PhD in Biomedical Engineering

The Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) is seeking a talented PhD candidate to develop theoretical and numerical methods aimed at facilitating the systematic coupling of cell experiments with predictive agent-based models of blood vessel formation (angiogenesis). The developed methods are expected to accelerate the development of experimentally-informed and validated computational models for the design of new strategies in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine aim at the restoration of biological functions of diseased tissues by engineering living substitutes or medical treatments that directly target the disease rather than the symptoms. A detailed understanding and control of blood vessel formation (angiogenesis) is necessary in this field. This task is however extremely challenging because of the many phenomena involved. Computational models can isolate single phenomena, thereby simplifying the interpretation of cell experiments and enabling a deeper understanding. Unfortunately, without a systematic approach, the development and validation of these models based on few experimental data is not always reliable. This hinders the model predictive potential and applicability. To address this limitation, the candidate will develop numerical and theoretical methods to inform the systematic development of computational models of angiogenesis, based on a relatively limited number of experiments.

The position will be based at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Netherlands. Doctoral research will be performed within the REM cluster, in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, under the supervision of Dr. Tommaso Ristori and Dr. Sandra Loerakker. The strongly multidisciplinary research of the REM cluster is directed at the understanding and control of the tissue and cell behavior for regenerative medicine purposes.

As a successful candidate, you will work within the recently founded Research Cluster in Regenerative Engineering and Materials (REM), in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. REM will provide you with access to top-notch computational and experimental infrastructure and excellent expertise, to perform research at the interface between tissue-engineering and computational modeling. Within REM, you will have the opportunity to collaborate and interact with a very multidisciplinary group of researchers. Moreover, you will have access to a wide range of personal development courses for PhD students.

We are accepting applications from enthusiastic and highly talented candidates who are interested in a dynamic, stimulating, and ambitious environment to perform their research. We are looking for candidates that meet the following requirements:

• The successful candidate should be excited about uncovering, predicting, and controlling the behavior of cells exposed to different stimuli.
• Enthusiasm and interest in combining experimental and computational techniques is required.
• A master's degree (or an equivalent university degree) in Applied or Theoretical Mathematics, Biomedical Engineering, Biophysics, Systems Biology, or related areas.
• Prior experience in programming and computational modeling is required.
• Prior experience with cell culture and analysis is a plus.
• A research-oriented attitude with an analytical mindset.
• You are creative, ambitious, organized, resilient, and persistent.
• Ability to independently work within a dynamic team and to foster collaborations.
• Fluent in spoken and written English.