Non-invasive in vivo assessment of human skin injury

This PhD project aims to develop the first ever method to directly measure the thresholds that separate healthy from injurious loading in human skin. As it stands, to measure overload thresholds one must intentionally cause injury which is unacceptable in humans1. Our inability to study tissue overloading is a significant gap in our basic understanding of tissue mechanics and a barrier for effective injury prevention.

This project promises to overcome this impasse by utilising the changes in tissue biomechanics that overloading triggers to study overloading without having to cause injury2. To this end, ultrasound elastography2 and optical coherence tomography3 will be combined with computer modelling4 and pain research methods to develop a biomarker for skin injury. The specific objectives are:

1. Develop a testing platform for the non-invasive mechanical characterisation of human skin.
2. Quantify the changes in skin properties triggered by overloading
3. Assess the predicting capacity of altered tissue biomechanics for overloading 

Successful completion will lead to innovative technologies for injury prevention in people who have lost the protective sensation of pain (e.g. due to diabetes of neurological injury).

References:

1. Nelissen et al.NMR Biomed. 2019;(April 2018):1-12. doi:10.1002/nbm.4087

2. Chatzistergos et al.Sci Rep. 2022;12:6047. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-10011-7

3. Liao et al.J Biophotonics. 2023;16(9):1-17. doi:10.1002/jbio.202300100

4. Behforootan et al.J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2017;68:287-295. doi:10.1016/j.jmbbm.2017.02.011

Diversity statement

Our research community thrives on the diversity of students and staff which helps to make the University of Dundee a UK university of choice for postgraduate research.  We welcome applications from all talented individuals and are committed to widening access to those who have the ability and potential to benefit from higher education.