PhD Studentship: Actuated Microdevices for Oral Delivery of Biologics

Overview

The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Birmingham is offering a fully funded EPSRC PhD studentship on actuated microdevices for the oral delivery of biologics. Most biological drugs cannot be swallowed because very little of the drug is absorbed, so they must be injected. The thick mucus layer and tight epithelial junctions of the gut that protect against infection also block large therapeutic molecules. Mechanical stimulation from nanostructured surfaces can briefly open tight junctions, but it does not overcome the mucus barrier.

This project asks which actively controlled mechanical stimulus is best at moving a drug across the intestinal wall, and why. The student will design, microfabricate and characterise an actuator that applies a mechanical stimulus to intestinal tissue, with independent control of vibration parameters so as to exploit the shear-thinning and thixotropic behaviour of mucus. The work combines mucus rheology, microfabrication and testing on benchtop intestinal models, with training in cleanroom microfabrication, actuator design, finite element modelling, rheology, ex vivo tissue methods and cell culture. The student will work across engineering and life sciences, supported by the university's Healthcare Technologies Institute, its Precision Healthcare Technology Accelerator and a Medical Engineering research group with links to medical device companies.

Who can apply

The department seeks highly motivated students graduating with a first-class MEng degree in mechanical, electrical, biomedical or materials engineering, applied physics or a closely related subject. Candidates should be comfortable with hands-on experimental work and willing to learn laboratory biology. Experience with MEMS, actuators, COMSOL or cell culture is welcome but not required. Home fee status applies to UK citizens, citizens of the Republic of Ireland and EU citizens with settled status in the UK. International applicants are also eligible, but EPSRC limits the share of international students in each cohort, so places are restricted and funding is awarded competitively.

What you get

The studentship covers tuition fees at the UK rate and a tax-free stipend at the UKRI minimum, £21,805 per year for 2026/27, for 3.5 years. A research training support grant pays for consumables and conference travel.

How to apply

Informal enquiries are welcome. Interested candidates should contact Dr Gerard Cummins with a CV and a short note on why the project interests them.

Key dates

The closing date is 8 January 2027.