Individual PhD Project Information:
Host institution: KTH Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden
Supervisory team: Prof. Svein Kleiven (PhD supervisor, KTH), Prof. Silvia Budday (PhD co-supervisor, FAU), Dr Xiaogai Li (PhD co-cupervisor, KTH), Dr Madelen Fahlstedt (secondment host, Mips).
Enrolment in Doctoral School: School of Technology and Health (KTH) and the Department of Mechanical Engineering (FAU).
PhD project description:
This PhD project will focus on establishing head injury prevention tools for the elderly population to decipher the geriatric injury mechanics and develop age-adapted protection solutions. Given the over-representation of the elderly in head injury statistics, FE head models specifically for the active ageing need to be developed urgently for improved and age adapted protection. This project will create individual specific injury prediction models that can be used for safer interpretation of the mechanisms associated with trauma of elderly and ultimately lead to improved head protection for the most vulnerable members of our society.
The doctoral student is offered a 4-year highly specialized doctoral training, making the candidate an expert in head impact biomechanics and helmet design technologies as well as being aware of commercializable market opportunities. The doctoral candidate will work in world-class facilities with highly qualified experts, and will benefit from the training scheme developed based on the expertise of academic and industrial partners.
A successful project will improve our understanding on the mechanisms of geriatric head trauma, novel Finite Element models of the ageing brain incorporating human properties, a first-of-its-kind detailed injury assessment tool for the elderly population directly applicable for product development of protective equipment, and a curated large dataset of injury mechanisms for an elderly population.
Planned secondments:
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU): Aims to gain knowledge in the generation of person-specific finite element models of the ageing brain.
- Mips: Opportunity for the DC to gain experience in product development in the industry, using an evidence-based approach, specifically for protective equipment.