PhD Projects on offer
Biomechanical Factors in Placental Development Mechanotransduction
Supervisors: Michelle Oyen and Graham Burton
Biomechanical Factors in Placental Development Mechanotransduction is the process by which cells convert mechanical signals to chemical action. In the context of the placenta, mechanical signals can come via blood pressure and blood flow. The response of trophoblasts to mechanical force is poorly understood. This project will study trophoblast mechanotransduction in placentae, including examination of the effects of shear flows on trophoblast cells in culture and microfluidic assays of trophoblast invasion. Experimental studies will be supplemented with computational multiphysics models of transport within the placenta.
