrand Factor in clotting. Through an understanding of the cellular and biochemical processes involved in platelet activation and the lateral flow behaviour of blood samples, we will develop novel assay strategies to identify and quantify these abnormalities and test them in patient cohorts with our healthcare partners.

The longer term goal will look to integrate these assays into a fully integrated diagnostic platform and explore its deployment.

For an informal discussion about the studentship, please email tony.killard@uwe.ac.uk

The studentship is available from 1^st April 2025 for a period of three years, subject to satisfactory progress and includes a tax exempt stipend, which is currently £19,237 per annum. 

Applicants must have a BSc degree (2:1) or equivalent, or MSc degree (or equivalent) in an appropriate biological or bioanalytical discipline and ideally will have a First class relevant BSc/MSc (or equivalent).  The studentship is open to UK Home students only.

Please submit your application online. When prompted use the reference number 2425-APRIL-CHSS03

Supporting documentation: you will need to upload your research proposal, all your degree certificates and transcripts and your proof of English language proficiency as attachments to your application.

References: you will need to provide details of two referees as part of your application. At least one referee must be an academic referee from the institution that conferred your highest degree. Your referee will be asked for a reference at the time you submit your application, so please ensure that your nominated referees are willing and able to provide references within 14 days of your application being submitted. 

The closing date for applications is 23^rd February 2025.

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