Available Projects

The objective of this project is to develop design rules for stud shear connectors in decking: with the ribs perpendicular to the supporting beams; or when crushed ends are introduced to the deck. It is planned that the results from this research will form the basis for UK design guides and/or Complimentary Information within the UK National Annex to EN 1994-1-1: 2025, which may be incorporated within the next generation of this European design standard.

Primary supervisor: Professor Stephen Hicks - Email: Stephen.J.Hicks@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link to explore the project in more detail.

The goal of the project is to identify control challenges for specific applications due to advances in the supply chain and overcome them via advanced control and sensing methodologies.

Primary supervisor: Dr Oleh Kiselychnyk - Email: O.Kiselychnyk@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link to explore the project in more detail.

This project investigates the interactions between cementitious material rheology, robotic deposition and material extrusion, developing a controlled dispensing system to predict and optimise print quality. By linking material behaviour, deposition dynamics, and structural performance, the project aims to develop a framework for data-informed 3D printing of concrete, advancing automation, quality and precision in construction.

Primary supervisor: Dr Javier Munguia - Email:Javier.Munguia@warwick.ac.uk

Co-supervisor: Dr Reyes Garcia

Use the link to explore the project in more detail.

This project aims to develop new low-carbon fire-resistant and thermal-resistant geopolymer concretes (i.e. concrete without cement) for applications in sustainable construction. Our team has strong collaborations with top research groups on geopolymers around the world (e.g. Monash University), so there is potential for placements and training abroad. Your training package will be tailored and agreed upon once you join our group.

Primary supervisor: Dr Reyes Garcia - Email: Reyes.Garcia@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link to explore the project in more detail.

Humans are highly sensitive yet imprecise in perceiving environmental stimuli. Every built environment presents a unique combination of sensory cues, resulting in complex human responses. This project aims to develop multisensory virtual reality simulations that integrate visual, auditory, and vibration stimuli, enabling people to evaluate built environments in a digital setting. Ultimately, the tools developed will help design environments that help people to thrive.

Primary supervisor: Dr Bintian Lin - Email: Bintian.Lin@warwick.ac.uk

Co-supervisor: Professor Stana Zivanovic

Use the link to explore the project in more detail.

The PEATER Research group is dedicated to the development of silicon carbide power semiconductor devices. The leading research group in Europe on the subject, we can offer well-resourced, industry-linked projects that specialise in (or combine) device simulation, materials growth, device fabrication, device characterisation and packaging. We work across domains, with interest in power devices for EVs, renewables, AI data centres, grid, space and more.

Primary supervisor: Professor Peter Gammon - Email: P.M.Gammon@warwick.ac.uk

Co-supervisors: Professor Layi Alatise, Professor Marina Antoniou, Dr Vishal Shah, Dr Ben Renz, Dr Jose Ortiz Gonzalez

Use the link to explore the project in more detail.

I am offering projects in experimental fluid mechanics. The exact project to be worked on will be discussed with any potential candidates interest in the area and taking there interests into account.

Primary supervisor: Professor Peter J. Thomas

Email: P.J.Thomas@warwick.ac.uk

The aim of the project is to exploit electronic properties of nanoscale materials to discover and design novel materials for nanoelectronic applications. The ultimate goal of the research is to understand quantum transport through molecular structure such as single molecules, self-assembled monolayers, graphene nanoribbons and van der Waals heterostructures for functional quantum devices.

Primary supervisor: Dr. Sara Sangtarash

Email: Sara.Sangtarash@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link to explore the project in more detail.

Imagine fleets of small robots that can explore disaster zones, monitor forests, or track pollution — all without central control. This vision is becoming real through Robotic Sensor Networks (RSNs), where mobile robots and wireless sensors cooperate to sense, learn, and act in dynamic environments. Unlike static sensor networks, RSNs can move, adapt, and reconfigure themselves to achieve mission goals even when communication links break or the environment changes.

Primary supervisor: Dr Zhenhui Yuan - Email: Zhenhui.Yuan@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link to explore the project in more detail.

This PhD develops AI-driven decision-support tools for sustainable civil infrastructure. Using machine learning, probabilistic methods, and real-time data, you’ll guide life-cycle assessments from design to end-of-life. The goal is to help engineers and policymakers balance safety, cost, and environmental impact—advancing smarter, more resilient, and sustainable infrastructure systems.

Primary supervisor: Emmanouil Kakouris - Email: Emmanouil.Kakouris@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link to explore the project in more detail.

Do you want to use artificial intelligence to tackle one of engineering’s toughest problems? This PhD lets you explore how and why materials fail and build next-generation models that predict fracture under real-world conditions. You’ll go beyond traditional methods, combining continuum mechanics with AI and cutting-edge computational tools to handle uncertainty and complexity in material behaviour.

Primary supervisor: Dr Emmanouil Kakouris - Email: Emmanouil.Kakouris@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link to explore the project in more detail.

This PhD project applies Large Language Models (LLMs) and machine learning to design steels with improved strength and formability for industrial use. The student will develop AI tools for automated data collection, feature extraction, and predictive modelling, integrating processing and compositional data. Working with major industrial and international partners, the project supports sustainable, data-driven steel design and contributes to zero-waste manufacturing initiatives.

Primary supervisor: Dr Ishwar Kapoor - Email: Ishwar.Kapoor@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link to explore the project in more detail.

Fracture - the way cracks initiate and grow - is at the heart of engineering safety, from aircraft fuselages and wind turbines to bridges and biomedical implants. Predicting fracture is a major challenge: cracks evolve in complex ways that traditional models often fail to capture. This PhD gives you the chance to develop advanced computational models of fracture, combining continuum mechanics, numerical methods, and high-performance computing to simulate failure under extreme loading conditions.

Primary supervisor: Dr Emmanouil Kakouris - Email: Emmanouil.Kakouris@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link to explore the project in more detail.

In an era of rapidly increasing data traffic, SMART addresses the critical need to optimise the way information is transmitted across digital infrastructure. By embedding semantic awareness into optical data transmission, SMART will enable optical networks to prioritise information based on its contextual relevance, significantly reducing redundant data flow and enhancing overall system efficiency.

Primary supervisor: Dr Tianhua Xu - Email: Tianhua.Xu@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link to explore the project in more detail.

What if you could physically interact with a robot thousands of miles away — or even on another planet — as if you were standing right there? Telepresence robotics is turning this science fiction into reality, enabling remote surgery, hazardous site inspection, and assistive care through immersive mixed-reality (XR) interfaces.

Primary supervisor: Dr Zhenhui Yuan - Email: Zhenhui.Yuan@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link to explore the project in more detail.

Solar water splitting offers a sustainable pathway to generate hydrogen since it uses sunlight to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. However, the current solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency remains low. This PhD project will focus on the development of advanced photoelectrode materials and the design of innovative 3D structured electrode architectures using additive manufacturing techniques, aiming to significantly enhance the efficiency.

Primary supervisor: Dr Jisun Im - Email: Jisun.Im@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link above to expand the project detail.

This project aims to develop an AI-powered multimodal framework integrating histopathological, radiological, and clinical data for early pancreatic cancer detection. Using deep learning and explainable AI, it will identify biomarkers, visualise diagnostic reasoning, and predict treatment responses, creating a transparent, data-driven tool to enhance diagnostic accuracy and support personalised oncology care.

Primary supervisor: Viji Ahanathapillai - Email: Viji.Ahanathapillai@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link above to expand the project detail.

The project aims to develop an online signal processing and analysis tool to facilitate a surgery called catheter ablation. It is a joint project between the School of Engineering and the Medical School at the University of Warwick. This PhD will be ideal for a candidate with a background in mathematics, physics, computer science/engineering or machine learning approaches.

Primary supervisor: Dr Igor Khovanov - Email: I.Khovanov@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link above to expand the project detail.

The project aims to enhance the functionality of the existing optical mapping tool by developing AI and machine learning for image processing. It is a joint project between the School of Engineering and the Medical School at the University of Warwick. This PhD will be ideal for a candidate with a background in mathematics, physics, computer science/engineering or machine learning approaches.

Primary supervisor: Dr Igor Khovanov - Email: I.Khovanov@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link above to expand the project detail.

A research project focused on developing advanced porous materials for sustainable, high-energy-density batteries. The project will investigate how metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) can be transformed into efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for both oxygen reduction and evolution reactions, advancing the performance of next-generation metal–air and redox-flow batteries.

Primary supervisor: Dr Volkan Degirmenci - Email: V.Degirmenci@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link above to expand the project detail.

Develop AI and Deep Learning models trained on high-fidelity Langevin Dynamics simulations of particle motion within complex branching lung networks. This will yield fast predictions crucial for optimising inhalation drug delivery and personalised respiratory medicine.

Primary supervisor: Professor Duncan Lockerby - Email: Duncan.Lockerby@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link above to expand the project detail.

Develop advanced multiscale computational methods to accurately model non-continuum fluid flow at the nanoscale. Research will bridge molecular physics to predictive macro-scale models, enabling breakthroughs in sustainable energy and advanced manufacturing technologies.

Primary supervisor: Professor Duncan Lockerby - Email: Duncan.Lockerby@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link above to expand the project detail.

Digital twins are virtual representations of complex systems that mirror the real-world system over time, help analyse its behaviour, and provide predictive insights using advanced modelling, simulation and AI methodologies. Digital twins of patients will offer the potential to transform healthcare by generating mechanistic insight that can improve both patient care and the design of clinical trials.

Primary supervisor: Professor Declan Bates - Email: D.Bates@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link above to expand the project detail.

An exciting modelling and experimental PhD project on discovering the fundamental aerodynamic properties of dangerous pollutants at the nanoscale, to enable better models to predict their motion for a wide range of health, environmental and air-quality applications.

Primary supervisor: Professor Duncan Lockerby - Email: Duncan.Lockerby@warwick.ac.uk

Co-supervisor: Professor Julian Gardner

Use the link above to expand the project detail.

This project will establish an advanced nonlinear finite element analysis based structural steel design method. Various frame typologies and fire scenarios will be taken into consideration. Frames with fully-rigid, semi-rigid and pinned connections will be investigated, adoption different methodologies to model connection response at elevated temperatures. Steel frames subjected to various fire scenarios will be considered.

Primary supervisor: Dr Merih Kucukler - Email: Merih.Kucukler@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link above to expand the project detail.

This is a unique opportunity to join a cutting-edge PhD project in collaboration with leading energy materials researchers and industry partners. Ion-exchange membranes are key to electrochemical devices, yet balancing performance and stability remains a challenge. This project will develop humidity-controlled terahertz spectroscopy to probe water properties within membranes, advancing material insights to optimise trade-offs for next-generation energy technologies.

Primary supervisor: Dr Hungyen Lin - Email: Hungyen.Lin@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link above to expand the project detail.

Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are - to varying levels - resistant to examination, most certainly in the clinic but equally in the home. Getting a glimpse into the mind of children with ASD would be most useful for clinicians charge with their treatment. This project concerns the development of handheld toy, to be used to engage with, and extract data from, children with ASD in the home.

Primary supervisor: Christopher James - Email: c.james@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link above to expand the project detail.

Blind source separation (BSS) is a mathematical technique that allows one to "unmix" a set of mixed signals in such a way that makes minimal (yet powerful) assumptions and yet results in outputs where the unmixed signals represent signals of interest which are (usually) buried deep in noisy signals. Brain signals are no different - successfully de-noising brain electric signals is an ongoing challenge in research.

Primary supervisor: Christopher James - Email: c.james@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link above to expand the project detail.

In the current model of care, where people are living healthier and for longer, care is taken out of the clinics and into the home. There is a need for monitoring either healthy (or healthy but "vulnerable") people, or those managing one or more conditions, in the home and unobtrusively - this project concerns the development of algorithms to do just that.

Primary supervisor: Professor Christopher James - Email: c.james@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link above to expand the project detail.

C. elegans, a sub-millimetre nematode (worm), is a so-called model organism, that is used by biologists for a variety of use-cases - chief amongst them is to observe their behaviour changes under genetic modification and/or the effects of drugs. Changes in behaviour are used to assess the expected effects of drug(s) and/ or genetic modification(s) - and are usually manually observed and calculated. Automating this process is hugely beneficial to the community.

Primary supervisor: Christopher James - Email: c.james@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link above to expand the project detail.

The electroecephalogram (EEG) is a recording of the electrical activity of the brain. It is usually recorded from multiple recording sites over the scalp - from a few channels to, sometimes, hundred of channels of recordings. Recording robust EEG in the home (away from the clinic) presents unique challenges - this project attempts top address these through robust data analysis techniques.

Primary supervisor: Christopher James - Email: c.james@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link above to expand the project detail.

This project will investigate methods to support dual functions - communications and sensing - using the same spectrum, and therefore offering improved efficiency and new services.

Primary supervisor: Professor Gan Zheng: Gan.Zheng@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link above to expand the project detail.

Micro-organisms such as C. elegans (sub-millimetre worms) or drosophila (fruit fly) are interesting model organisms to biologists working on understanding conditions that affect humans (such as Parkinsons disease) and how drugs can be developed to treat such conditions. Such organisms are usually observed on a dish and their behaviour noted after the DNA is manipulated or they are influenced by drugs. This behaviour is used to learn about condition/ treatment.

Primary supervisor: Christopher James - Email: c.james@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link above to expand the project detail.

Our work lies at the interface between systems modelling, control and biotechnology with applications in sustainable chemicals manufacture and pharmaceutical production. Our goal is to understanding the biosynthetic constraints of cell based production systems and then use tools from systems and control to overcome these bottlenecks. Projects in the group can range from completely modelling based to completely experimental and everything in between. We urge interested candidates to get in touch!

Primary supervisor: Dr Alexander Darlington - Email: A.Darlington.1@warwick.ac.uk

Use the link above to expand the project detail.