PhD (via MPhil) Studentship in School of Sport and Health Sciences

Updated: over 1 year ago
Location: Preston, ENGLAND
Job Type: FullTime
Deadline: 06 Jan 2023

Applications are invited for a PhD studentship, which is tenable for up to 3.5 years full time (subject to satisfactory progress).  UK/Home and EU/International Applicants may apply but Tuition Fees are only covered at the UK/Home rate for up to 3.5 years. EU/International Applicants need to pay the difference to make up the EU/International rate. The studentship will provide an annual stipend at the UKRI rate, currently £17,668 p.a. (subject to satisfactory progress).

It is expected the successful applicant will commence March 2023.

Project Title: Development of a field-deployable equine gait analysis system using wearable surface electromyography and inertial measurement unit sensors.

Project Description:

Equine gait analysis (EGA) has long been confined to research laboratories, requiring significant investments in time and finances for specialist equipment and training. However, advancements in wearable sensor technology provide the potential for efficient and affordable field deployable EGA systems. Early advancements have been embraced by the veterinary field, where clinical decision-making for movement disorders (lameness), is increasingly aided by commercial EGA systems that employ only motion sensing technology (IMU) but have yet to incorporate surface electromyography (sEMG) to quantify muscle function. sEMG is used to study neuromuscular control during normal equine gait, and more recently, lameness. Despite this, a user-friendly sEMG interface has not been developed for EGA, representing a barrier to its widespread use, especially clinically, as veterinarians may lack the specialist knowledge and time for acquiring, analysing, and interpreting sEMG signals. Delsys, a global leader in in the design, manufacture, and marketing of a portfolio of high-performance sEMG and motion analysis instruments, manufactures wearable sensors with a unique capability to capture both sEMG and IMU data, which according to laboratory studies, can be reliably collected from horses. Their systems however do not include apps for turnkey analytics for equine gait analysis.

Thus, this project aims to develop preliminary design specifications and procedures for a field deployable EGA system. Consultancy with industry, research, and veterinary stakeholders will assess the needs, boundaries, and desired uses of combined sEMG/IMU for EGA. This information will be supplemented by equine sEMG/IMU data to generate preliminary design specifications and outcomes for a streamlined, intuitive, field deployable EGA system. This project will form foundations for further R&D; creating new markets for sEMG to benefit equine health and welfare.  

The successful applicant will work with Delsys Europe (Sale, Greater Manchester), providing a unique opportunity to conduct research alongside industry professionals and to learn about the design, manufacture, sales, and support of sEMG technology in a research market.

Further information

Informal project-related enquiries can be made to Dr. Lindsay St. George ([email protected] ).

For the application form and full details go to: www.uclan.ac.uk/research/research-degrees/studentships

Completed application forms should be returned to the Research Admissions email [email protected]  quoting the studentship reference number DTC41

Proposed interview date: TBC

Current UCLAN research students will not be eligible to apply for this research studentship