Sian Gleadhall

EBE and MERI EBE and MERI Student Profiles

Email: sg8516@hallam.shu.ac.uk
Research Centre: MERI
PhD Thesis Title: Advance model for cancer treatment: combining magnetic dynamics with molecular dynamics.
Director of Studies: Sergiu Ruta
Supervisor: Doug Cleaver

RESEARCH

Magnetic hyperthermia (MH) is a promising, non-invasive cancer treatment consisting of inserting magnetic nanoparticles into a tumourous cell and subjecting to an alternating magnetic field. This triggers localised heating, causing cell destruction at the region of interest.

The ideal scenario for MH assumes that that particles are non-interacting and not strongly aggregated. However, within recent in vivo research, it has been shown that once injected into the biological environment, the nanoparticles tend to cluster.

Within my research, I will be creating a model of the nanoparticles within magnetic hyperthermia, combining the magnetic dynamics by implementing the LLG equation coupled with the use of molecular dynamics simulation.

This will allow focus, not only on the inter-particle interactions, but also the particle behaviour inside the biological environment. It also allows me to research the different aggregate shapes and how this impacts the efficiency of MH.