Applications are invited for a four-year PhD position in the School of Mathematics and Physics at Queen's University Belfast (QUB). The student will work as part of a research project that aims to model irradiation of biological molecules in the presence of solvents and metal nanoparticles (MNPs). Such irradiation processes occur over a wide range of time and length scales and so a range of theoretical and computational approaches are required that bridge these different regimes. The team involved in this work have developed a range of techniques to do this and the goal of this project is to join these methods together into a unified approach. Specifically, the PhD student will model the coupling of a quantum system to different complex environments such as solvents and MNPs by using an embedding scheme based on the projected equation of motion (PEOM) formalism. With this approach, the student will then study photon irradiation of nucleobases and radiosensitiser molecules in the presence of solvents and MNPs. 

Applicants must demonstrate a first or upper second-class honours degree or an equivalent academic qualification, preferably in Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, or Mathematics.   

All applications must be submitted through the QUB online application portal: https://dap.qub.ac.uk/portal/user/u_login.php.