POSITION DESCRIPTION

-Research Project / Research Group Description:

The proposed PhD will involve the Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, the Image analysis and the machine learning laboratories of the BCN MedTech research unit at the University Pompeu Fabra (UPF). BCN MedTech focuses on biomedical integrative research, including mathematical and computational models, algorithms and systems for computer-aided diagnosis and treatment of health problems. It has 60 full time researchers and belongs to the Department of Information and Communication Technologies, awarded with the prestigious label of Unit of Excellence through the Spanish Maria de Maeztu Strategic Research Program.
The project focusses on multiscale modelling and simulations to identify early biomarker candidates in emphysema. Emphysema is the most harming form of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) and its current diagnostic is usually confirmed at a relatively advanced stage of disease progression, through computed tomography image analyses. In order to cope with this limitation and support the early prevention of emphysema progression, we propose a multiscale modelling approach that combines image analysis, tissue finite element modelling and cell-cytokines agent-based modelling. Such approach has already allowed successful simulation of emphysema progression, as a response to cigarette smoking [1]. The proposed PhD will push forward this research towards the use of disease mechanism models for the identification of early emphysema biomarkers.

-Job position description:

Specifically, the work will include
• The development and implementation of advanced constitutive equations for the lung parenchyma
• The systematic evaluation of computational networks to simulate the dynamics of the biological processes that control the turnover of parenchyma macromolecules
• The meta-analysis of patient data and multiscale simulation results
The grant is supported by a European Marie Sklodowska-Curie co-fund and provides a competitive gross annual salary of 34.800 € during a period of three years to attract young talents. This salary is supplemented by a research allowance of 3.564 € per year, and a PhD award of 7.500 € will be granted if the PhD thesis is submitted within 6 months after the end of the fellowship.

The successful candidate will work in the Poble Nou Campus of UPF, in the beautiful town of Barcelona, in collaboration with the Barcelona Super Computing center for the multiscale simulations, and with ISGlobal for epidemiological data.

Applicants are expected to have a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biomedical engineering, physics, applied mathematics or any related fields. They should be motivated to work in an international environment and have good communication skills. Experience in Python programming is welcome and proficient English is mandatory.

– Deadline for application: February 6th 2019

Apply here: https://www.lacaixafellowships.org/index.aspx

For any inquiry, please contact Dr Jerome Noailly: Jerome.noailly@upf.edu

Doctoral thesis at the Center for Biomedical and Healthcare Engineering

Mines Saint-Etienne – SAINBIOSE (INSERM-U1059) – Université de Lyon (France)

 

Mechanical characterization and modeling of a synthetic elastic protein and its effects on the arterial function

 

Keywords: biomechanics, multiscale models, homogenization, elastin, mechanical characterization, tissue engineering.

 

Scientific context: Elastin is the main elasticity provider for several soft tissues (such as dermis, arteries, pulmonary alveoli) in its fibrous form and a signaling molecule in cell/extracellular matrix interaction. Elastin-rich elastic fibers allow the large artery walls to transform the pulsatile blood flow ejected by the heart into a continuous blood flow in the peripheral arteries (Windkessel effect). Dysfunctions are highly correlated with diseases such as artery stenosis, aneurysm, hypertension or cardiac hypertrophy, which have strong repercussions on arterial biomechanics and can threaten the vessel integrity.

Setting aside surgery, there is currently no treatment for preventing, blocking or treating any loss of elasticity. It therefore appears, from a biomechanical point of view, that the introduction of an entity that provides elasticity within the arterial wall would be the most trivial action to stop arterial stiffening, but remains currently limited due to chemo-biological issues. The Arterylastic project, to which the thesis is linked, proposes to unlock this technological barrier using an original synthetic elastic protein (SEP) recently developed with a synthetic backbone devoted to skin engineering.

 

Academic context: As previously mentioned, the thesis takes place in a larger project named Arterylastic, funded by ANR, combining pluridisciplinary approaches of three laboratories in France: LBTI – the Laboratoire de Biologie Tissulaire et Ingénierie Thérapeutique (UMR5305 CNRS/UCBL1 Lyon), HP2 –Hypoxie Physiopathologie Cardiovasculaire et Respiratoire (INSERM U1042 – University Grenoble Alpes) and Sainbiose (within the Center for Biomedical and Healthcare Engineering CISSAINBIOSE/INSERM U1059 – Mines Saint-Etienne). The PhD student will work at CIS, which also conducts major international research projects in the field of soft tissue biomechanics, in particular aortic aneurysms. He will collaborate with other researchers involved in ERC projects (https://www.mines-stetienne.fr/en/author/avril/, https://www.emse.fr/~badel/).

 

Objectives: The objective is to restore (or at least improve) arterial function and mechanical properties under conditions of elastic fibers injury. The objective will be reached if the SEP is correctly integrated into elastic fibers and if the SEP restores arterial wall elasticity and/or physiological parameters in relevant animal models. In this thesis, we will evaluate the mechanical behavior of the cross-linked SEP and of arterial samples from treated mouse models and a numerical model will be developed from experimental data to better predict treatment parameters.

The main tasks will be:

1. Experimental tests will be carried out for characterizing the macroscopic mechanical properties of the SEP and of arteries treated with the SEP. The cross-linked SEP will be characterized using tensile tests with a customized device. Mechanical parameters of treated arteries will be assessed by measuring pressure-diameter curves from mouse arteries tested in a customized tension-inflation test.
2. A multiscale numerical model of the mechanical behavior of arteries will be elaborated, taking into account their microstructural composition and morphology (bilayer, specific contributions of elastin, collagen, smooth muscle cells, possible proteoglycans) and including the effects of possible grafting of the SEP to the arterial wall. The model will be tested for arteries with competent elastic fibers, for arteries with damaged elastin and induced-tissue remodelling, and for arteries treated with the SEP.
3. The experimental results obtained at task 1 will be used to evaluate and calibrate the prediction ability of the numerical model developed in task 2. Sensitivity analysis permitting to find the optimal treatment conditions with the SEP for different types of therapeutic targets will be addressed.

 

Candidate profile: Candidates with strong skills in mechanics (modeling and experimental) and biomechanics are expected. Motivation and interest in bioengineering applications is recommended.

 

How to apply:Send CV, cover letter and letters of recommendation to claire.morin@emse.fr and avril@emse.fr.

Position

One PhD position is available at University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany within the newly funded Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Transregional Collaborative Research Center (SFB / TR 240) “Platelets – Molecular, Cellular and Systemic Functions under Physiological and Pathological Conditions”. The project will start in July 2018 and runs until June 2022. Salary is based on TV-L (E-13, 65%).

Project Description

The selected candidate will investigate the ‘Role of the Platelet Cytoskeleton in Platelet Biomechanics’. Briefly, circulating platelets are essential players in haemostasis and thrombosis. Interestingly, mutations in several genes of cytoskeletal-regulatory proteins have been identified to cause inherited thrombocytopenia. However, how defects in cytoskeletal-regulatory proteins affect biomechanical properties of platelets and how translates into increased risk of bleeding are only poorly explored. The PhD candidate will have access to relevant disease models and innovative biophysical tools to quantitatively describe the underlying ‘biophysical’ and ‘biomechanical’ aspects of platelet cytoskeleton-associated defects in platelet function.Selected candidate will have access to cutting-edge scientific infrastructure, highly innovative projects in an excellent scientific environment and opportunities to collaborate with national and international research groups.

Our profile

We are an interdisciplinary team consisting of bioengineers, biophysicists and platelet biologists. The PhD candidate will be based in the Department of Transfusion Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald (supervised by Dr. Raghavendra Palankar) and will closely collaborate with Dr. Oliver Otto (Group Leader-Biomechanics, ZI HIKE, Greifswald) and Dr. Markus Bender (Group Leader-Megakaryocyte and Platelet, Department of Experimental Biomedicine, University Würzburg).

Your profile

Candidates with a Diploma/Master degree in Natural Sciences (Biology/Bio-Technology/Chemistry/Physics) career interest in biophysics are encouraged to apply. Ideally, the candidate has high interest in cellular biomechanics. The project requires previous experience in at least one or more of the following skills: force spectroscopy, microfluidics, quantitative imaging, MATLAB /Mathematica/COMSOL Multiphysics, data analysis skills and handling of microscopes. Scientific communication skills in English are necessary.Disabled applicants will be preferentially considered in case of equivalent qualification. The University Medicine Greifswald seeks to increase the number of women and therefore explicitly encourages them to apply.

Application

Interested candidates should send their application until August 15^th, 2018 including curriculum vitae (max. two pages), one page description of past research experience and contact details of two references to palankarr@uni-greifswald.de preferably as a signle PDF file in an email attachment.