PhD Studentship: Understanding the Healthcare Sustainability Potential of Long-Acting Therapeutics Through Life Cycle Assessment

Department: Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering
Title: Understanding the Healthcare Sustainability Potential of Long-Acting Therapeutics Through Life Cycle Assessment
Application deadline: 09/05/2025
Research theme: "Sustainable Materials and Processes" "Health and Environmental Systems" "Life Cycle Thinking in Healthcare"
How to apply:

How many positions: 1 

This 3.5 year PhD is fully funded for home students. The successful candidate will receive a tax free stipend set at the UKRI rate (£19,237 for 2024/25) and tuition fees will be paid. We expect the stipend to increase each year. 

Long-acting therapeutics (LATs) have the potential to transform healthcare by improving treatment adherence, reducing the frequency of dosing, and minimising pharmaceutical waste. However, the full sustainability impact of LATs compared to conventional dosing regimens is not yet well understood. This PhD project will investigate the life cycle environmental footprint of LATs, identifying key opportunities for sustainability gains and informing the future design and manufacturing of more sustainable pharmaceuticals.
This project is part of the National Hub for Advanced Long-acting Therapeutics (HALo), a major UKRI-funded initiative that brings together leading universities, industry partners, and policymakers to establish the UK as a global leader in LAT research and development. As a PhD researcher within HALo, you will have the opportunity to work at the forefront of sustainability science, pharmaceutical innovation, and inform healthcare policy.

This project will:
Apply Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies to quantify the environmental impact of LATs across their full life cycle – from raw material sourcing to patient use and disposal.
Compare LATs with conventional drug formulations, identifying sustainability trade-offs and the most environmentally beneficial long-acting strategies.
Assess the resource intensity of LAT manufacturing, exploring opportunities for improved efficiency and waste reduction,.
Generate critical sustainability insights that will inform pharmaceutical industry stakeholders, policymakers, and researchers developing next-generation LATs.

Why Join This PhD?
Work on a high-impact research challenge – Contribute to real-world efforts to make the pharmaceutical industry more sustainable.
Be part of a national research hub – Collaborate with leading scientists in HALo at institutions including University of Liverpool, University of Nottingham, and Queen’s University Belfast.
Gain expertise in sustainability assessment and healthcare innovation – Develop key skills in LCA, circular economy principles, and sustainable materials.
Career-enhancing opportunities – Present your work at international conferences, engage with industry leaders, and build expertise at the intersection of science, engineering, and policy.

Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 honours degree or a master’s (or international equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering related discipline.

To apply, please contact the supervisor, Dr Gallego Schmid - alejandro.gallegoschmid@manchester.ac.uk, for this project before you apply. Please include details of your current level of study, academic background and any relevant experience and include a paragraph about your motivation to study this PhD project.

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