É«ÇéÖ±²¥app

Lead RVC Supervisor: Prof John Hutchinson, Chris Richards 

Department: Comparative Biomedical Sciences (Hawkshead campus-based) 

Background, aims and objectives:

Broiler (meat) chickens are a major food source globally. They have intensely been artificially selected to grow very quickly in order to efficiently produce the large breast muscles desired by industry. This selection has altered their anatomy and locomotion. Industry is interested in optimising traits of broiler chickens in order to maximise not only efficiency but also animal welfare. We seek an MRes student to use existing 3D experimental data with musculoskeletal models and simulations of 3 growth stages of broiler chickens to test if broiler chickens develop large loads on their limb joints and muscles as they grow from a 2 week old chick to a ~6 week old slaughter-age individual. This research should contribute to improving the poultry industry via scientific evidence, but also to basic scientific understanding of how musculoskeletal form and function change during rapid growth. 

References

1. Bishop, P.J., Michel, K.B., Falisse, A., Cuff, A.R., Allen, V.R., De Groote, F., Hutchinson, J.R. 2021. Computational modelling of muscle fibre operating ranges in the hindlimb of a small ground bird (Eudromia elegans), with implications for modelling locomotion in extinct species. PLOS Computational Biology 7:e1008843.  
2. Paxton, H., Tickle, P.G., Rankin, J.W., Codd, J.R., Hutchinson, J.R. 2014. Anatomical and biomechanical traits of broiler chickens across ontogeny. Part II. Body segment inertial properties and muscle architecture of the pelvic limb. PeerJ 2:e473   
3. Paxton, H., Daley, M.A., Corr, S.A., Hutchinson, J.R. 2013. The gait dynamics of the modern broiler chicken: A cautionary tale of selective breeding. Journal of Experimental Biology 216:3237-3248. doi:  
4. Paxton, H.P., Anthony, N.B., Corr, S.A., Hutchinson, J.R. 2010. The effects of selective breeding on the architectural properties of the pelvic limb in broiler chickens: a comparative study across modern and ancestral populations. Journal of Anatomy 217:153-166. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2010.01251.x 

Requirements

Essential:

• Must meet our standard MRes entry requirements. 
• Don’t need to be a vet. 
• Competent and comfortable with computers and at least basic maths/Newtonian physics.

Desirable:

• Expertise in 3D computer graphics/imaging. 
• Expertise in any of the following: biomechanics/mechanical engineering/physics; modelling/simulation/programming; animal welfare/veterinary sciences; anatomy.
• Interest in agriculture industry.

Fees and Funding

This can be taken full-time or part-time (12months FTE) project commencing ¾±²Ô October 2025, based at RVC's Hawkshead campus. 

Partially funded: e.g. the lab will be covering the project costs, with the MRes student expected to meet the course fees and their living expenses.

International applicants are welcome to apply but must be able to fund the difference between "É«ÇéÖ±²¥app" and "Overseas" tuition fees.  

Please note that EU/EEA and Swiss national students may no longer be eligible for the “É«ÇéÖ±²¥app” rate of tuition fees, dependent on personal circumstances (including immigration status and residence history in the UK) and UK government rules which are currently being developed. For up-to-date information on fees for EU/EEA and Swiss national students following Brexit please see our fees and funding p²¹²µ±ð.&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

How to Apply

For more information on the application process and English Language requirements see How to Apply. 

Deadline: 04/04/2025

Interviews will take place remotely (Teams, Zoom etc) within 4 weeks of the closing date. 

We welcome informal enquiries - these should be directed to jhutchinson@rvc.ac.uk