ESBiomech24 Congress in Edinburgh

Post-doctoral position in Numerical modeling of the mechanical effect of a compression device on the leg @Mines Saint-Etienne

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Academic Context: The post-doctoral fellow will join the STBio team, from the Centre Ingénierie et
Santé (Mines Saint-Etienne) and the SaInBioSE laboratory (INSERM U1059), whose research activities
are focused on soft tissue biomechanics. For several years, STBio has been working on the interactions
between medical textile devices and the skin, in order to better understand their mechanisms of action
and/or to prevent certain complications.

Background: The device under study is a very innovative system developed for the treatment of
lymphedema. It consists of a compressive envelope with a structured inner face. Although several
clinical investigations have shown its efficiency, its mechanism of action remains poorly understood. It
is based on the interface pressure, but also on its spatial and temporal variation, that is exerted on the
surface of the skin. The geometrical structure of the inner face determines these pressure variations.

Application deadline: 13 july 2022

More information: https://institutminestelecom.recruitee.com/l/en/o/postdoctorante-postdoctorant-modelisation-numerique-de-leffet-mecanique-dun-dispositif-de-compression-sur-la-jambe

POSTDOCTORAL POSITION ON MECHANOBIOLOGY OF BIOENGINEERED MICROVASCULAR NETWORKS @KU Leuven

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Application deadline is June 21, 2022

The MAtrix / Mechanobiology & Tissue Engineering research group (www.mech.kuleuven.be/mechanobiology) is a bioengineering group that is pioneering the role of cellular forces for microvascular formation and function in health and disease. The group is led by prof. Hans Van Oosterwyck and is one of the few groups worldwide that has established 3D Traction Force Microscopy (TFM) routines and workflows for quantifying cellular force exertion in 3D, and routinely applies them to in vitro models of angiogenesis (endothelial invasion). Together with its research partners, it is currently developing novel in vitro models, compatible with TFM and other methods of cellular force inference, to study the interplay between cellular force exertion, matrix mechanics and fluid flow, and how this interplay contributes to endothelial cell phenotypic changes in the context of endothelial heterogeneity and specific (genetic) diseases that lead to microvascular malformations.
The group is looking for a postdoc with strong expertise in the in vitro bioengineering of microvascular networks to strengthen the research team.

The ideal candidate must have:
– a PhD in bioengineering or related fields.
– strong bioengineering skills relevant for 3D in vitro models of vascular biology, such as micro- or mesofluidics, micro- / biofabrication (e.g. 3D printing), 3D endothelial (co-) culture systems, hydrogel synthesis and functionalization, mechanical design.
– experience with optical microscopy, preferably live cell imaging in 3D (confocal microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, genetically-engineered fluorescent reporter systems).
– some experience with or exposure to scientific computing (such as finite element modelling) and programming (such as Matlab).
– a strong interest in mechanobiology and mechanotransduction, with a desire to learn TFM and related methods.
– a strong CV and willingness to apply for a personal postdoc fellowship (together with the PI).
– a collaborative attitude; we are looking for a real team player who is willing to help and co-supervise master and PhD students.

You will join a KU Leuven-funded project that is in close collaboration with profs. Liz Jones and Aernout Luttun (Centre for Molecular and Vascular Biology at KU Leuven) and that explores how organ-specific endothelial cell heterogeneity arises from the combination of genetic and mechanical signals. Your role is to explore the role of cellular force exertion in the establishment of organ-specific endothelial phenotypes in combination with extrinsic mechanical signals related to organ-specific matrix mechanics and fluid flow. Apart from using and optimizing recently established monolayer models available in our group, you are expected to develop novel 3D in vitro models of perfused vascular networks compatible with cellular force inference. Apart from the application to the study of endothelial cell heterogeneity, these models must also target the study of microvascular disease, in particular Cerebral Cavernous Malformations (CCMs) which are malformations of the brain microcapillaries. As to the latter, the Van Oosterwyck group has a strong partnership with the research group of dr. Eva Faurobert at the Institute for Advanced Biosciences (University of Grenoble, France), with whom you are expected to closely collaborate as well.

More information:

postdoc-vacancy_Van-Oosterwyck_extendedDownload

Application deadline is June 21, 2022.
Contact person: prof. Hans Van Oosterwyck (hans.vanoosterwyck@kuleuven.be).

PhD positions on biomechanics @ University of Bologna

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Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna (Italy) invites applications for the admission to the 38th PhD programme in Health and Technologies. (https://www.unibo.it/en/teaching/phd/2022-2023/health-and-technologies). 

The research projects about biomechanics cover in silico methodologies, deep learning, experimental and computational characterization of biological tissues and biomaterials, and imaging techniques.  Among the research projects advertised, you will find:

– I-BLOSSOM – Instrumented Biomarkers for LOngitudinal aSSessment Of Motor control development (Supervisor: Prof Stagni, rita.stagni@unibo.it)

– Development and perspective validation of an in silico methodology for the prediction of bone fracture risk to be used as clinical support system (Supervisor: Prof. Viceconti, marco.viceconti@unibo.it)

– Biomechanical evaluation of knee mechanical behaviour and interface stresses with a new concept of alignment for total knee arthroplasty (NEW- KNEE) (Supervisor: Prof. Cristofolini, luca.cristofolini@unibo.it)

– Computational modelling of vertebrae affected by metastasis for clinical diagnosis (Supervisor: Prof. Cristofolini, luca.cristofolini@unibo.it)

PhD candidates are expected to operate in a multidisciplinary team of engineers, biomaterials science, medical physics, computer science, biologists and clinicians. Each project will be conjointly supervised by a supervisor active in the technology field and one in the clinical field.

More details can be found in (https://www.unibo.it/en/teaching/phd/2022-2023/attachments/38th-cycle-phd-programme-table-health-and-technologies/@@download/file/38_PhD%20Programme%20Table_Health_Technologies.pdf). 

The online application must be submitted by June 9th, 2022 at 11.59 pm (CEST).

Three totally founded PhD scholarships are available.

If you would like to apply, contact the coordinator of the PhD programme (prof. Marco Viceconti, marco.viceconti@unibo.it) or the supervisor of the project you are interested in and join the University of Bologna for a wonderful research experience.

Tenure track (junior professorship) in tissue Biomechanics @LMGC, University of Montpellier

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As part of the development of research activities in biomechanics and teaching activities in mechanical engineering, the University of Montpellier is recruiting for a non-permanent position of junior research professor in soft tissue biomechanics. Through here/his project, she/he will increase our knowledge and understanding of poro-elastic fibrous tissues (with a focus on cartilages) and of the contact mechanisms between those tissues in joints. Understanding these behaviors, including fluid-structure mechanisms could lead to (i) better understanding of the mechanobiological behavior and growth of cartilage and (ii) better understanding and modeling of contact mechanisms within joints and thus propose strategies for rehabilitation. Robotic solutions, different imaging modalities (US, MRI, microCT, microsopy,…), biosensors and 3D bioprinting may be developed/used in here/his research project, with the help of collaborative research between labs of the University.

More information:

http://www.lmgc.univ-montp2.fr/spip.php?article275&lang=fr

Senior Scientist position human movement biomechanics @TU Wien

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Senior Scientist and head of newly built and equipped human movement lab staff position for a biomechanical engineer with mechanical/mechatronics engineering background and interest in Human Movement Biomechanics and development of assistive devices, available at Vienna University of Technology. The position is initially limited to two years, extension to permanent position possible.

More information: https://www.ikp.tuwien.ac.at/biomech/news/EN/

Postdoctoral researcher position on articular cartilage developmental biomechanics @University College Dublin

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A postdoctoral researcher position is available in the Developmental Biomechanics Group. The research project is focussed on cartilage development and healing, and will be in close collaboration with Prof Pieter Brama from the UCD School of Veterinary Medicine. Experimental (wet lab, e.g., histology) experience (ideally) with musculoskeletal tissues is essential for the position. The funding available is for nine months, but every effort will be made to extend the duration of the position. The start date is asap, and latest July 2022.

More information: https://developmental-biomechanics.org/contact/

If interested in the opportunity, or for further enquiries, please email Prof Nowlan (niamh.nowlan@ucd.ie) your CV in the first instance. 

Open Position: University Assistant in Biomechanics and Proteomics @TUWien

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The Institute of Lightweight Design and Structural Biomechanics (ILSB) of TU Wien invites applications for the position of a University Assistant (30h/week) in the area of biomechanics and proteomics. The successful candidate will conduct research towards a PhD thesis. In particular he/she will investigate healthy and degenerated meniscal tissue micro- / nano-mechanics using atomic force microscopy, spatially resolved micro-indentation and dedicated existing custom-made devices. Composition will be investigated via spatially mass-spectrometry methods under supervision of Prof. M. Marchetti-Deschmann of the Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics of TU Wien. After successfully establishing correlated mechanics and compositional datasets, a further step would be to compare retrieved data, to chemical magnetic resonance images (MRI) available through a clinical partner. In the long run we envision this to become a tool for early detection of meniscal degeneration and osteoarthritis.

More information:

UAss-PhD-ILSB-2022Download

PhD position on cardiac tissue growth & remodeling @TUDelft

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Heart failure is a progressive chronic condition under which heart tissues undergo detrimental changes in structure and function across multiple scales in time and space. Given the role that biomechanical stimuli play in the onset and progression of these remodeling processes, cardiac restraint devices are seen as a promising treatment strategy. However, given the limited understanding of the underlying cardiac tissue behavior, current designs fail to successfully counteract pathological remodeling in the long term.

To this end, the aim of this PhD project is to develop, implement, verify, calibrate, and validate a microstructurally and functionally informed cardiac tissue model for growth and remodeling using finite element analysis. The outcomes of the developed framework will be leveraged to design enhanced bio-informed cardiac restraint devices.

Within this project, the PhD candidate is expected to operate within a multidisciplinary team of engineers, biomedical scientists, and cardiac surgeons. The outcomes of this project will be disseminated to the scientific community and to a general audience through presentations at (inter-)national conferences and through publications in peer-reviewed journals. Additionally, the candidate is expected to take part in educational activities within the department (assist in teaching, act as a mentor for master students, supervise master thesis work, … ).

The PhD candidate will be supervised jointly by dr. ir. M. Peirlinck (dept. of Biomechanical Engineering) and dr. ir. Noël (dept. of Precision & Microsystems Engineering) at Delft University of Technology. Our labs have a strong network of national and international collaborators in both academia and industry.

More information:

https://www.tudelft.nl/over-tu-delft/werken-bij-tu-delft/vacatures/details/?nPostingId=2429&nPostingTargetId=6179&id=QEZFK026203F3VBQBLO6G68W9&LG=UK&mask=external

PhD position on the prestress exerted by the fascia on muscle tissue @LBMC, Lyon, France

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The Laboratory of biomechanics and impact mechanics, in Lyon (France) has a PhD position on the Experimental analysis and modeling of the prestress exerted by the fascia on muscle tissue. Numerical human body models are an important tool for better understanding the phenomena involved in mobility or comfort. In order to be able to model movement, deformable models of the human body must properly reproduce muscle activation. The main objective of this thesis topic is to include the fasciae, in particular the fascia lata at the level of the thigh, in the lower limb model developed at the LBMC to improve its biomechanical response during muscular activation.

To meet this objective, fascia mechanical properties must be mathematically modeled with a constitutive law of the material to be integrated in the lower limb model, and the prestressing exerted by the fascia on muscle tissue should also be quantified and modeled.

Full description of the project in both French and English: https://lbmc.univ-gustave-eiffel.fr/fileadmin/redaction/LBMC/Documents/Theses2022/sujet_de_These_LBMC_Fascia_2022_Bruyere_Gras_VF.pdf

If you would like to apply or need more information, please send CV, cover letter, contact information for a recommendation, and masters transcripts to Laure-Lise GRAS (laure-lise.gras@univ-lyon1.fr).

Open position of Associate Professor in data-driven mechanics of living material @Mines Saint-Etienne

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Mines Saint-Etienne (MSE), one of the graduate schools of Institut Mines Télécom, the #1 group of graduate schools of engineering and management in France under the supervision of the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Digital Technology, is assigned missions of education, research and innovation, transfer to industry and scientific, technological and industrial culture.

MSE consists of 2,400 graduate and postgraduate students, 400 staff, a consolidated budget of €46M, three sites on the Saint-Etienne campus (Auvergne Rhone-Alpes region, Lyon Saint-Etienne metropolitan area), a campus in Gardanne (SUD region, Aix Marseille metropolitan area), a site in Lyon within the digital campus of Auvergne Rhone-Alpes Region, six research units, five teaching and research centres and one of the leading French science community centres (La Rotonde €1M budget and +40,000 visitors per year). The Times Higher Education World University Ranking ranked us for 2022 in the 251-300 range for Engineering and Technology.  Our work environment is characterised by high Faculty-to-Student, Staff-to-Faculty and PhD-to-Faculty ratios, as well as comprehensive state-of-the-art experimental and computational facilities for research, teaching and transfer to industry.

The CIS gathers 70 people, including 18 permanent teacher-researchers in industrial/computer engineering, biomechanics and process engineering around health applications: biotechnologies, tissue engineering, e-health, computer-assisted surgery, personalized medicine and patient pathways… Since its creation in 2004, the CIS has been representative of Mines Saint-Etienne’s ability to position itself as a leader in innovative fields such as Soft Tissue Biomechanics, Health Care Systems and Services Engineering, and Biomaterials and Inhaled Particles Engineering. The person recruited will also interact with the other centers of the School (SMS, SPIN, CMP in particular) in order to federate research and transfer actions in the field of biomechanics and bioengineering.

The SAnté INgénierie BIOlogie Saint-Etienne laboratory (SAINBIOSE, INSERM UMR 1059) brings together researchers from the CIS (biomechanics, biomaterials and bioengineering fields), the Jean Monnet University medical school, the Saint-Etienne University Hospital, Inserm and the Etablissement Français du Sang. The overall scientific objective of SAINBIOSE is a better understanding and innovative management of biostress in osteoarticular (LBTO team) and cardiovascular (DVH team) pathologies.

Biomechanics, both experimental and numerical, is a major transverse theme of SAINBIOSE, ranging from the modeling of the mechanical behavior of tissues to clinical and industrial applications, particularly with the textile sector. The dynamism of SAINBIOSE and the CIS in this field makes them world-class players today (ERC and other European funding, numerous international collaborations and industrial contracts). The approach developed is largely based on established skills in numerical simulation and identification of behavior laws. The study, monitoring and prediction of the biomechanical properties of soft tissues, or of their interactions with medical devices, are areas of excellence. An additional dimension, of very high added value, will be obtained by integrating artificial intelligence and data science.

Application deadline: April 15, 2022

More information:

meca_IA_maitre_conferences_CDGIMT_-EN_2022Download

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