Silicon photonic sensors for early detection of paediatric sepsis

About the Project

Supervisory Team: Dr. David J Rowe and Professor Goran Mashanovich

This PhD project focuses on developing silicon photonic sensors that can detect early biomarkers of sepsis in children - quickly, accurately, and at the point of care.

Help revolutionise paediatric healthcare by developing cutting-edge silicon photonic sensors for early sepsis detection. Collaborate with leading engineers and clinicians, gain hands-on experience in photonic chip design and clinical validation, and contribute to life-saving diagnostics. Ideal for curious minds in physics or electronic engineering eager to make real-world impact.

Use photonics to help clinicians detect sepsis earlier: sepsis is a serious and fast-moving condition, especially in children, where early diagnosis can make the difference between full recovery and life-threatening complications. Yet current diagnostic tools are often slow, invasive or not well-suited to paediatric care.

This PhD project focuses on developing silicon photonic sensors that can detect early biomarkers of sepsis in children - quickly, accurately, and at the point of care. These compact, light-based chips operate in wavelength regions where key biomarkers have distinct optical signatures, offering a promising route to rapid diagnosis.

You’ll work closely with researchers at the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) and clinicians at University Hospital Southampton, combining photonic design and fabrication with real-world clinical insight. A key part of the project will involve validating the sensors using clinical samples, ensuring the technology performs reliably in real healthcare settings.

What you’ll be working on:

• designing and fabricating silicon photonic circuits for biomarker detection
• developing sensing strategies tailored to paediatric sepsis
• validating sensor performance using clinical samples
• collaborating with clinicians to align technology with patient needs

What you’ll gain:

• access to one of Europe’s top academic cleanrooms and photonics labs
• hands-on experience in photonic design, fabrication, and characterisation
• training in biomedical sensing and interdisciplinary collaboration
• a chance to contribute to a technology with direct clinical impact

Entry requirements

You must have a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in one of the following or a closely related discipline:

• electronic engineering
• physics

This project is ideal for students who are excited to apply their skills to a meaningful healthcare challenge.

Fees and funding

Full scholarships include tuition fees, a stipend at the UKRI rate plus 10% ORC enhancement tax-free per annum for up to 3.5 years (totalling £22,858 for 2025/26, rising annually) and a budget of £4200 for things like conference travel.

UK, EU and Horizon Europe students are eligible for scholarships. CSC students are eligible for fee waivers. Funding for other international applicants is very limited and highly competitive. Overseas students who have secured or are seeking external funding are welcome to apply.

For more information, please visit our postgraduate research funding pages.

How to apply

Apply now

You need to:

• choose programme type (Research), 2026/27, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
• select Full time or Part time
• search for programme PhD ORC (7097)
• add name of the supervisor in section 2 of the application

Applications should include:

• your CV (resumé)
• 2 academic references
• degree transcripts and certificates to date
• English language qualification (if applicable)