Bioengineering informed design of protective clothing and equipment.

To support the rapid advance of protective equipment such as technical clothing, there is a need for improving the understanding of how these devices fit a range of individuals and protect them, across a wide range of user variability in body sizes and shapes, across dimensions including gender and ethnicity. You will optimise the design and materials of the devices e.g. shape and size of protective equipment, material interfaces with the skin, etc. You will develop high-fidelity tools to capture these end user needs, working with the team to create population-based models of face/body shape to optimise protective device/garment designs.

In this project, the PhD student will be responsible for the implementation of novel techniques into a design template tool for protective equipment such as military clothing. Interaction between varying face/body shapes will include surface shape modelling and finite element analysis. The techniques to be implemented will include a combined bench test and computational model to evaluate the boundaries between the end user and protective equipment, creating a means to define goodness of fit across a range of devices.  The PhD project will provide the scope for efficient manufacture and fitting of devices. We will co-design a new set of protective equipment which aim to be fully-integrated, taking into account donning, doffing and practical application. This will be conducted in collaboration with equipment suppliers.

Research Team:

This project combines internationally leading expertise in device/garment design, skin health and perception, and thermal ergonomics at the University of Southampton (UoS). The Skin Sensing Research Group (School of Health Sciences) co-led by Prof Worsley and Dr Filingeri (Caggiari research fellow) has an international reputation in the evaluation and co-design of new devices, technical clothing, and sensing interfaces for medical and sport performance applications at rest and during exercise/heat stress. Colleagues in the Bioengineering Science Research Group (Prof Dickinson) have the facilities and capability to perform bench testing and in-silico evaluations of new and existing personal protective equipment. In this PhD Studentship, this knowledge will be used to underpin a new range of protective clothing and equipment for a range of applications

Entry requirements:

A very good undergraduate degree (at least a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent). Relevant qualification include bioengineering, ergonomics or computer sciences degrees. 

How to Apply:

Applications should be made online. Select programme type (Research), 2023/24, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, next page selects “PhD Health Sciences (Full time)”. In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the supervisor Peter Worsley.

Applications should include:

·      Curriculum Vitae

·      A support statement (max 2 pages) outlining the motivation for this application

·      Two reference letters

·      Degree Transcripts to date

For informal enquiries, please contact:

Dr Peter Worsley p.r.worsley@soton.ac.uk