Promotion in Bio- und Chemiewissenschaften

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic joint disease in Australia, affecting 1 in 5 people. Approximately 60% of people with hip OA undergo joint replacement within 3 years of first presenting to a healthcare professional, which highlights the ineffectiveness of current non-surgical treatments. Many people with hip OA are unsatisfied with their current management options.

This project will test the efficacy of a ‘smart’ therapeutic intervention for people with hip OA in a natural environment (i.e., home, gym, outdoors, clinic). This co-designed technology integrates cutting-edge neuromusculoskeletal models with advanced wearable technology and artificial intelligence to calculate hip loads in real-time. Outcomes will include efficacy of a personalised load-modification intervention for people with OA, characterisation of how people with hip OA load their hip in a natural environment, and identification of muscle forces that underpin hip loads during activities which drive symptom worsening and disease progression.

The Griffith Centre of Biomedical and Rehabilitation Engineering (GCORE) is situated within the Menzies Health Institute Queensland at Griffith University. The main research areas of GCORE are neuromusculoskeletal biomechanics and orthopaedics, with focus on the development and use of disruptive technologies to enable personalised management of chronic health conditions, as well as assess function and performance. We are looking for qualified and motivated individuals for PhD scholarship positions.

The GCORE team is a large cross-disciplinary team comprised of engineers, clinicians, biomedical scientists, industrial designers, and exercise scientists. Our approach is to work collaboratively, but with a keen focus on research excellence.

The 2024 Griffith University Postgraduate Research Scholarship has an annual stipend of $33,480 (indexed) for a period of up to three years of full-time study. Please see the GUPRS Conditions of Award for more information.

A successful International applicant will also be awarded a Griffith University International Postgraduate Research Scholarship to cover tuition fees for up to three years. Please see the GUIPRS Conditions of Award for more information.

The selection of applicants for the award of higher degree research scholarships at Griffith University involves consideration of your academic merit and research background. A successful candidate is expected to hold a bachelor’s degree with first-class honours or a master’s degree. These degrees should incorporate a significant research component in either of biomechanics, biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, human movement science, kinesiology, or related degrees. Essential skills include knowledge in rigid-multibody dynamics (OpenSim) and computer programming skills (MATLAB, Python or C++).

Expressions of interest are welcome from domestic and international applicants.
Applicants must have completed, or expect to complete, a bachelors degree with honours equivalent to first class honours or a Masters degree (AQF Level 9) incorporating a significant research component of a standard comparable to a bachelor honours degree or be regarded by Griffith University as having an equivalent level of attainment in accordance with Schedule One of the HDR Scholarship Procedure. For further information on the eligibility requirements for the program refer here.
International applicants should ensure that English Language Proficiency requirements for the program are met before formally applying. Applicants to research programs will need to show they meet:

A minimum overall band score of 6.5 on the IELTS (Academic) with no band score less than 6.0 OR
A minimum score of 575 on the paper-based TOEFL including a score of no less than 5.0 on the TWE OR
A score of 79 on the internet-based (iBT) TOEFL with no sub-score less than 19

All expressions of interest must be submitted to [email protected] containing:

• Statement addressing your suitability for the project/scholarship
• Names of two referees
• Evidence that you have completed a program with the required grades as detailed in the about you section, including a copy of your academic transcript
• A curriculum vitae (CV) using the Griffith CV template

The closing date for expressions of interest is: 5pm Friday 30th August 2024

The preferred applicant will then be invited to apply for the program and scholarship online

Are you an engineer, software developer, or perhaps the AI wizard looking to make a big impact in environmental sciences and drug discovery? We have an exciting PhD project that is perfect for you!

We are seeking talented and innovative PhD candidates to develop algorithms that enable video-based real-time tracking of aquatic model organisms in complex environments on a large scale. This interdisciplinary project will pioneer new algorithms and innovative methods to provide the world's first inherently scalable behavioral bioanalysis, unlocking cognitive research in aquatic eco-neurotoxicology and neuroactive drug discovery. Additionally, the outcomes of the project will enable novel scientific discoveries in neurobiology research on aquatic animals.

The lack of automated and high-throughput cognitive tests in aquatic model organisms is a major deficiency, but with your help, we can change that. This project will provide the first-ever unbiased and automated analytical systems for cognitive eco- & neurotoxicology, allowing us to assess how diverse neuroactive pollutants and/or drugs affect higher neurological functions of aquatic animals.

Don't miss this opportunity to be at the forefront of ground-breaking research at the Neurotox Lab at RMIT University. As one of Australia's leading experts in eco-neurotoxicology, we are exploring how pollutants impact animal behavior and neurodevelopment, as well as elucidating the neurobiological foundations underlying changes in animal behavior.

By joining this PhD project, you will have the opportunity to work in an exciting and rapidly growing interdisciplinary field. Apply now and join us in making a difference in the world.

The applicants can apply for RMIT Higher Degree by Research International Scholarship upon being granted an offer of admission to an RMIT research training program. The deadline for the next International Scholarship round will be 15th September 2023.

Looking to make a real difference in the world of environmental science? Join the Neurotox Lab at RMIT University and help us tackle the urgent issue of aquatic pollution. With an ever-increasing number of contaminants entering our waterways, we need your help to understand the ecological and behavioral consequences of exposure to these substances.

As a PhD candidate in our lab, you'll have the opportunity to focus on aquatic animals that interest you, from planarians and crustaceans to insects, snails, and fish. With access to cutting-edge techniques in behavioral ecotoxicology, you'll be able to investigate how exposure to emerging toxicants like pharmaceuticals, PFAS, and micro-/nanoplastics can impact animal behavior at the most fundamental, functional level.

Using state-of-the-art video tracking and advanced biotests, you'll develop new insights into the functional effects of contaminants on animal behavior. From unstimulated behaviors to phototaxis, thermal preference and cognitive responses, you'll explore a wide range of behavioral phenotypes, and help us identify the unique neurobiological mechanisms that underlie these changes.

At the Neurotox Lab, you'll be part of a world-class team who are making a real difference in the emerging field of eco-neurotoxicology. With a focus on understanding the complex relationships between pollution, animal behavior, and ecological consequences, we're helping to shape the future of environmental science.

So if you're looking for a PhD project that can truly make a difference, join us today on a great science adventure in Australia and become part of the solution to environmental challenges.

The applicants can apply for RMIT Higher Degree by Research International Scholarship upon being granted an offer of admission to an RMIT research training program. The deadline for the next International Scholarship round will be 15th September 2023.

Attention all PhD candidates with a passion for aquatic animals and the environment! We have an exciting opportunity for you to pioneer a ground-breaking project that will unlock the secrets of thermal preference behaviors in aquatic animals.

This multi-species screening project will uncover the intertwined aspects of temperature sensing and neuronal data processing that are fundamental for dynamic thermal adaptations and ecological fitness.

You will be part of an interdisciplinary team at the Neurotox Lab at RMIT University, one of Australia's leading experts in eco-neurotoxicology. Using state-of-the-art techniques including quantitative computer animal tracking, you will undertake a pioneering multi-species screening of thermotactic responses in aquatic animals, from native Australian invertebrates to fish. This part of the project will lay the foundation for the development of innovative ecotoxicity biotests.

But the project doesn't stop there! In the following stages, you will explore and make new discoveries on how exposure to emerging contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals, PFAS, and micro/nanoplastics, can alter thermal preference behaviors. This is of considerable importance, as thermal preference behaviors in aquatic animals can become key behavioral factors in toxicological assessment.

Join us at the forefront of this exciting and rapidly growing interdisciplinary field, and be part of a team that is making a difference in the world. Apply now to the Neurotox Lab at RMIT University and discover the world of thermal preference behaviors in aquatic animals.

The applicants can apply for RMIT Higher Degree by Research International Scholarship upon being granted an offer of admission to an RMIT research training program. The deadline for the next International Scholarship round will be 15th September 2023.