Haemolysis testing – Vital for innovation

The overall objective of this one-year funded MSc project is to develop a robust haemolysis testing rig and study the effect of the difference in haemolysis profile of animal vs human on the tested device.

Pre-clinical haemolysis testing is crucial for cardiovascular devices to ensure safety and efficacy. It evaluates the device’s impact on red blood cells, preventing potential complications like anemia or thrombosis. This testing helps in identifying and mitigating risks, ensuring the device is safe for human use before clinical trials.

The cardiovascular medtech sector is expected to reach a valuation of $9.93bn by end of year 2025. With an exponential growth of this sector, there is a dire need of more haemolysis testing facilities that can provide critical data to refine designs, enhancing patient safety and facilitating regulatory approvals, ultimately accelerating the development of effective medical devices.

Furthermore, animal haemolysis profiles differ from human profiles due to species-specific variations in blood cell properties and circulatory dynamics. These differences can affect the assessment of device safety and efficacy. Understanding these discrepancies is essential to accurately translate pre-clinical findings to human applications, ensuring reliable and safe medical device performance.

This project is funded by RCSI Translational Research Seed Funding in collaboration with Boston Scientific.

Tenure: One year

Start date: 1 October 2025

Specification

  • At least a 2.1 (Upper Second Class) Honors degree or equivalent in biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, medical physics or a relevant subject.
  • English language proficiency: Minimum IELTS score of 6.5 overall with no component below 6.0, or equivalent TOEFL/other accepted test as per RCSI standards.
  • Analytical and problem-solving skills: Ability to design experiments, troubleshoot technical issues, and quantitatively analyse data using scientific software (e.g., MATLAB, Python, or similar tools).
  • Communication and team skills: Strong written and oral communication skills to produce technical documentation, deliver presentations, and work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team.
  • Motivation and initiative: Clear evidence of motivation for medical device research, innovation, and translational impact, with willingness to engage in both independent and supervised research tasks. 

Application process

Applications must include:

To apply, please access the following link and complete the application form in full.

Apply now

Please note:

  • Unfortunately, we are unable to provide individual feedback to applicants
  • Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview
  • At this stage only successful candidates will be contacted to submit, CV, transcripts and other relevant documentation
  • Only their referees will also be contacted at this stage for a reference.

Applications must include:

Deadlines

All applications must be made online by 19 September 2025.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure the application form is completed in full and on time. Late and/or incomplete applications will not normally be assessed.

The expected shortlisting date is 23 September, with interviews expected to take place on 26 September. Online interviews will be available.