The Biomechanics and Mechanobiology (BMMB) research group is currently looking for a PhD Candidate working on multicellular models to describe the dynamics of the long-term mechanobiological regulation of the intervertebral disc (IVD), and the effect of low-grade inflammation on such immune-privileged organ.

The IVD lies within the vertebras, providing flexibility to the spine and is, therefore, constantly subjected to complex loading conditions. It reflects the biggest avascular structure of the human body, where cell nutrition is diffusion dependent. Hence, cells within the IVD are constantly subjected to a demanding loading and nutrition environment.

Dynamics at the (multi-) cellular level, related to this harsh environment are currently thought to be a main driving force in the dynamics of IVD degeneration, given the highly load-bearing capacity of the IVD at the organ level. IVD degeneration accounts for over 40% of cases of low back pain, which affects over 80% of the world’s population at least once in an individual’s lifetime, which emphasizes the need for investigation.

IVD degeneration is a slow process, developing over months to years without being perceived by the person, therefore, classified as a “non-communicable disease”. Research suggests that the presence of proinflammatory cytokines plays a critical role in IVD degeneration, and being possibly a major regulator of non-communicable diseases in general, which includes systemic diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA) and atherosclerosis (AS).

The European Research Council Consolidator Grant (ERC CoG) funded project O-Health (101044828) aims at shedding light to the role of low-grade inflammation in non-communicable diseases. This PhD thesis will be part of the O-Health research project, focusing on the relationship between low-grade inflammation and IVD degenerative processes.

Job description:

The PhD Candidate will develop in silico models to approximate the regulation of IVD degeneration with emphasis on the role of low-grade inflammation within the intervertebral disc. The work encompasses various in silico modeling techniques to cover the multiple spatial scales, i.e. from a subcellular up to a multicellular level, required to adequately model regulations of inflammatory and degenerative processes. Those techniques include primarily network modeling and Agent-based modeling approaches. The IVD multiscale model developed by the PhD Candidate forms part of a large network of interconnected models that simulate other non-communicable diseases such as OA and AS and their connection via the blood stream. Hence, the PhD candidate will tightly collaborate with a team of computer scientists, data scientists, biomechanicians and experts in (cell-)biology.

The work contract covers funding for a period of up to four years. It will be led by the BMMB research lab, which forms part of the research unit BCN MedTech, at the Department of Communication and Information Technologies (DTIC) of the University Pompeu Fabra (UPF) in Barcelona, Spain.

More information:

https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/131905

In this PhD project, a new computational strategy will be developed and informed by state-of-the-art
experimental approaches at multiple length scales, to simulate damage propagation on human trabecular bone microstructures from clinically relevant locations.

More information:

Description:

Amputee cases increase due to vascular diseases between elderly people, and mainly due to traffic accidents or war injuries in younger people. A prosthetic socket is the critical interface between a person’s body and their prosthetic device. Prosthetic sockets are traditionally made by rigid materials, which are not thermoregulatory and cause irritations, wounds and ulcerations. Hence, amputee comfort is still a challenging research field.

This position offers the possibility of researching in innovative lattice structures to design and optimise traditional sockets, and hence improve quality of life of the increasing young amputee population in the world.

Department:

Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials of Tecnun, the Engineering School of the University of Navarra. During the PhD, the student will have the opportunity to do a placement at a foreign university or research center. The research project will be carried out in collaboration with the Clinica Universidad de Navarra.

Requirements:

– Master Degree in Mechanical Engineering or similar degrees.

– Language: Highly proficient in English.

– Software: Finite Element software (ABAQUS), basic programming in Matlab, Python, Computer Aided Design software (Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, CREO).

– To have initiative for research.

Offered:

Tecnun, the Engineering School of the University of Navarra offers a 4-year doctoral contract at the Technological Campus in San Sebastian (Spain).

Thesis should be completed in 4 years.

Start date: As soon as possible.

Documentation:

Send the following documentation by email to alopez@unav.es: cover letter describing your motivation as a thesis candidate; updated CV; undergraduate and Master’s degree transcripts.

Institutes: Queensland University of Technology (QUT, Australia), and University of Paris Est Creteil (UPEC, France) — Multiscale modeling and simulation lab (MSME UMR 8208 CNRS).

Supervisors: Prof. Peter Pivonka (QUT, peter.pivonka@qut.edu.au) and Prof. Vittorio Sansalone (MSME UPEC, vittorio.sansalone@u-pec.fr)

Résumé: We seek to better understand how cortical bone is affected by osteoporosis and drug treatments. The successful PhD candidate will develop state-of-the-art computational models of bone remodeling to predict changes in cortical porosity and bone matrix properties due to osteoporosis and other treatment regimens. The in-silico results will be validated by experimental data provided by Prof David Cooper (USASK). Project areas include:

• Development of continuous, i.e. based on partial differential equations, models of bone remodeling to investigate the behaviour of basic multicellular units (BMUs) in cortical bone;

• Development of discrete, i.e. cellular automata based, models of BMU behaviour in cortical bone;

• Development of multiscale models of bone remodeling and adaptation that are able to predict changes in cortical porosity and bone tissue mineral density distribution.

Closing date: Applications will be accepted until the scholarship is awarded, but applications will be assessed starting June 25th, 2023.

More information (salary, essential and desirable criteria, etc.):

The biomechanics group at Lund University, Sweden, is looking for a PhD student to investigate hip biomechanics using statistical shape models. This is a fully funded PhD position and applications must be sent through the official recruitment portal: https://lu.varbi.com/what:job/jobID:630169/?lang=en.

Deadline: June 23^rd, 2023

More information: