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                                            Courses
Choosing a course is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make! View our courses and see what our students and lecturers have to say about the courses you are interested in at the links below.
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                                            University Life
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                                    About University of Galway
                                    
                                            About University of Galway
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                                    Research & Innovation
                                    
                                            Research & Innovation
University of Galway’s vibrant research community take on some of the most pressing challenges of our times.
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                                    Business & Industry
                                    
                                            Guiding Breakthrough Research at University of Galway
We explore and facilitate commercial opportunities for the research community at University of Galway, as well as facilitating industry partnership.
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                                            Alumni & Friends
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                                    Community Engagement
                                    
                                            Community Engagement
At University of Galway, we believe that the best learning takes place when you apply what you learn in a real world context. That's why many of our courses include work placements or community projects.
 
Mechanical & Biomedical Engineering (Structured PhD)
Course Overview
The Structured PhD, full-time, is a 4-year programme which offers added value to the core component of doctoral training. Students on this programme are offered disciplinary or dissertation specific modules, as well as generic and transferable skills designed to meet the needs of an employment market that is wider than academia.
The programme is flexible and student centred, as candidates choose their own pathways in consultation with their Supervisor and Graduate Research Committee.
Programmes Available
PhD (full-time, four years); applications are made online via the University of Galway Postgraduate Applications System.
- New entrants may register for the programme from September to March each year 
The thesis remains central to the award of the PhD and is weighted at 330 ECTs. - Students select appropriate skills modules in consultation with their Supervisor and/or Postgraduate Research Committee as follows: At least 10 ECTs in two of the three skills categories, and an overall total of at least 30 ECTs
 
Skills Categories: (i) Problem Based Learning; (ii) Publication/Dissemination; (iii) Formal Training (from a range of Discipline-specific, Interdisciplinary and Generic modules)
Associated
Learning Outcomes
Entry Requirements
PhD—high Honours standard in the primary degree.
Who’s Suited to This Course
Current research projects
- Design of scaffolds for nanoscale tissue engineering
 - Development of innovative processing technology for large scale thermoplastic composite structures
 - Regulation in New Product Development
 
Current funded research opportunity
Work Placement
Related Student Organisations
Career Opportunities
Find a Supervisor / PhD Project
If you are still looking for a potential supervisor or PhD project or would like to identify the key research interests of our academic staff and researchers, you can use our online portal to help in that search
Research Areas
Dr Mark Bruzzi 
Deformation and Failure of Engineering materials 
Fatigue failure of Solid Materials 
Constitutive behaviour of biological materials 
Development of Active Materials 
Design and Development of Medical Devices 
Dr Kathryn Cormican 
Technology innovation Management 
Product Design & Development 
Enterprise Systems Design & Analysis 
Ms Mary Dempsey 
Business Process Engineering 
Logistics 
Operations Strategy 
Emergency Planning
Dr Pat Donnellan 
Health and safety management systems and risk management 
Quality Management Systems
Dr John Eaton 
Computational and experimental fluid dynamics. 
Aerodynamics of flight vehicles, propulsion systems and components. 
Aeroacoustics of turbulent flows. 
Turbomachinery fluid dynamics. 
Biofluid mechanics and flow systems. 
Multidisciplinary design optimisation.
Mr Enda Fallon 
Human Reliability in Health Care Systems 
A Best Practice Occupational Health & Safety Management System for Networked Organisations in the Manufacturing Sector 
Integrated Management Systems for Biomedical Device Manufacturing Companies 
Health & Safety and Ergonomics in the Professional Athletes Workplace
Ms Martina Kelly 
Ergonomics/Human Factors 
Usability 
Safety Management Systems 
Risk Management in Regulated Environments
Professor Sean Leen 
Computational solid mechanics 
Structural integrity 
Fatigue 
Fretting and wear 
Plasticity, creep and superplasticity 
Modelling of manufacturing processes
Dr Pat McGarry 
Multiscale cell and tissue mechanics 
Active cell modelling 
Biomechanics of hard and soft tissue 
Cardiovascular and orthopaedic implant and device design. 
Linear and non-linear computational method development and application in biomedical and materials engineering
Professor Peter McHugh 
Computational micromechanics in the engineering analysis of complex materials and systems Biomechanics of hard and soft tissue 
Multi-scale analysis methods for determination of structure-property relationships in biological and implanted materials 
Computational methods in biomedical engineering applied to linear and non-linear problems, using implicit and explicit solution algorithms 
Medical implant and device analysis and design.
Dr Laoise McNamara 
Mechanical characterisation of biological tissues 
Bone cell biology 
Mechanobiology 
Bone tissue regeneration in vitro 
Finite element modelling 
Adaptive modelling of biological processes
Dr Padraig Molloy 
Development of technology based solutions for health and living, particulaly systems that are relevant to the disabled and elderly. 
Product and production systems design. 
Built environment simulation and control systems development.
Professor Paul Nolan
Computer algebra in web-based course delivery.  
Simulation based training using internet technologies.  
Virtual reality prototyping of biomedical devices.
Dr Conchúr Ó Brádaigh
Processing of thermoplastic composite materials 
Liquid moulding of thermoplastic composite using monomer systems 
Mechanical testing of advanced composites 
Recycling of composite materials 
Application to innovative sporting, automotive and wind energy applications
Professor Abhay Pandit
Extracellular matrix development for soft tissue applications
Delivery of therapeutic (viral and non-viral) biomolecules delivery through novel tethering mechanisms
Tissue Engineering: Scaffold design, Biomimetics
Biomaterial enhanced repair and regeneration
Dr Nathan Quinlan
Biomedical fluid dynamics (pulmonary, cardiovascular and cellular applications)
Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics - mesh-free Lagrangian modelling of fluid dynamics
Fluid dynamics of droplet formation
Needle-free intradermal and pulmonary devices
Doppler Global Velocimetry and Particle Image Velocimetry
Fluid dynamics and thermodynamics in high speed flows
Propeller and wing aerodynamics
Dr Wenxin Wang
Functional Dendritic Polymers for Controlled Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering
Multifunctional Nanocarriers (nanoparticles, micelles, vesicles) for Therapeutic Biomolecular Delivery
Functional Biomaterials for Wound Healing
Temperature, PH and Ion Responsive Polymeric Materials
Controlled/Living Polymerisation Techniques
 
Dr Dimitrios Zeugolis
Biomaterials; Tissue Engineering; Bioengineering; Nanotechnology; Soft Tissue Repair / Regeneration (tendon, skin, cornea, nerve); Macromolecular Crowding; Extracellular Matrix Biology; Scaffold Stabilisation & Functionalisation; Directional Growth of Cells for Neotissue Formation; Sustained Release of Therapeutic Molecules; Drug Delivery / Release
Researcher Profiles
Head of Department   
Prof. Peter McHugh     
peter.mchugh@universityofgalway.ie
Academic staff    
Dr. Mark Bruzzi 
mark.bruzzi@universityofgalway.ie
Dr. John A. Eaton    
john.eaton@universityofgalway.ie
Prof. Sean B. Leen   
sean.leen@universityofgalway.ie
Dr. Pat McGarry 
patrick.mcgarry@universityofgalway.ie
Dr. Laoise McNamara    
laoise.mcnamara@universityofgalway.ie
Dr. Padraig Molloy    
padraig.molloy@universityofgalway.ie
Dr. Kathryn Cormican    
kathryn.cormican@universityofgalway.ie
Mr Enda Fallon   
enda.fallon@universityofgalway.ie
Dr Pat Donnellan   
pat.donnellan@universityofgalway.ie
Ms Martina Kelly   
martina.kelly@universityofgalway.ie
Ms Mary Dempsey   
mary.dempsey@universityofgalway.ie
Prof. Paul J. Nolan    
paul.nolan@universityofgalway.ie
Dr. Conchúr M. Ó Brádaigh 
conchur.obradaigh@universityofgalway.ie
Prof. Abhay Pandit   
abhay.pandit@universityofgalway.ie
Dr. Nathan Quinlan    
nathan.quinlan@universityofgalway.ie
Dr. Wenxin Wang 
wenxin.wang@universityofgalway.ie
Dr. Dimitrios Zeugolis   
dimitrios.zeugolis@universityofgalway.ie 
Course Fees
Fees: EU
Fees: Non EU
Extra Information
EU Part time: Year 1 €4,250 p.a. (€4,390 including levy) 2024/25
All students, irrespective of funding, must pay the student levy of €140.
Contact Us
Jane Bowman 
T +353 91 492 723   
E jane.bowman@universityofgalway.ie        
Sharon Gilmartin  
T +353 91 495 035 
E sharon.gilmartin@universityofgalway.ie
Mary Hardiman    
T +353  91 492 223 
E mary.hardiman@universityofgalway.ie
Related links:
  
 Scholarships
  
 Research
  
 Graduate Studies Office
  
What Our Students Say
	Tarek Nigim | PhD Mechanical Engineering
My research topic is 'solar-powered seawater desalination system: using clean energy to get clean water.' This topic is not only an engineering challenge, but also hugely needed in my country (Palestine). Here at NUI Galway I deal with excellent lecturers and professors who have immense experience and knowledge. My supervisor provides wonderful support.

				





