Student topics

The traditional approach to the miniaturisation of electronic devices is coming to a halt. Experts agree that the Moore’s law prediction of doubling the number of transistors per chip every two years will cease to be fulfilled in 2020, as the heat produced in small structures cannot be cooled down quickly enough.However, by reducing the size of the device, the quantum nature of atoms and solids can be turned into an asset. By exploiting the phenomena occurring at these scales, …

Study levels

PhD

Master of Philosophy

Honours

Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine which also affects surrounding structures such as the rib cage.Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis is the development of a scoliotic curve in otherwise healthy adolescents. Teenagers with this condition undergo x-ray monitoring of their condition every 4-12 months for many years, which can have dramatic effects on their long-term cancer risk.In scoliosis, we believe there is a strong correlation between the externally visible anatomy of the torso and the internal anatomy of the spine and …

Study levels

PhD

Master of Philosophy

Honours

Vacation research experience scheme

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is one of the most frequent cardiovascular diseases, affecting over 200 million people at an annual cost of $21 billion.PAD cases are predominately (80%) located within the popliteal artery, a highly flexible vessel behind the knee joint which twists, extends, and bends during standing, walking, and sitting.As a result, active or sedentary lifestyles play an important role in altering the biomechanics leading to popliteal diseases.Furthermore, surgical treatments within the popliteal artery have been inconsistent, with a …

Study levels

PhD

Master of Philosophy

Honours

Vacation research experience scheme

Intracranial aneurysms are bulging, weak areas of an artery that supply blood to the brain which are relatively common. While most aneurysms do not show symptoms, 1% spontaneously rupture which can be fatal or leave the survivor with permanent disabilities. This catastrophic outcome has motivated surgeons to operate on approximately 30% of aneurysms despite their rate of complications arising and cost of operation.The impact of aneurysm morphology on blood flow shear stress and rupture could educate surgical decision-making and better …

Study levels

PhD

Master of Philosophy

Honours

Vacation research experience scheme

Gold, a precious metal, is also highly valued for the production of highly functional nanoparticles.Gold nanoparticles interact with light and microwaves to generate heat and light, which can be used in nanomedicine for therapy or imaging.This project will look at developing polymer-gold hybrid nanoparticles to improve disease delivery and therapy. This project involves:polymer synthesismaterials formulationcharacterisation. …

Study levels

PhD

Master of Philosophy

Honours

Vacation research experience scheme

The purpose of this research is to provide a methodology to detect and mitigate destructive patterns that are generated in crowdsourcing systems which result in negative consequence through contributors’ interactions.Vote manipulation is a form of co-destruction that can result from intentionally biasing a rating.Our ultimate goal is to provide guidance when setting up crowdsourcing systems that prevents co- destruction or detects it before it becomes problematic.

Study levels

Master of Philosophy

Honours

Vacation research experience scheme

The research aims to address contemporary urbanisation (urban planning, development and management) challenges by focusing on one of the following three broad research areas:Investigation into intelligent urban technologies and formation of smart citiesResearch topics in this area include:urban technologysmart citiessmart communitiestechnology convergence and built environmentubiquitous eco-citysmart urban and transport modellingautonomous vehiclesartificial intelligenceintelligent urban management systemsonline public participatory planningweb-based decision/planning support systems.Investigation into knowledge-based urban development and formation of knowledge citiesResearch topics in this area include:knowledge-based urban/regional developmentknowledge citiescreative urban regionsknowledge …

Study levels

PhD

Master of Philosophy

Honours

Vacation research experience scheme

Some estimates state that by 2030, 30% of all manufactured goods will be 3D printed.A particular type of 3D printing is 3D laser lithography with which micro- and nano-sized structures can be prepared. Such structures find wide-ranging applications in creating materials with unusual properties. This can include functioning as invisibility cloaks or scaffolds growing and guiding cells.Cutting-edge research is trying to exceed current 3D printing limitations, by developing materials that either:allow for smaller and faster printingare reprogrammable after they have …

Study levels

PhD

Master of Philosophy

Honours

Vacation research experience scheme

Social network platforms support creation and exchange of user-generated content.However, some have had growth in users and the amount of information exchanged, while many others did not witness significant growth. This is amongst several different types of social networks that have launched more than a decade ago.If we're going to design an effective social network platform that meets user's expectations, what are the affordances and design features of the platform that promote growth? …

Study levels

PhD

Master of Philosophy

Respiratory infections such as influenza, SARS-COV-2, COVID-19, and MERS are increasingly prevalent. Complications and related deaths arising from these infections are often the result of a “cytokine storm”, whereby there is an over production of proinflammatory soluble factors by immune cells, which dictates symptoms severity and mortality risk. Recent works showed that immunomodulatory therapy, with or without antiviral agents, may improve recovery outcome. However, the screening of suitable immune-modulatory and antiviral agents relies heavily on animal models which can't capture …

Study levels

PhD

Master of Philosophy

Concentrating solar power (CSP) is a technology that utilises mirrors (heliostats) to focuses the sun’s rays on a solar receiver to provide heat that can be stored and used for electricity generation.Control and planning of the use of stored energy would greatly benefit from a detailed understanding of the statistical characteristics of:direct solar irradiation (DNI)other weather variables (e.g. dust in air)electricity prices on the real-time market.The aim of this project will be to develop suitable statistical models that will enable …

Study levels

Master of Philosophy

Honours

Vacation research experience scheme

We have recently shown that nitroxides (sterically hindered versions of nitric oxide) can inhibit bacterial biofilm formation and disperse existing biofilms. Furthermore, nitroxide-containing antibiotics can eradicate mature biofilms. Bacteria, however, are rapidly becoming resistant to many antibiotics.This project involves the synthesis, purification, characterisation and evaluation of new antimicrobials with less propensity for resistance development. …

Study levels

PhD

Master of Philosophy

Honours

Vacation research experience scheme