WORMS: When micro-robots encounter metastatic cancer in the adjacent capillaries

WORMS seeks to develop a new mathematical tool for analysing the sensing capability of micro-robots based on the flexible multibody system and fluid mechanics, to aid the detection of hard-to-visualise cancer metastasis in the adjacent capillaries of the primary bowel cancer site. In the long term, this work will initiate a new modality for metastatic cancer diagnosis, delivering an efficient, minimally invasive procedure for early cancer patients. The unique research approach of this fellowship, a joint effort of numerical and experimental studies, will be hosted by Prof. Yang Liu from the University of Exeter with the secondment supervisor, Prof. Antoine Ferreira from INSA Centre Val de Loire, and the consulting gastroenterologist, Dr Shyam Prasad, from the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. The proposed work and training will have a significant impact on the fellow's future career at multiple levels, and the host may benefit from the fellow's expertise on flexible multibody systems and contact mechanics. Furthermore, the fellow will transfer knowledge and develop networking between the hosting and the secondment universities, which will foster a long-term research partnership placing Europe at the leading edge in developing the cutting-edge techniques of medical micro-robots.