Stimulus-responsive mesh for targeted anticancer delivery and catheter integration

This fully funded PhD position will reward the successful candidate with an award covering full fees, a maintenance stipend in line with UKRI rates, and a Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITAC) grant worth 10,000 GBP for personal development and consumables. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to join the PGR community in the School of Design and access training and support for their specialism.

<p>This interdisciplinary PhD project aims to address the urgent need for safer, more effective and targeted cancer therapies. </p> <p>Current anticancer treatments often rely on systemic chemotherapy, which can cause severe side effects and high recurrence rates due to its poor tumour specificity. To overcome these challenges, increasing attention has been directed toward targeted and localised therapeutic strategies. The proposed PhD research aims to develop a stimulus-responsive ‘smart’ textile mesh that can be integrated with surgical catheters to enable local, on-demand release of anticancer drugs in response to external stimuli – specifically, ultrasound stimulation. </p> <p>The functional textile mesh will be engineered to respond to ultrasound waves and trigger drug release on demand via sonoporation. This process generates temporary pores in the mesh that can be exploited to achieve the delivery of therapeutic agents locally upon reaching the tumour site. </p> <p>This innovative approach will also investigate the conjugation of drug-encapsulated particles with targeted ligands to achieve enhanced selectivity and efficacy for anti-cancer therapy, minimise off-target toxicity, and improve patient outcomes. Previous publications relevant to this project include Adv. Nanobiomed Res. 2025 (DOI: 10.1002/anbr.202500052), Eur. Polym. J. 2025 (DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.113794) and J. Mater. Chem. B 2018 (DOI: 10.1039/C7TB03035E).</p> <p>The innovative programme will be conducted under the supervision of Professor Giuseppe Tronci, who has extensive expertise in drug delivery, biomaterials chemistry, and polymer processing. His previous research includes the chemical modification of biodegradable polymers, fibre and mesh fabrication for medical applications, and ultrasound-activated release systems. </p> <p>It will be co-supervised by Dr Xuebin Yang, whose expertise lies in tissue engineering and cell therapy. His research focuses on the development of 3D in vitro and in vivo models for testing cell behaviour on biomaterials, including cell viability and proliferation assays, histology, immunohistochemistry and advanced imaging techniques.</p> <p>Professor Stephen Russell is Director of the Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITAC) and an internationally recognised expert in textile materials, engineering, and sustainable manufacturing. With over 25 years of research leadership, he has pioneered innovations in nonwoven materials, advanced fibre technologies, and performance textiles.</p> <p>This project is part of a cross-faculty collaboration between the Clothworkers’ Centre for Textile Materials Innovation for Healthcare (CCTMIH) and the School of Dentistry. By linking engineering, materials science, and biomedical research, this project will contribute to the development of a new generation of smart medical devices for precise cancer diagnosis and treatment. The appointed candidate will therefore generate fundamental understanding and translational potential for catheter-based localised drug delivery, supporting new partnerships across academia, healthcare, and industry. The outcomes will have relevance for biomedical engineering, pharmaceutical sciences, and clinical oncology, advancing efforts to reduce side effects and improve survival rates in cancer patients.</p> <p>The successful applicant will join the Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITAC) a collaborative international research Institute that applies academic expertise, working together with external partners, both industrial from across the world, to address global challenges and sustainable development in textile and colour industries. We are focused on the development of innovative science and technology, materials, methods and processes. </p> <p>The School of Design is a world leading research centre with a focus in creativity and developing innovative materials and manufacturing solutions with interdisciplinary researchers and industrial partners. We have a strong industrial collaboration with UK and international fashion and textiles enterprises. These industrial collaborators will work closely with the PhD student.</p> <p>We have a strong industrial collaboration with UK and international based textiles and natural polymers manufacturing industries. These industrial collaborators will work closely with the PhD student.</p>

<p paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{124}" paraid="1407304614"><strong>Duration and Value of the Award </strong></p> <ul> <li paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{130}" paraid="1413475272">The award provides full academic fees and a maintenance grant (£20,780 in Session 2025/26) for full-time study, part-time will be pro-rata. This amount increases per annum in line with the UKRI rate.  Full-time awards provide full fees and maintenance for 3 years.</li> <li paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{130}" paraid="1413475272">The award will be made for one year in the first instance and renewable for a further period of up to 2 years (pro-rata for part-time), subject to satisfactory academic progress.  </li> <li paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{130}" paraid="1413475272">The LITAC Scholarship includes an additional £10K, spread over the period of study; to cover outcome dissemination, personal development aligned with the PhD research, and research consumables.</li> <li paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{130}" paraid="1413475272">Please be aware that any expenses related to the relocation of international students to the UK (visa, insurance, NHS fees, flights, etc) would be their responsibility and is not covered by this award. </li> </ul> <p><strong>Eligibility Criteria</strong></p> <p>Applicants must be eligible to pay fees at the Home (UK) rate.</p> <p paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{182}" paraid="849605484"><strong>Other Conditions </strong></p> <ul role="list"> <li paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{188}" paraid="1387149797">Awards must be taken up by 1 October 2026.</li> <li paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{188}" paraid="1387149797">Candidates who have previously been awarded a PhD or are currently registered on a PhD are excluded from applying. Those who were previously studying for a PhD but did not complete may be considered.</li> <li paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{188}" paraid="1387149797">The awards are available for new Postgraduate Researchers undertaking full-time or part-time research study leading to the degree of PhD. </li> <li paraeid="{8469ccd8-0ef3-4a75-b8c9-44c88326d9ef}{188}" paraid="1387149797">Applicants must live within a reasonable distance of the University of Leeds whilst in receipt of this scholarship, it is expected that researchers will be based on campus for a significant portion of each week. </li> </ul> <p><strong>Selection Process</strong></p> <ul> <li>The deadline to be considered for this LITAC scholarship is <strong>Friday 27th February.</strong> Before you can apply for this scholarship, you will need to apply for your study place and have your 9-digit student identification number. We strongly advise you to submit your study application at least 2 weeks before the scholarship deadline to allow the Admissions team time to process your application.</li> <li>All scholarship applications will be considered after the deadline. Only complete applications will be considered.</li> <li>The final list of awards are based on academic merit and no other factors such as financial hardship are taken into account.</li> <li>Please note that whilst you may be successful in securing an academic offer for any project specifically linked to this funding opportunity, this does not mean that you have been successful in securing an offer of funding. Funding is awarded on a competitive basis.</li> </ul>

<p><strong>Stage 1</strong></p> <p>First, apply for a research place of study, through the<a href="https://studentservices.leeds.ac.uk/pls/banprod/bwskalog_uol.P_DispLoginNon"> online application form</a>. Please state clearly that the funding you wish to be considered for is “Stimulus-responsive mesh for targeted anticancer delivery and catheter integration” LITAC project. You will be expected to meet our <a href="https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/design-research-degrees/doc/apply-9">eligibility criteria</a> for PhD candidates.</p> <p>In order to be considered for the Scholarship you must submit all the required <a href="https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/design-research-degrees/doc/apply-9">supporting documents </a>for your application for PhD study. Any study applications that are not accompanied by the documents requested by the deadline will not be considered for the award.</p> <p>Once you have received your student ID number (a 9-digit number) move onto stage 2.</p> <p><strong>Stage 2</strong></p> <p>Apply for the LITAC Scholarship by completing the <a href="https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/leeds/stimulus-responsive-mesh-targeted-anticancer-delivery">online Scholarship Application Form.</a> You must submit your scholarship application by <strong>5pm UK time on Friday 27^th February 2026</strong>.</p> <ul> <li>Please note that an unsuccessful application for this scholarship does not exclude you from applying for other research study opportunities or scholarships offered by the University of Leeds.</li> <li>Please note that, due to the large volume of applications, the University of Leeds will not enter into any correspondence regarding the progress of an application until the outcome is known.</li> <li>If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence that you meet the minimum English language requirements (below). </li> </ul> <p><em>As an international research-intensive university, we welcome students from all walks of life and from across the world. We foster an inclusive environment where all can flourish and prosper, and we are proud of our strong commitment to student education. Across all Faculties we are dedicated to diversifying our community and we welcome the unique contributions that individuals can bring, and particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to Black, Asian, people who belong to a minority ethnic community, people who identify as LGBT+ and people with disabilities. Applicants will always be selected based on merit and ability.</em></p>

The applicant should have an academic background in polymer /materials science and engineering and/or cell biology. A good understanding of polymer fibres and technical textiles is desirable. Applicants should normally hold at least a first class or upper second-class undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in Chemistry, Physics or another appropriate undergraduate or Masters in a related discipline. Applicants who wish to discuss their suitability for this research degree are encouraged to contact Professor Giuseppe Tronci (g.tronci@leeds.ac.uk) prior to making an application.

The minimum English language entry requirement for research postgraduate research study in the School of Design is an IELTS of 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each component (reading, writing, listening and speaking) or equivalent. The test must be dated within two years of the start date of the course in order to be valid. Some schools and faculties have a higher requirement.

<p>For further information please contact the Admissions Office at ahcpgradmissions@leeds.ac.uk.</p>