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Dr. Heidi Feigenbaum is looking for a PhD student or a post-doc with interests in mechanics of materials and biomechanics for a new project related to fracture during childbirth. Specifically, this project focuses on predicting fracture after an episiotomy, a procedure in which a doctor or midwife makes a small incision from the back of the vagina through the perineum towards the anus to widen the vaginal opening. This procedure is sometimes used during childbirth to create more room for the fetus to be extracted. However, an episiotomy also creates very high internal stresses at the tip of the incision. The objective of this work is to calculate the stress at the tip of the episiotomy under a wide range of conditions, including the geometry and length of the incision, the size of the fetal head, and the properties of the muscle and tissue of the pelvic floor, and determine when an episiotomy is likely to lead to further tearing. As such, this work will help guide clinicians as to when an episiotomy should be performed and establish the type and length of episiotomy to use to lessen the risk of additional tearing.
More Information:
- The Ph.D. position can either be in Mechanical Engineering (https://nau.edu/mechanical-engineering/mechanical-engineering-phd/) or Bioengineering (https://nau.edu/mechanical-engineering/bioengineering-phd/).
- For information about NAU, please visit: https://nau.edu/about/
- For information about Flagstaff, AZ, USA, please visit: https://nau.edu/about/living-in-flagstaff/
- For information about Dr. Heidi Feigenbaum, please visit:
- For more information regarding the position, please contact: Heidi.Feigenbaum@nau.edu
If interested, contact Dr. Feigenbaum at Heidi.Feigenbaum@nau.edu