MSCA postdoctoral fellowship on mechano-immunotherapy @University of Zaragoza

Posted on June 1, 2021 by Aurélie Carlier

A research proposal in the field of Mechano-Immunotherapy is offered under the Marie Sklodowska Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship programme at University of Zaragoza – Spain, within the Laboratory of Mechanical and Biological Engineering:

https://m2be.unizar.es

The topic for the proposed research is “Effectivity of cell-based immunotherapies under different mechanical microenvironments”.

WHO ARE WE?

The M2BE research group mainly focuses its activity on the development of new methodologies and technologies in the field of cell mechanobiology.

In this context, we work on the combination of different methodologies (computer simulation models, in-vitro experimentation and clinical validation), which result in the following lines of research: Computational design of prostheses and implants for personalized treatments, tissue engineering and mechanobiology, mechano-immunotherapy, mechanobiology of tumor growht and metastasis.

HOW TO APPLY?

Candidates will be pre-selected based on their expression of interest, CV and motivation.

They must have a demonstrated track in Cell-Based Immunotherapies with expertise engineering CAR-Ts, NKs and TILs.

There are 3 main requirements of eligibility:

Applicants must have a PhD and no more than 8 years of full time research experience*

Applicants can be of any nationality but must not have lived or worked in Spain for more than 12 months during the 3 years up to the closing date of the call 15 September 2021 (mobility rule)

The applicants must choose the University of Zaragoza as their Host Institution

Motivated postdoctoral candidates are encouraged to submit their application to m2be@unizar.es by June 15, 2021.

Selection process

Applicants should check that they fulfil all the eligibility criteria and then send an expression of interest consisting of: CV and letter of interest (max. 2 pages)

Expressions of interest must be submitted by email (m2be@unizar.es) by June 15, 2021. The title of the e-mail must be “MSCA application – MECHANO-IMMUNOTHERAPY– your name and surname“.

Proposals will be preselected on the basis of internal evaluation.

* The researcher must be, at the date of the PF call deadline (15.9.2021) in possession of a doctoral degree. At the call deadline, supported researchers must have a maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent experience in research, measured from the date that the researcher was in a possession of a doctoral degree. Years of experience outside research and career breaks (e.g. due to parental leave), will not be taken into account.

PhD in computational cardiovascular biomechanics @University of Glasgow

Posted on May 14, 2021 by Aurélie Carlier

I am looking for motivated students to join my research group and work towards their PhD in the area of computational cardiovascular biomechanics.

Project Summary: Almost 30% of all deaths globally are related to cardiovascular diseases. The overall aim of computational cardiovascular biomechanics is to help improve the diagnosis of these diseases (faster, earlier, more precise), provide better surgical outcomes, and design devices that last longer. To achieve that aim, we study the biomechanical properties of tissues and cells comprising the cardiovascular system using a combination of in-vivo imaging, ex-vivo and in-vitro testing, and in-silico modeling. The projects can be divided into model development (at organ and cellular scales) and method development (based on imaging and using data science approaches). A few examples of specific projects are:

1) Multiscale modeling of the heart muscle
2) Modeling of endothelial cells based on in-vitro experiments
3) Developing methods for biomechanical characterisation of tissues from ultrasound images
4) Designing optimal experiments for cardiovascular tissues under uncertainty

During this project, the student will have opportunities to:

Develop skills necessary to work at the interface of engineering and biomedical science
Publish papers in high-quality journals
Present research results at international conferences
Learn about nonlinear finite element analysis, nonlinear mechanics, multiscale modeling, image-based analysis, data science, and other numerical techniques
Learn about experimental and clinical validation
Collaborate with our international academic and industrial partners
Interact within the Glasgow Centre for Computational Engineering with other researchers (GCEC) and across departments with biomedical scientists and clinicians

Eligibility: Candidates must have an undergraduate degree in a relevant field, such as Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering or Mathematics, with a minimum 2.1 or equivalent final grade. A background in mechanics and knowledge of finite element modeling would be necessary. Programming skills will be required for computational modeling.

Application: The deadline for applications is 31 May 2021, and the application process consists of two parts:
1) On-line academic application: Go to https://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/infrastructureenvironment/ and click on the ‘Apply now’ tab. Applicants should attach relevant documents such as CV, transcripts, references and a research proposal.
2) The scholarship application: Complete the application form found at the following webpage: https://www.gla.ac.uk/media/Media_766095_smxx.docx and attach a letter of support from a potential supervisor. Both the application form and supporting letter should be emailed to eng-jws@glasgow.ac.uk

Further information: If you are interested or want more information, please contact me at ankush.aggarwal@glasgow.ac.uk before starting the formal application. Please visit Computational Biomechanics Research Group page for more information on our research.

PhD in health and technology @University of Bologna

Posted on May 10, 2021 by Aurélie Carlier

Are you looking for a PhD in health and technology? What about getting one from the oldest university in the world?

The PhD programme in Health and Technologies of the Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna is a new, interdisciplinary PhD course that offers the opportunity to conduct three-year research projects on developing, applying, and validating innovative technologies in biomedical research and healthcare.

The academic board of the PhD school includes experts in bioengineering, biomaterials science, medical physics, computer science, medicine, biology, psychology, and law. Each project targets applicants with either a degree in biomedical sciences or technical disciplines or both. Regardless, each project is supervised by two supervisors, one active in the biomedical field, one in the technology field.

This year the deadline for applications is May 21st, 2021, and we have a number of scholarships higher than usual.

To submit your application here: https://www.unibo.it/en/teaching/phd/2020-2021/health-and-technologies. For more information you can contact: claudio.borghi@unibo.it.

PhD position on Computer mechanobiology of mandibular reconstruction @Charité

Posted on May 6, 2021 by Aurélie Carlier

A PhD position is available within the Computational Mechanobiology Group (Prof. Sara Checa) at the Julius Wolff Institute (Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin). This position is funded through a research grant from the German Research Foundation (DFG) to investigate the biomechanics of mandibular reconstruction with fibular free flap. The aim is to use computer modeling approaches supported by clinical data to understand the mechanical conditions promoting mandibular repair.

The successful candidate will have a strong background in one or more of the following areas: mechanics, computational biology and/or computational mechanics. Strong programming and computer modelling skills are required. The position is available for three years.

The work will be conducted in an interdisciplinary research environment composed of engineers, biologists and clinicians. As a PhD student, you will be associated to the Berlin-Brandenburg School of Regenerative Therapies (www.bsrt.de) and benefit from the interaction with international scientists.

Interested candidates should submit their curriculum vitae by 1st June, 2021. Applications should be sent to: Prof. Sara Checa (sara.checa@charite.de)

Webinar: Amit Gefen / Synopsys – Computer Models in Wound Care Research

Posted on April 29, 2021 by Mark Thompson

Wed, Jun 23, 2021 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM CEST

COVID-19 has brought the effects of pressure ulcers/injuries and device-related pressure ulcers/injuries in particular, into sharp focus. With the highly increased use of medical devices for the diagnosis and treatment of patients who require intensive care such as continuous positive airway pressure masks or ventilation and feeding tubing, and with the intense use of personal protective equipment e.g. face masks and respirators by healthcare professionals globally, the incidence of device-related tissue damage has risen starkly. This talk will explore the currently known etiology of pressure ulcers/injuries with a focus on the potential risks associated with devices used by patients and health professionals during the current pandemic. The relevant computational bioengineering research underway at the Gefen laboratory at Tel Aviv University will further be discussed.

Presenter: Professor Amit Gefen is currently a Full Professor with the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering of Tel Aviv University and the Berman Chair in Vascular Bioengineering. The research interests of Prof. Gefen are in studying normal and pathological effects of biomechanical factors on the structure and function of cells, tissues and organs, with emphasis on applications in acute and chronic wound research. To date, Prof. Gefen published more than 270 articles in peer-reviewed international journals and multiple edited books on mechanobiology, cell and tissue biomechanics, with applications that are mostly in wound prevention and treatment.

To register click here

Postdoc position at TUEindhoven: Computational and experimental remodeling of heart valves

Posted on April 26, 2021 by Aurélie Carlier

This vacancy is posted as part of RegMedXB, which stands for “Regenerative Medicine Crossing Borders”. RegMedXB is a virtual institute composed of universities, health foundations, governments and private companies in the Netherlands and Belgium. The partners work together to tackle some of the greatest challenges in regenerative medicine, while building a community of researchers and companies to realize health and economic benefits. The RegMedXB Cardiac Moonshot program aims at developing innovative strategies to regenerate the tissues of the heart, including the myocardium, heart valves and blood vessels.

The current project concentrates on preserving and regenerating heart valve function under non-physiological loading conditions. For this you will investigate the structural and biological remodeling of heart valves using a combination of experimental and computational research.
The experimental research will focus on establishing an ex vivo platform to investigate the remodeling and functionality of heart valves under various hemodynamic conditions.
The computational part focuses on simulating valve remodeling, with the aim of understanding and predicting experimental outcomes, and extrapolating findings to relevant in vivo situations.

If you are fascinated by the engineering aspects of regenerative medicine and eager to develop innovate models and strategies that will advance cardiovascular regeneration, we invite you to join us in this challenge. You will collaborate intensively with our partners in the RegMed-XB Cardiac Moonshot consortium, in particular with the University Medical Centers in Leiden and Utrecht on ex vivo tissue remodeling, and with other TU/e groups on computational modeling and tissue engineering.

More information can be found here: https://jobs.tue.nl/en/vacancy/postdoc-%E2%80%93-computational-and-experimental-remodeling-of-heart-valves-876785.html

Joint ESB-VPHi webinar: Imaging of joint tissues

Posted on April 19, 2021 by Aurélie Carlier

Tue, May 18, 2021 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM CEST

The joint ESB-VPHi webinar takes place on 18 May 2021 featuring Simo Saarakkala from University of Oulu, Finland. Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease in the world. It can occur in any joint, but it is the most common in hand, knee, hip and spine. Osteoarthritis is a whole joint disease affecting simultaneously several joint tissues, i.e. articular cartilage, subchondral bone, meniscus, synovium, ligaments and tendons. The typical primary signs of osteoarthritis progression are degeneration and wear of articular cartilage along with pathological remodeling of the subchondral bone. During the last decades, we have seen the rapid development of different imaging modalities and digital image analysis methods both at the laboratory level, i.e. tissue and cell level, and at the clinical level. This development has allowed both researchers and clinicians to better understand the initiation and progression of osteoarthritis. Specifically, machine learning based approaches for image analysis have become more common and promising during the recent few years. In this talk, the role of several imaging modalities in osteoarthritis research and clinical diagnostics – along with advanced image analysis methods – will be introduced. From the laboratory imaging methods, we will focus micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), Fourier-transform infrared imaging (FTIRI), Raman microscopic imaging, and polarized light microscopy (PLM). From the clinical imaging methods, we will focus on conventional radiography (X-ray) and the potential of advanced image analysis and deep learning algorithms to mine new diagnostic and prognostic information from them. Finally, the future prospects of clinical prediction models, combining imaging data and clinical information, will be discussed.

To register, click here:

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8752150354203399436

PhD Position in Experimental Micro- and Nanobiomechanics @TUWien

Posted on April 7, 2021 by Aurélie Carlier

We invite applications for a of a PhD position (University Assistant) in experimental micro- and nanobiomechanics. The position is set within a vibrant research group with a main focus on mechanics of individual collagen fibrils and micromechanics of collagen-rich tissues. The research project to be addressed is two-fold:

1) Conducting scientific research on the mechanics of individual collagen-fibrils as well as micro-mechanics of tissue sections as a function of age, pathology or chemical modification. We have a number of ongoing research projects in this context such that this part will be shaped according to the interests of the applicant.

2) Further development of experimental testing devices for micro- and nanomechanical characterization of individual collagen fibrils and microscopic tissue samples. This is based on a mechanical testing device for nanoscale fibres developed by our team.

Further information and link to apply for this position (deadline April 22nd 2021): https://jobs.tuwien.ac.at/Job/148900

For informal discussion please contact Philipp Thurner (Philipp.thurner@tuwien.ac.at)

ESB webinar: Basics of agent-based computer modeling for clinically-related applications

Posted on March 22, 2021 by Aurélie Carlier

The next ESB webinar, on April 22^nd, 2021– 17:00 – 18:00 CEST, is targeted towards individuals interested in agent-based computer modeling approaches to simulate biological processes. In particular, the webinar aims at:

Introducing participants to the basics of agent-based modeling
Providing examples of their application to investigate clinical-related problems.

By the end of the webinar, attendees will learn the basic principles to build an agent-based model including how to:

Simulate individual agents
Specify agent properties
Define agent behavior and interactions
Analyze and visualize model predictions

The webinar will be conducted by Prof. Sara Checa. She is a Junior Professor at the Julius Wolff Institute, Charite-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, where she leads the research group of “Computational Mechanobiology”. She holds a guest researcher position at the Technical University Berlin as well. She is an expert on computational mechanobiology applied to tissue regeneration and adaptation and has a profound expertise on the development of agent-based computer models to investigate clinical-related questions. She completed her PhD at the University of Southampton and conducted post-doctoral research at the Trinity Center for Bioengineering in Ireland, at Stanford University in the USA and then at the Julius Wolff Institute, where she stayed first as a group leader and now as Professor.

The seminar will last 45 minutes and will be followed by 15 minutes of Q/A from the audience. You will have the chance to ask your questions which will be addressed by the speaker at the end of the webinar. However, it would be great if you could send your question in advance while filling the registration form or by sending to Ehsan.soodmand@stryker.com and/or rodrigo.romarowski@unipv.it before the webinar.

Click https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4993238957232003344 to register for the webinar.

Please Subscribe to our YouTube channel! (https://www.youtube.com/esbiomech)

Looking forward to your attendance.

ESB Student Committee

5th VPH Summer School – June 7-11, online: Tackling Complexity in Health & Medicine

Posted on March 18, 2021 by Aurélie Carlier

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to inform you that the 5th VPH Summer School will be held ONLINE, on June 7-11, 2021. This new edition focuses on Tackling Complexity in Health & Medicine. The registration is now open! To register, please click here: link

The VPH Summer School series is co-organized by the Universitat Pompeu Fabra and by the Virtual Physiological Human Institute (VPHi). It provides junior engineers, early researchers and medical doctors with a complete overview of state-of-the-art Virtual Physiological Human (VPH) research for In Silico Medicine, following a complete pipeline from basic science and clinical needs, to model application. The training includes 15 morning lectures plus one honorary VPH lecture, given by leading international researchers. Speakers details are available here.

The key methodological and technological concepts are enriched during the whole week by five afternoon hands-on sessions in multiscale modelling, physiological modelling, computational systems biology and machine learning that stand for 15.5 hours of transversal training in in silico medicine technologies, under the supervision of expert researchers. Hands-on details are available here.

The last afternoon of the VPH Summer School will host a round table co-organized with QUAES, gathering patients, physicians, researchers and public authority representatives to discuss on In silico Medicine and new medical technologies for the society: Awareness, expectations and effective capacity.

Daily scientific discussions and cross-dissemination are further supported by the afternoon poster sessions. Please join us and share this information among your dissemination channels!

Best regards,

Jérôme Noailly, on behalf of the Organising Committee.

Full information is available on the webpage

Corporate members of the ESB: