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University of Bath Chemical Engineering PhD: Non-invasive Continuous Cortisol Monitoring in Newborns

Project 1907 · University of Bath · Department of Chemical Engineering

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Save this opportunity and prepare around its actual requirements. Confirm deadlines and eligibility at the original source.

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Country or region
United Kingdom
Application deadline
2026-11-29 (confirm the exact time with the source)
Funding
Bath Engineering and Design URSA is competitive for Home and Overseas applicants; Overseas awards are capped under UKRI policy, with no percentage stated. Awards cover tuition, up to £1,000 per year in training support and a maintenance stipend. The general Faculty maximum is 3.5 years against the PhD’s usual four years; this project’s paid period, payment schedule and final-stage funding are unknown. £21,805 is the 2026/27 reference. International students pay Student visa and IHS costs themselves.

The research opportunity

University of Bath Chemical Engineering PhD: Non-invasive Continuous Cortisol Monitoring in Newborns

Project overview

Stress in newborns is associated with long-term neurodevelopmental, immune and metabolic health, but these associations do not establish that cortisol alone causes any particular outcome. Current neonatal stress assessment still relies mainly on behavioural scoring, which may be subjective and confounded by other clinical conditions. This project aims to develop objective, continuous biochemical monitoring of cortisol.

Doctoral work

The PhD will develop a biosensor for non-invasive, continuous monitoring of cortisol in newborns. The work will explore sensor design and optimize cortisol detection, preparing for validation in neonatal clinical settings, with real-time tracking as an objective and no added discomfort as a design aim. The announcement does not specify the sample matrix, patient-facing interface, recognition material, detection threshold, reference assay, microfabrication process, cohort size, clinical partner, sample access or ethics approval. Continuous non-invasive monitoring remains a research goal: the project has not established clinical validation or shown that readings can already guide interventions or improve all outcomes.

Eligibility and application

Applicants must hold, or be about to obtain, a UK first-class or upper-second-class honours degree, or an international equivalent; a master’s qualification is advantageous. Relevant backgrounds include bioengineering, chemical engineering, chemistry and materials science. Interdisciplinary enthusiasm and willingness to learn are emphasized. Biosensor development, microfabrication or clinical research experience is beneficial, not essential. Non-UK applicants who are not currently studying in the UK must meet the programme’s English requirement by the application deadline; the announcement says no exceptions will be considered.

Apply online for the University of Bath Chemical Engineering PhD. Applicants may choose up to two projects and must select University of Bath URSA under Funding Your Studies. Enter the full advertised title, “Bath Engineering & Design Studentships: Non-invasive continuous monitoring of stress in newborns,” and the intended lead supervisor in the specified fields. Complete the corresponding title and supervisor fields for a second choice if applicable. The formal lead among the three named contacts is not confirmed and should be checked before submitting.

Funding and dates

Home and Overseas applicants can compete for the Faculty of Engineering and Design URSA studentships. Overseas awards are capped under UKRI policy, but this project notice gives no percentage. Awards cover tuition, up to £1,000 a year in training support and a maintenance stipend. £21,805 is the 2026/27 reference, not a confirmed personal 2027/28 rate. General Faculty support is capped at 3.5 years against the PhD’s usual four years; this project's paid period, payment schedule and final-stage funding are unknown. International students pay Student visa and Immigration Health Surcharge costs themselves.

The project notice gives a deadline of 29 November 2026; URSA terms described in October 2026 add 23:59 GMT. Current availability has not been confirmed. The expected start date is 4 October 2027; another date requires agreement from the intended supervisor and Doctoral College.

Contacts and applicant support

The announcement names Dr Hannah Leese as the informal enquiry contact (hsl25@bath.ac.uk), and lists Carmelo Herdes Moreno (C.E.Herdes.Moreno@bath.ac.uk) and Pedro Estrela (P.Estrela@bath.ac.uk). Their formal lead and co-supervisor roles are not established. Bath encourages applications from under-represented groups. Applicants may briefly describe circumstances that affected their educational attainment in a short paragraph at the end of their personal statement. If an applicant states in the application that they have a disability, the Disability Service will contact them to discuss their needs.

Before applying, confirm the lead supervisor, sample matrix and meaning of “non-invasive,” first-year endpoint, clinical collaboration and access/ethics conditions, as well as the personal award duration and stipend.

Research and application brief

Report generated: . This date does not confirm that recruitment remains open.

Information updated: . Recheck the original notice before applying.

Show report contents

University of Bath Chemical Engineering PhD: Non-invasive Continuous Cortisol Monitoring in Newborns

A proposed neonatal cortisol sensor connects molecular recognition, device engineering and the interpretation of physiological stress. Its strongest evidence is the team's related biosensor research; continuous, non-invasive monitoring in newborns remains a doctoral objective. The URSA terms available in October 2026 describe international tuition and maintenance support, with limited overseas awards. The priority is to clarify the sampling interface, clinical access and first-year endpoint while preparing the advertised Chemical Engineering application.

Research Problem and Doctoral Work

The project aims to develop a cortisol biosensor for continuous monitoring without invasive sampling. The advertised work also explores sensor design and optimal cortisol detection in preparation for validation in neonatal clinical settings; specific assay and validation parameters are not stated. The important scientific distinction is between detecting a molecule, tracking its change over time and establishing what that change means in newborns. Selectivity, drift, response delay and agreement with a suitable reference measurement would affect the usefulness of a time series. These are analytical questions to discuss with the team, rather than promised work packages or an established clinical protocol.

Cortisol is not a universal score in which a higher value necessarily means poorer health. An external 2024 study combined an observational cohort of 168 neonates with a synthesis of nine studies and linked neonatal hair cortisol with longer gestation and higher birthweight. Hair integrates prenatal exposure; it cannot directly validate an acute, continuous biofluid measurement. This illustrates why sampling compartment, timescale and clinical context must remain separate from sensor sensitivity. The study is external to the advertised team. Neonatal cortisol study

Likely doctoral value lies in linking recognition materials, signal interpretation and a defensible validation strategy. The announcement does not specify the biological matrix, patient-facing interface, clinical collaborator, reference assay or access to neonatal samples. A reliable cortisol measurement would still require separate evidence before it could support clinical diagnosis; the announcement does not establish an approved diagnostic device. A realistic first discussion should identify an achievable analytical endpoint and the dependencies of later clinical work. Nothing in the related microneedle literature resolves the announcement's precise meaning of “non-invasive.”

School, Programme and Field Context

The degree route is the University of Bath's Chemical Engineering PhD, Department of Chemical Engineering within the Faculty of Engineering & Design, programme code RECE-AFM02. Estrela's electrical-engineering affiliation and the Centre for Bioengineering & Biomedical Technologies support interdisciplinary work; they do not create a different awarding institution or a joint degree. The centre brings together engineering and health-technology research, but individual instrument time, clinical access and centre membership require agreement. Chemical Engineering PhD, CBio

The programme normally takes four full-time years. Its structure includes initial registration, confirmation through written work and an oral assessment, research, thesis submission and a viva. MyDoctoralDevelopment adds research and transferable-skills training; a particular placement or clinical training package is not promised here. The Doctoral College provides the university-wide research framework. Doctoral development, Postgraduate research

Bath is 125th overall in QS 2027. In the historical REF 2021 assessment, 96% of its combined Engineering submission was rated internationally excellent or world-leading, compared with 92% institution-wide. The Engineering result spans several departments; it is not a neonatal-sensing ranking or Chemical Engineering-only score. For this opportunity, the relevant signal is the combination of molecular-recognition and electrical-sensing expertise, not the overall rank alone. QS institutional table, REF 2021 results

Supervisor and Lab Assessment

The October 2026 profile identifies Hannah Leese as a Reader in Chemical Engineering, leading Materials for Health; the announcement directs enquiries to hsl25@bath.ac.uk, while her official profile publishes H.S.Leese@bath.ac.uk. Carmelo Herdes Moreno is a Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering with molecular-simulation and statistical-thermodynamics expertise, contact C.E.Herdes.Moreno@bath.ac.uk. Pedro Estrela is Professor in Electronic & Electrical Engineering and CBio Director, contact P.Estrela@bath.ac.uk. These are complementary roles. The formal lead/co-supervisor allocation, meeting pattern and any clinical co-supervisor are unconfirmed. Leese, Herdes Moreno, Estrela

The literature evidence for three recent originals is limited to complete institutional abstracts and authorship records; it does not include full methods, results, discussion or supplementary data:

  • Mustafa and Leese's 2023 ACS Omega paper, DOI 10.1021/acsomega.2c08127, examines lactate-specific molecular recognition and selectivity against related interferents. It supports recognition-material competence. Lactate is a different target, and material rebinding performance does not establish an integrated, continuous cortisol sensor. Lactate recognition
  • Keirouz and colleagues' 2023 Small paper, DOI 10.1002/smll.202206301, includes Leese and reports conductive microneedle interfaces, ex vivo porcine-skin tests and cell-compatibility evidence. This is relevant interface engineering, but minimally invasive skin access is not non-invasive neonatal monitoring. The work appeared online on 3 January and in the 5 April 2023 issue. Conductive interfaces
  • Turner and colleagues' 2023 Advanced Materials Technologies paper, DOI 10.1002/admt.202300259, includes both Estrela and Leese. Hollow microneedles coupled to lateral-flow detection address C-reactive protein and procalcitonin, with preclinical compatibility evidence. It demonstrates adjacent device integration, not cortisol measurement or clinical validity in newborns. Online publication was 4 May, with the issue dated 25 August 2023. Integrated detection device

A directly relevant Herdes/Leese cortisol-recognition study in ACS Applied Bio Materials 4(9), 7243–7253 (2021), is represented by the primary repository's indexed abstract and authorship record. Its 2021 date places it outside the current rolling five-year window; it is historical foundation, not a fourth recent paper. The three recent papers are genuine named-team outputs, but not three papers jointly authored by all three supervisors. No clinical partner or neonatal cohort is established by these publications. Earlier cortisol-recognition study

Funding, Application and Living Cost

The Engineering & Design URSA information available in October 2026 describes the 2027-entry competition and a deadline on 29 November 2026 at 23:59 UK time, GMT. The dated project announcement gives 29 November without a clock and anticipates 4 October 2027 entry, with alternatives agreed by supervisors and the Doctoral College. Those URSA terms explicitly cover Home or Overseas tuition plus annual maintenance, with limited overseas awards and training support up to £1,000 a year. This is a positive international competition, not a personal award guarantee; no overseas percentage is established for this call. Current URSA terms

General Engineering & Design URSA support is up to 3.5 years, whereas the PhD normally takes four years. Neither the individual's paid months nor a funded extension is confirmed. The £21,805 stipend figure is a 2026/27 reference, not an announced 2027/28 personal rate; training money is not disposable maintenance. The university lists overseas Engineering research tuition at £31,350 for 2027/28. A successful full-fee award should specify coverage and any writing-up or extension arrangements. 2027/28 tuition

Apply online for the Chemical Engineering PhD and select “University of Bath URSA” under funding. The announcement permits at most two project choices. Enter the project and supervisor in the first-choice fields and use “Project 2 Title” and the second-choice intended-supervisor field for the other choice. Confirm which of the named academics should be entered as lead. The general guide lists a CV, personal statement, degree evidence and transcripts, translations where necessary, English evidence and two references, including a recent academic referee; the intended supervisor cannot serve as referee. An own-idea proposal requirement must not automatically be imposed on this advertised project. Doctoral application guide

The published 2025/26 postgraduate budget is £405 a week or £21,060 a year. It is a dated planning reference: the table's utility assumptions need checking against an actual accommodation contract, and the 51-week accommodation example is not a 52-week offer. Comparing £21,060 with the £21,805 reference stipend leaves only £745, before recognising different academic-year scopes, inflation, immigration and other one-off costs. This is not a 2027 disposable-income forecast. Published budget

URSA does not pay visa or immigration-health-surcharge costs. October 2026 Student visa and student IHS references are £558 and £776 per year respectively; visa validity and charging rules can extend beyond the nominal funded period, and 2027 charges may change. The programme is ATAS-covered; Chinese applicants must check their offer's subject classification and individual clearance requirement. This is an additional process, not a nationality-wide exclusion. Student visa, IHS, ATAS rules

Applicant Fit and Preparation

The advertised academic requirement is a first or upper-second-class degree, or overseas equivalent, in a relevant field. A master's is advantageous. Bioengineering, chemical engineering, chemistry and materials backgrounds are named; sensor design, microfabrication and clinical experience are advantages rather than universal entry requirements. Evidence of careful measurement, quantitative reasoning and interdisciplinary collaboration is more useful than claiming clinical expertise without experience.

Bath encourages applications from under-represented groups. Applicants may briefly explain circumstances that affected their educational attainment in a short paragraph at the end of their personal statement. If an applicant states in the application that they have a disability, the Disability Service will contact them to discuss their needs.

For Chinese qualifications, the programme's overseas-equivalence route and URSA's explicit international eligibility provide positive routes. The country guidance available in the earlier assessment describes research-degree qualifications separately, while the current general international page redirects doctoral applicants to course-specific requirements. Its taught-master's percentage bands must not be applied to this PhD. No uniform Chinese PhD percentage or institution list was verified. Admissions should assess the actual institution, qualification and research record; a master's is not automatically a universal prerequisite. International qualifications

Chemical Engineering requires IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.0 in every component. The listed TOEFL routes are 90 overall/21 each before 21 January 2026 and 4.5 overall/4 each for tests on or after that date. Approved test evidence normally falls within 24 months of course start. An English-medium degree may qualify for an exemption subject to the university's recency and assessment conditions; Chinese English-medium study is not an automatic exemption. Crucially, a non-UK applicant not currently studying in the UK must meet the English requirement by this studentship's application deadline, with no exceptions. Doctoral English requirements

Preparation can centre on one previous measurement or modelling project: explain the question, reference standard, uncertainty, unsuccessful comparisons and what the evidence actually establishes. Relevant career skills could include analytical sensing, materials characterisation, quantitative validation and interdisciplinary development. The profiles and training infrastructure support this skills interpretation, not a measured employment rate, an industry placement or a guaranteed clinical-development job.

Risks and Questions to Resolve

The opportunity is strong enough for a focused funding application, with substantial technical and clinical dependencies. Its attraction is the connection between recognition chemistry, electrical sensing and a meaningful neonatal question. Its principal uncertainty is whether those elements can be joined within an agreed doctoral scope, not whether a generic sensor publication already proves the proposed outcome.

Before applying, ask Leese about the biological matrix, the meaning of non-invasive, formal supervisor allocation and the appropriate application fields. Confirm the first-year analytical milestone, clinical partner and access pathway, including what work remains viable if neonatal validation is delayed. Submit language evidence through the required deadline process rather than relying on the general course's later condition deadlines.

At interview, distinguish recognition selectivity from continuous readout, and biological association from clinical interpretation. Ask about equipment access, reference measurements, supervision across departments, ethics responsibilities and the balance between simulation, materials work and device validation. Before accepting, obtain the award's fee coverage, paid months, 2027 stipend rate and completion-cost plan, alongside housing, immigration and any clinical-travel costs. These are offer-stage questions, not a requirement to possess an award before applying.

Current availability remains unconfirmed. The literature assessment covers complete institutional abstracts of three recent originals, indexed primary material for the older cortisol study and the external neonatal study's structured abstract; full papers and supplementary data are outside its scope.

Evidence and Sources

Project, people and research

Programme, funding and applications

Fees, context and immigration

Sources

The listing may come from a university or recruitment platform. Check the notice and official sources in the report for current application requirements. View the recruitment source

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