ESBiomech25 Congress in Zurich

Program Director for the Biomedical Engineering at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria

The Faculty of Engineering of the University of Victoria is inviting applications from qualified mid-career academics for a biomedical engineering research stream Faculty position at the rank of Associate Professor or Full Professor. In addition to regular academic responsibilities, the successful candidate will also assume the role of Program Director for the Biomedical Engineering undergraduate program for a three-year renewable term.

This accredited BEng degree program is shared between the Department of Mechanical Engineering (MECH) and the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE). This tenured position will reside within the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

In collaboration with the Dean and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs of the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science, the Chair of Mechanical Engineering and the Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Program Director will: 1) provide inspiring academic leadership for the educational mission of the Biomedical Engineering Program; 2) ensure the curriculum of the Biomedical Engineering Program meets the program’s goals, strategic plan and accreditation needs; 3) enable and develop synergies between the biomedical engineering curriculum and research programs; 4) provide vision and strategic directions for the program; 5) manage and coordinate the program’s human and fiscal resources; 6) represent the program and its students within the University of Victoria, as well as to provincial and federal agencies,  key industry groups, partners and collaborators. The expected start date for this position is January 1, 2026.

The candidate’s qualifications, experience, overall market demand and rank will determine a candidate’s final salary offer. Industry experience is considered an asset. The salary for this position includes a competitive salary range of $138,000 – $170,000 at the Associate Professor rank or $168,000 – $207,000 at the Professor rank. UVic is committed to offering an equitable and competitive salary, inclusive of a generous benefits package, eligible leaves and pension plan.

Requirements

The position is open to researchers in any field of biomedical engineering or bioengineering. Eligible candidates must:

  • hold a PhD in biomedical, mechanical, electrical engineering or a similar field;
  • be registered as a Professional Engineer, or be eligible for and committed to registration;
  • have demonstrated experience collaborating with industry;
  • be committed to teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and actively participating in the academic operations of the Department;
  • have excellent verbal and written communication skills; and
  • have a track record of: leading academic teams, research experience, securing research funding, and creating inclusive learning environments that encourage a diversity of perspectives and insights. 

We recognize that the biomedical engineering discipline is evolving rapidly; we seek candidates who are notably contributing in any part of this discipline, and who are committed to translating their experiences and insights into the continual improvement of our students, faculty and our programs.

Contact information
To be considered, please submit your application package via email to mech.asst.chair@uvic.ca, with the subject line “MECH Biomedical Faculty Position” by end of day, 7 April 2025.  

  1. a cover letter providing an overview of the candidate’s qualifications;
  2. a detailed curriculum vitae;
  3. a max 2-page description of the candidate’s proposed research program;
  4. a max 2-page description of the candidate’s teaching experience and philosophy;
  5. a max 2-page statement on leadership philosophy and learnings from administrative experiences
  6. contact information for four referees.

UVic is committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion in our living, learning and work environments.  In pursuit of our values, we seek members who will work respectfully and constructively with differences and across levels of power. In preparing the above statements, applicants are asked to refer to the UVic Equity Action Plan, particularly our institution’s 5 universal goals, and to elaborate on how our institutional priorities can be reflected in their research, teaching and administrative approaches.

Applications should be addressed to:
Dr. Brad Buckham Professor & Chair,
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Victoria
PO Box 1700 STN CSC
Victoria, BC, Canada V8W 2Y2

Application deadline: April 7, 2025

Further details can be found here.

PhD: Advanced material-based regenerative approach for degenerative spinal disorders – Eindhoven University of Technology

Short Description
– Are you eager to develop innovative regenerative fusion technologies to treat back pain?
– Are you inspired to push the boundaries on engineering biomaterials to address medicine’s future needs?

Job Description
Back pain is among the top ten diseases causing the greatest burden on society in terms of years lived with disability. It is estimated that 30 to 40% of these cases are attributed to intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. Currently, there are no satisfactory treatments for IVD degeneration. If analgesics and physical therapy fail to control the pain, operative treatment can be considered in some cases, where the involved spinal segments are fused using metal/polymer cages. Such spinal fusion operations are very effective in relieving patients’ pain, but they are not always successful, sometimes leading to delayed fusions or non-unions. Our goal is to develop an innovative solution for spinal fusion using a 3D printed bioresorbable ceramic-based cage that is osteoinductive, load-bearing, and can counteract local inflammation. The newly created implant will be tested in vitro and in an in vivo animal model to move one step closer towards translation to human clinical applications. Your aim will be to design, fabricate, and characterize a subject-specific cage implant that promotes spinal fusion through mechanical stimulation while providing adequate mechanical strength until complete vertebrae fusion. To do this, you will focus on modeling the mechanobiology of the native tissue using integrated computational and experimental methods and translate those findings into innovative regenerative designs and material implants that promote fast and complete spinal fusion. You will contribute to a large Dutch-Brazilian research program – BioFusion – to research engineered biomaterials for spinal fusion (more details here). You will closely collaborate and spend some time at our partner organizations at KU Leuven (Belgium) and UNESP – Universidade Estadual Paulista, School of Engineering (Brazil).

About the group
You will be enrolled at Eindhoven University of Technology within the Biomaterials Design and Processing and Orthopedics groups. Our mission is to develop novel treatment strategies for an aging and active population. We combine advanced biomaterials and manufacturing methods, such as Additive Manufacturing and Bioprinting, with in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo platforms, as well as engineering methods like high-resolution imaging and computational modeling. Our goal is to enhance understanding of musculoskeletal tissues and create regenerative treatments. We are part of the Regenerative Materials and Engineering cluster in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. The department offers Bachelor’s and Master’s programs linked to research areas such as Chemical Biology, Biomaterials, and Biomechanics, with over 800 students and 200 academic staff. Our inclusive, collaborative campus fosters connections and excellence in research and education.

Job Requirements
We are accepting applications from enthusiastic and highly talented candidates who meet the
following requirements:
– A master’s degree (Second Cycle qualification) in Biomedical engineering, Mechanical engineering, Material Science and engineering, or related discipline.
– A solid background in continuum mechanics and biomechanics.
– A strong interest in computational mechanics, mechanobiology and multi-scale material modelling.
– Experience with bone engineering, inorganic biomaterials and Additive Manufacturing is preferred
– Excellent programming (e.g. Python, Matlab) and data analysis skills.
– Strong motivation to do excellent, original, fundamental research.
– Team player and able to work in a dynamic, interdisciplinary, and international context
– Excellent written and oral communication skills. Note that there is no Dutch language requirement.
– Motivated to develop your teaching skills and coach students.

Conditions of Employment
We offer a meaningful job in a dynamic, stimulating and ambitious team environment.
– A full-time employment contract for four years, with an intermediate performance review after nine months.
– A gross monthly salary and benefits that align with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities.
– Additionally, an annual holiday allowance equal to 8% of your yearly salary, and a year-end allowance of 8.3% of your annual salary.
– A broad package of fringe benefits, including access to an excellent technical infrastructure, assistance with moving expenses, and participation in savings schemes.
– Family-friendly initiatives, such as an international spouse program, on-campus children daycare, and sports facilities.
– Cutting-edge research focused on bone fractures and will receive innovative multidisciplinary and multisectoral training from experienced supervisors in both clinical and academic fields.
– Be part of an international team of biomaterials and spine research experts and a large network of PhD students.
– Secondments at KU Leuven (Belgium) and UNESP – Universidade Estadual Paulista, School of Engineering (Brazil)
– A structured training program, which includes a combination of soft skill courses, targeted workshops, social events, and networking opportunities.

Information and application
Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? We invite you to submit a complete application directly to dr. Miguel Castilho (m.dias.castilho@tue.nl). The application should include a:
– Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
– Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of three referees.
– Copies of degree and academic transcripts (with grades and rankings), for both the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Academic records not written in English should be accompanied by a translation into English (it can be either an official translation or self-translation). If the candidate has not been awarded the qualifying degree yet, he/she should provide a document proving the expected date of award.

Call of bids for hosting ESBiomech2028

The ESB invites proposals for the organization of its annual congress in 2028. If you would like to host and organize the 2028 ESB congress and wish to prepare and submit a bid, please read the conference rules.

Interested members can contact or send a proposal/bid to Dr Peter Varga, Chair of the Meetings and External Affairs Committee (meeting.chair@esbiomech.org).

The deadline for bid submission (first step) to organize the ESB 2028 is 15 December 2024.


Corporate members of the ESB:

AMTI force and motion logo
BERTEC logo
Beta CAE logo
BoB Biomechanics logo
Materialise logo
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