Overview
Cancer treatments such as anthracycline-based chemotherapy save lives but can damage the heart, leading to long-term complications for survivors. Current monitoring approaches rely on hospital-based testing and often detect harm only after it has occurred. This project aims to transform the way treatment-related heart damage is detected by developing a low-cost, multiplex biosensor capable of real-time monitoring of cardiac biomarkers from a small blood sample. The technology will enable clinicians to detect early warning signs of cardiotoxicity and personalise treatment plans, improving outcomes for people living with cancer.
About this opportunity
Aims and approach
The student will design and fabricate a nanostructured electrochemical biosensor that simultaneously measures multiple biomarkers—such as troponin, NT-proBNP and inflammatory mediators—linked to cardiotoxicity. The platform will integrate molecular recognition elements (nanoMIPs or aptamers) onto printed circuit-based electrodes for enhanced sensitivity, scalability, and cost-efficiency. Analytical validation will be performed against standard clinical assays using patient plasma samples. In parallel, machine learning algorithms will be developed to interpret multiplex data, identify early risk signatures, and support predictive clinical decision-making.
Techniques and training
This is a highly multidisciplinary PhD spanning biomedical engineering, molecular pharmacology, and data science. The successful candidate will receive hands-on training in:
- Nanomaterial and electrochemical biosensor fabrication
- Microfabrication and PCB-based device integration
- Protein and biomarker assay validation (ELISA, immunoassays)
- Machine learning and data analytics for biomedical applications
- Clinical translation, usability testing, and regulatory awareness
Students will have access to cutting-edge facilities across biosensing, bioinformatics, and clinical research environments, with supervision from academic and clinical mentors. The project offers a rich development pathway including conference presentations, cohort training through the DiMeN DTP, and opportunities for industrial or translational collaboration.
Impact and significance
The research addresses a growing clinical need at the interface of oncology and cardiovascular medicine. Outcomes will include a point-of-care diagnostic platform for personalised cardiotoxicity monitoring, with potential to reduce hospital admissions and improve survivorship quality. The approach could be extended to other disease areas—such as sepsis or metabolic disorders—where multiplex biomarker detection is critical.
Graduates will emerge with broad expertise across biosensor technology, translational diagnostics, and AI-assisted healthcare, ideally positioned for careers in academia, the NHS, or the medtech sector.
Benefits of being in the DiMeN DTP:
This project is part of the Discovery Medicine North Doctoral Training Partnership (DiMeN DTP), a diverse community of PhD students across the North of England researching the major health problems facing the world today. Our partner institutions (Universities of Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, York and Sheffield) are internationally recognised as centres of research excellence and can offer you access to state-of-the-art facilities to deliver high impact research.
We are very proud of our student-centred ethos and committed to supporting you throughout your PhD. As part of the DTP, we offer bespoke training in key skills sought after in early career researchers, as well as opportunities to broaden your career horizons in a range of non-academic sectors.
Being funded by the MRC means you can access additional funding for research placements, training opportunities or internships in science policy, science communication and beyond.
Further information on the programme and instructions on how to apply, including a link to the application portal, can be found on our website https://www.dimen.org.uk/
Further reading
1. Asiimwe, I. G., Walker, L., Sofat, R., Jorgensen, A. L. & Pirmohamed, M. Genetic Determinants of Thiazide-Induced Hyperuricemia, Hyperglycemia, and Urinary Electrolyte Disturbances – A Genome-Wide Evaluation of the UK Biobank. Clin Pharmacol Ther 115, 1408-1417 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1002/cpt.3229
2. Arjun, A. M. et al. Low-Cost Polyphenol–Polypyrrole Molecularly Imprinted Sensor for Point-of-Care Alzheimer’s Detection. ACS Sensors (2025). https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.5c01816
3. Deshpande, S., Arjun, A. M., Liu, G., Pawlak, K. & Sharma, S. Redox-Active Polyphenol Red Molecularly Imprinted Polymers on Porous Gold Electrodes for Ultrasensitive, AI-Assisted Detection of Alzheimer’s Biomarkers in Undiluted Biofluids. Advanced Healthcare Materials n/a, e03155 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202503155
4. Tomlinson, L. et al. Attenuation of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in a human in vitro cardiac model by the induction of the NRF-2 pathway. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 112, 108637 (2019). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2019.108637
5. Lyon, A. R. et al. Baseline cardiovascular risk assessment in cancer patients scheduled to receive cardiotoxic cancer therapies: a position statement and new risk assessment tools from the Cardio-Oncology Study Group of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology in collaboration with the International Cardio-Oncology Society. Eur J Heart Fail 22, 1945-1960 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1002/ejhf.1920