Extending the viability of ex-vivo body organs

School of Medicine

Lead Researcher: Doctor Yossi Buskila

About the project

The School of Medicine within Western Sydney University is a leader in neuroscience and cognition research, with a strong reputation for delivering research outcomes of the highest quality. We are now offering a research scholarship to highly motivated PhD candidates to work within multidisciplinary research group within the School of Medicine and the MARCS institute, addressing the mechanisms leading to ex-vivo tissue deterioration. The project is funded through Australian industry partner and the Graduate Research School in Western Sydney University.

Organ transplantation is a lifesaving medical procedure in which an organ is removed from one body and placed in the body of a recipient, to replace a damaged or missing organ. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), more than 42,000 lifesaving transplants were completed in 2022, from both living and deceased donors.

The success rate of organ transplantation varies depending on several factors such as the type of organ transplanted, the age and health of the recipient, the underlying cause of the organ failure, and the quality of the donated organ. In general, organ transplantation has become a well-established medical procedure, and the success rates have improved over time with advancements in medical technology, surgical techniques, and immunosuppressive medications. However, while early gains in short-term survival rates after transplantation improved significantly over the past decades (from 50% to 90%), longer-term outcomes reached stagnation, ranging from 55% to 85%, depending on the organ. Some of the underlying causes for this low success rate are the organ quality and its potential rejection.

In this project, we propose to investigate the mechanisms that lead to ex-vivo tissue deterioration and develop technology to ameliorate this deterioration. The overarching aim of this project is to design a device that would extend the ex-vivo viability of whole organs such as kidney, heart, lung, liver and intestine, to provide a significant time window to assess their quality and rejection potential. By increasing the viability of the organs, we hypothesise that the long-term success rate of transplantations will be higher.

The project will be based at the school of medicine in Campbelltown campus with the opportunity to work with Dr Yossi Buskila and Prof. Paul Breen on recent technology they have developed. This project will include in vitro physiological and imaging techniques including electrophysiological recordings, optogenetics and two-photon imaging. Other experimental techniques will also be  used within the course of this project, including rodent behavioural experiments and neuroanatomical techniques, such as immunohistochemistry combined with stereology (MBF Biosciences, StereoInvestigator and NeuroLucida), genotyping and qPCR methods, western blots, ELISA, HPLC and mass spectrometry.

What does the scholarship provide?

  • Domestic students will receive a tax-free stipend of $32,192 per annum to support living costs, supported by the Research Training Program (RTP) Fee Offset.
  • International students will receive a tax-free stipend of $32,192 per annum to support living costs. Those with a strong track record will be eligible for a tuition fee waiver.
  • Support for conference attendance, fieldwork and additional costs as approved by School/Institute.

International candidates are required to hold an Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) insurance policy for the duration of their study in Australia. This cost is not covered by the scholarship.

Eligibility criteria

We welcome applicants from a range of backgrounds, who are keen to apply their skills to key issues in physiology. In particular, the project is suitable for candidates with strong interests in studying network physiology, biomedical engineering and organ transplantation.

The successful applicant should:

  • hold qualifications and experience equal to one of the following (i) an Australian First Class Bachelor (Honours) degree, (ii) coursework Masters with at least 25% research component, (iii) Research Masters degree, or (iv) equivalent overseas qualifications.
  • demonstrate strong academic performance in subjects relevant to physiology, biomedical engineering, tissue biology or pathophysiology.
  • have an understanding of the importance of research on medical disorders.
  • be willing to learn electrophysiological and imaging techniques applicable to physiology.
  • be enthusiastic and highly motivated to undertake further study at an advanced level.
  • International applicants must also meet English language proficiency.

How to apply

Follow the step-by-step instructions on the how to apply for a project scholarship(opens in a new window) page.

  • Note: You do not need to complete 'Step 5: Submit an online application for admission' when applying for this scholarship. You must complete 'Step 6: Submit an online application for a project scholarship'.

Incomplete applications or applications that do not conform to the above requirements will not be considered.

For questions and advice about the research project, please contact the Lead Researcher;
Doctor Yossi Buskila: y.buskila@westernsydney.edu.au

For questions and advice about the scholarship application process, please submit your scholarship enquiry:

  • Currently enrolled WSU HDR candidate, please submit your enquiry here
  • Not currently enrolled WSU HDR candidate, please submit your enquiry here

You may also find answers to your questions by visiting our Higher Degree Research (HDR) Knowledge Directory.

Applications close 31 May 2024.

*Applications close at 11.59pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT).

Scholarship reference code: PS2023_040_SoM