I am looking for motivated students to join my research group and work towards their PhD in the area of computational cardiovascular biomechanics. Interested candidates are encouraged to email ankush.aggarwal@glasgow.ac.uk to discuss further. More details of the PhD position are provided below.

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. Several project topics are available, which can be categorized 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) Predicting aneurysm development from ultrasound images using growth and remodeling simulations
2) Modeling of endothelial cells based on in-vitro experiments
3) Uncertainty quantification of biomechanical properties based on combined ex-vivo and in-vivo dataset
4) Gaussian process modeling for cardiovascular tissue mechanics
5) Development of a digital twin of the thoracic aorta

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, Mathematics and Computing Science, with a minimum 2.1 or equivalent final grade. A background in mechanics and knowledge of numerical methods (such as finite element analysis) would be necessary. Programming skills will be required for computational modeling.

Application: The deadline for applications is 31 January 2023, 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) School of Engineering EPSRC/School Scholarship Application via online portal: https://www.gla.ac.uk/ScholarshipApp/]gla.ac.uk/ScholarshipApp/ To complete the scholarship application, students will need a supporting statement from the proposed supervisor. Any queries about application procedure can be directed to eng-jws@glasgow.ac.uk

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

Worldwide the increase in the geriatric population with musculoskeletal problems and the increase in the incidence of sports injuries and traffic accidents are contributing to the growth of knee, hip, or spine surgeries. Current surgical treatments, generally placing implants, significantly improve the quality of life of patients. However, patients who have had surgery at a young age are very likely to need revision surgery due to implant failure, with the complications that this entails due to the poor condition of the tissue around the implant. To meet the challenging demands of orthopedic implants, complex porous structures that improve the biomimicry between the implant and the surrounding bone tissue are gaining special interest thanks to the development of Additive Manufacturing (AM).

Within this context, the Mechanics of Materials and Advanced Manufacturing research group in TECNUN- Engineering Faculty of University of Navarra (San Sebastian, Spain) has recently been awarded a research project to optimize the design of hip implants through additively manufactured porous structures. The successful PhD candidate’s activities include the design, manufacturing and in-vitro validation of such structures, with special focus on exploring the possibilities of metal additive manufacturing for biomedical applications.

We are currently accepting applications from enthusiastic and highly talented candidates who meet the following requirements:

–             A MSc degree in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or similar.

–             Experience in additive manufacturing and/or computational biomechanics is appreciated.

–             A research-oriented attitude.

–             Fluent in spoken and written English. Knowledge of Spanish will be appreciated.

Outstanding candidates are invited to submit a CV and a Motivation Letter to Dr Naiara Rodriguez-Florez (nrodriguezf@tecnun.es).

Pseudoarthrosis is a common complication of spondylodesis and occurs in 5-35% of all cases. Besides biological factors, mechanics play a key role in the success of treatment and must be ensured by appropriate fixations. Validated patient-specific computer simulations could help avoiding mechanics-related issues in spondylodesis and thus reducing pseudarthrosis rates.

Within this context, the Spine Biomechanics group of the Balgrist University Hospital (Zurich, Switzerland) and the Biomedical Development Program of the AO Research Institute Davos (Davos, Switzerland) are looking for a highly motivated individual holding a master’s degree in engineering to work as a PhD student at the two hosts in a shared setting and to be enrolled in the PhD program of ETH Zurich. The successful candidate’s activities will be focused on the development and validation of an analysis framework combining biomechanical testing, medical image processing and computer simulations.

The position is available for a duration of 4 years. For further details and application please visit:

https://careers.aofoundation.org/job/Davos-Platz/860647301/

For more information, please contact Dr. Peter Varga (peter.varga@aofoundation.org). Note that no applications will be accepted via email.

Healthy cartilage functions in an environment with low oxygen levels (normoxia) and changes in oxygen sensing have been associated with osteoarthritis. This project aims to clarify hypoxia signaling in cartilage with varying mechanical loading and oxygen pressures. Ultimately our research aims to identify potential therapeutic molecules that can prevent cartilage degeneration and osteoarthritis.

The position is supervised by Dr. Mikko Finnilä, who has recently formed his own research group that studies musculoskeletal biomaterials. His group is focused on imaging and biomechanics of tissues and biomaterials to identify more effective materials for musculoskeletal repair. Group has active collaboration internationally as well as with local industry. The most important collaborators for this project are Prof. Marcy Zenobi-Wong (ETH Zurich) and Prof. Peppi Karppinen (Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine).

More information:

https://rekry.saima.fi/certiahome/open_job_view.html?did=5600&lang=en&id=000014020&jc=1