Available Research Projects
The RadInnovate Training Centre research projects listed below are currently open and require students. If you would like to know more about a specific project, please contact the academic supervisor listed. Or for more general information, please email the Chief Operating Officer, Ingrid McCarthy
ANU/Quantum Brilliance - Optimised Methods for Nitrogen Vacancy Creation and Charge-State Stabilisation
PhD at ANU in partnership with Quantum Brilliance
The PhD on offer is based at the Australian National University with Professor Mahananda Dasgupta, in partnership with Quantum Brilliance, a global leader in mass-deployable, room-temperature diamond quantum technology, is developing quantum accelerators and sensors based on nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres in diamond. Diamond quantum technologies enable compact, lightweight quantum devices that operate at room temperature, supporting large-scale deployment, reliable performance in everyday or harsh environments, and seamless integration into existing infrastructure across computing and sensing applications. Potential applications include point-of-care pathology, accelerated neuromedicine development, assured navigation without GPS, mineral exploration, renewable-energy infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and more.
ANU/AdvanCell - Study on the effect of alpha radiation on radioisotope source materials
Masters at ANU in partnership with AdvanCell
AdvanCell is developing a state-of-the-art technology platform for the scaled production of radiopharmaceuticals based on the alpha-emitting Pb-212 radioisotope. This technology relies on a generator device involving a solid-state radioisotope source, consisting of a deposited layer of Th-228 on a metallic or ceramic substrate. These materials are exposed to large quantity of alpha particle radiation, and the long-term effects of radiation damage on the source and other key components are still unclear. It is fundamental to investigate these effects, as they can have an impact on the performance on the generator, and ultimately on the quality of the final drug product.
The candidate researcher will work with Professor Mahananda Dasgupta at ANU, and at AdvanCell’s Brisbane facility for the first period, and will be trained by AdvanCell’s R&D team to prepare a series of samples that will be representative of candidate materials to be used in the Th-228 source and generator. Then, these samples will be irradiated using ANU’s reactor to simulate the effect of long-term radiation exposure. Finally, the irradiated materials will be characterised with a variety of analytical methods to examine the morphological, structural and functional changes caused by the exposure.
Adelaide University/BHP - Radiobiology of radioisotope exposure
PhD at Adelaide University in partnership with BHP
Exposure to Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) in an industrial setting can occur by a number of pathways. The International Committee on Radiation Protection (ICRP) recommends dose conversion factors for converting these exposures to radiation dose, however leaves the option to modify these based on specific relevant research. In NORM mining the important pathways are generally:
- Gamma (photon) exposure from exposed ore or concentrate
- Radon decay product exposure due to breathing in air in which the decay products of radon have had time to build up
- Inhalation of dust containing long-lived radionuclides from the NORM decay chain
The project with Professor Eva Bezak aims to test the exposure concepts by challenging the dose pathway estimations, particularly for inhalation of dust. An initial assessment will be conducted to understand which underlying assumptions, exposure routes and dose coefficients represent the highest risk to accurate dose assessment.