Studentships

The candidate will be working on an exciting project on a novel fuel concept for the future low-carbon transport in the Centre for Advanced Powertrain and Fuels at Brunel University of London. The project will investigate the fundamentals of nanobubbles in liquid fuels and their applications in combustion engines. Molecular Dynamics (MD) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations will be employed to provide insights on the microscopic behaviour of nanobubbles in liquid fuels and their subsequent impact on fuel injection and combustion process at engine relevant conditions. The successful applicant will become a member of a large research group working on the project, which includes experimental and modelling studies and will work in close collaboration with other members of the team and external research partners. The candidate will attend regular project meetings to report the research progress and is expected to contribute in preparation of journal papers and conference proceedings.  Experience in Molecular Dynamics (MD) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations will be an advantage.  You should be highly motivated, able to work independently as well as in a team, collaborate with others and have effective communication skills.  For informal queries, please contact Prof Xinyan Wang: xinyan.wang@brunel.ac.uk.

Applications are invited for one full-time PhD studentship within the Mechanical Engineering Department funded by the EPSRC doctoral training programme. The PhD studentship is for a period of 42 Months effective 1 October 2026. The successful applicant will receive an annual stipend (bursary) of £22780 plus payment of their full-time Home fees. Cardiovascular diseases remain a major global health concern, and many patients depend on multiple daily medications. However, traditional tablet manufacturing offers limited flexibility to tailor treatments or combine drugs efficiently. This PhD project aims to overcome these challenges by developing sustainable, point-of-care 3D printing of personalised cardiovascular polypills, with the goal of simplifying treatment and improving patient adherence. This project is a collaboration between Brunel University London’s Engineering Department and Kingston University’s School of Pharmacy, bringing together expertise in pharmaceutical science, digital design, and materials and manufacturing engineering. You will join a supportive, interdisciplinary research community at the forefront of healthcare innovation, sustainability, and advanced manufacturing. Using cutting-edge pharmaceutical printing technologies, you will fabricate and evaluate 3D-printed polypills designed to improve treatment adherence and therapeutic outcomes. Training opportunities within this project include advanced manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing, bioink development, dissolution testing, and advanced materials and drug-release characterisation, as well as high-impact communication skills. These experiences will prepare you for careers across academia, the pharmaceutical industry, or the healthcare sector. This interdisciplinary project is ideal for candidates from pharmacy, chemical engineering, biomedical sciences, materials science, or related disciplines, particularly those interested in personalised medicine, green pharmaceutical innovation, and advanced manufacturing. If you are passionate about driving innovation in healthcare and contributing to sustainable, patient-centred solutions, this project offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact while developing cutting-edge skills at the forefront of pharmaceutical science and advanced manufacturing. Please contact Dr Bin Zhang at bin.zhang@brunel.ac.uk for an informal discussion about the studentship.

Over 15,000 different per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are currently estimated to exist. Globally, over 1,000 PFAS from 382 different sub-classes have been detected in the environment, which is still likely a major underestimate, given the size of this chemical class. For humans, these chemicals have already been linked to several health issues but the risk for environmental health remains poorly understood. Importantly, the C-F bond chemistry confers significant and molecule-specific recalcitrance to natural degradation, as well as concerning potentials for accumulation and toxicity in aquatic organisms. For one substance alone, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), over 90% of all waterbodies tested in the UK have exceeded the environmental quality standard (EQS) of 0.65 ng/L. However, EQS only exist for PFOS which is defined for inland surface waters, other surface waters and biota. Currently, no EQS exists in the UK for groundwater, soil, sediment or for any of the other PFAS. For public water supply, the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has set a guidance limit of 0.1 µg/L (10 ng/L) for 48 PFAS in drinking water, which water companies in England, including Affinity Water, are required to meet. Furthermore, the DWI has issued actions to water companies which have made detections of PFAS in raw water and set out a tier-based approach for impacted sources. This includes utilising catchment management source, pathway and receptor investigations for all impacted sources and the need to investigate future viability for catchment remediation, in combination with enhanced treatment solutions. The source and fate of PFAS in the environment stems from widespread usage across multiple sectors which include products such as firefighting foams, metal plating, medicines, pesticides, textiles, automotive parts, solar panels, paints among many others. Given the widespread usage of these substances, source apportionment is complex particularly given the unique properties of PFAS which enable them to be persistent and mobile across different environmental compartments. The behaviour varies greatly for individual PFAS with some long-chain substances readily binding to solid matrices such as soil and sediment and other short-chain substances being mobile in water (i.e. surface water, groundwater). Subsequently, this behaviour leads to exposure of PFAS from air, water and soil representing a diverse risk in the environment for both public and animal health. Significant knowledge gaps concerning the fate of PFAS have been identified which stem, in part, from limited monitoring in environmental compartments and the transformation of PFAS, that may also convert into other PFAS, further complicating monitoring and remediation efforts. To address these knowledge gaps, it is critical that monitoring in the field targets for both known and unknown PFAS to identify priority substances. Moreover, investigating how PFAS undergo degradation and/or transformation is important to better interpret monitoring data and understand potential sources of measured PFAS across catchments. The aim of this project will be to determine the occurrence and transformation of PFAS in surface water and groundwater impacting the environment and drinking water supplies.