Fibrotic scarring arises when the skin’s extracellular matrix (ECM) becomes mechanically and structurally abnormal during healing. Fibrosis contributes to nearly 50% of all mortality worldwide, yet there are no targeted therapies [1]. It progresses through a feedback loop between changes in the biophysical/biochemical state of the ECM and cellular activity, but the earliest nanoscale changes remain poorly understood. Detecting these requires advanced engineering tools capable of measuring nanoscale mechanics and molecular organisation in intact tissue. 

In this PhD, you will develop and apply engineering-driven multimodal imaging and modelling — microfocus small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), Raman spectroscopy, nanoindentation and in situ mechanical loading [2] — to reveal how collagen fibrils deform, align and crosslink during fibrosis. The aim is to identify the mechanical and structural “initiator states’’ that distinguish healthy healing from pathological scarring. 

You will work with tissue from a bleomycin-induced mouse fibrosis model (including drug-treated variants) and adapt a precision biomechanical loading rig to enable X-ray and Raman imaging under controlled tensile strain. These experiments will provide new insight into how fibrotic ECM responds to load across hierarchical length scales. 

Using machine learning and dimensionality reduction, you will integrate structural, mechanical and biochemical datasets to identify reproducible ECM “state classes’’ and evaluate their potential for future non-invasive sensor development. 

Training will include: 
• Synchrotron-based microfocus SAXS (Diamond Light Source) 
• Raman spectroscopy and hyperspectral tissue mapping 
• Nanoindentation and soft-tissue mechanical testing 
• Mechatronics and instrument adaptation for in situ loading 
• Machine learning for quantitative imaging and dataset fusion 
• Experimental design for hierarchical biomechanics of soft tissues 

This studentship suits applicants from mechanical, materials or biomedical engineering, physics, or related quantitative fields who are excited to apply high-resolution imaging, biomechanics and data science to important biomedical problems. Candidates with a biological or life-science background who wish to apply engineering or physical approaches to biological questions are also welcome. A willingness to work across disciplines and engage in hands-on experimental work is essential. 

Group and Environment 
The student will join the lab of Prof Himadri S. Gupta (School of Engineering & Materials Science, QMUL), an interdisciplinary group specialising in multiscale tissue biomechanics, hierarchical materials imaging and advanced X-ray scattering of biological systems. The project is supported by collaborators in cutaneous biology (Dr Emanuel Rognoni, Blizard Institute, QMUL) and AI/multimodal data science (J. Thiyagalingam, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory) and includes direct access to Diamond Light Source for X-ray scattering and spectroscopy, providing an excellent environment for training in state-of-the-art bioengineering research. 

[1] JHW Distler et al, Nat Rev Rheumatol (2019) (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31712723/) 
[2] W Badar et al, Adv Sci (2025) (https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.202407649)