PhD Position Mechanobiology of Myocardial Tissue

Join us on our quest to unlock the secrets of heart failure and take a deep dive into the microstructural organization and macromechanical behavior of cardiac tissue.

Heart failure is a progressive chronic condition where cardiac tissue undergoes detrimental changes in structure and function across multiple scales in time and space. To improve our understanding of this highly disabling disease, we urgently require an improved mechanistic understanding of the relationship between myocardial tissue’s microstructural organization and its macroscale mechanical behavior.

In this project, you will combine advanced optical imaging and biomechanical tissue testing techniques with state-of-the-art human disease modeling platforms to characterize and track the microstructural-to-macromechanical kinetics of growth and remodeling. You will work together with an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the interface of mechanobiology, imaging physics, computer vision, and cardiothoracic modeling. Your research will be part of a greater and exciting effort aimed at the development of predictive cardiovascular digital twins that enable individualized medical treatment therapy optimization for complex, multifactorial cardiovascular disorders (part of the Horizon Europe VITAL consortium).

The research will be conducted in the Department of BioMechanical Engineering at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) under the supervision of dr. ir. Mathias Peirlinck, in collaboration with the Translational Cardiothoracic Surgery Research Lab at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam. The Peirlinck Lab integrates multimodal experimental data, physics-based modeling, and machine learning techniques to understand, explore, and predict the multiscale behavior of the human heart and cardiovascular system. More information on the team and research can be found on https://peirlincklab.com .

Prior experience in tissue culture, bioprinting, microscopic imaging and processing, bioreactors and additive manufacturing are desired. In addition, experience with finite element analysis and mathematical modeling of soft tissue behavior is also a plus. As the successful candidate for this position, you will be directly involved in tissue experiments, design of novel mechanical testing and imaging techniques, image processing, data analysis, computational modeling, etc. You will actively participate in (bi)weekly lab meetings, write scientific articles, and give presentations at national and international conferences. Besides fundamental and translational research you will also take part in teaching and supervision activities within the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of Delft University of Technology.

Keywords: cardiovascular biomechanics, microstructural organization, mechanobiology, human disease models, cardiothoracic surgery, heart failure

• You are a highly independent, motivated, and innovative individual.
• You can effectively communicate scientific ideas, and foster collaborations in a highly multidisciplinary team.
• You have demonstrable experience with biochemical research methods, scientific programming, as well as cross-disciplinary research.
• You have a master’s degree (or an equivalent university degree) in (bio)medical sciences, (bio)physics, bioengineering, mechanical engineering, clinical technology, or a related field
• You have a strong research-oriented attitude.
• You are motivated to develop your teaching skills and coach students.
• You have excellent spoken and written English* language skills (min. C1 level)
• Affinity with cardiovascular (patho)physiology, optical imaging techniques, experimental/computational tissue biomechanics, quantitative data analysis and/or computer vision is a strong plus.

Please highlight your specific skills and relevant prior experiences for this position explicitly in your motivation letter. Motivation letters that do not address any of these requirements will not be considered.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements .

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2770 per month in the first year to € 3539 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service . This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme  for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values  and we actively engage  to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying mechanisms, research and education at the ME faculty focusses on fundamental understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, materials, processes and (mechanical) systems.

ME is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in ME’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national cooperation.

Click here  to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These videos  will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work.

Are you interested in this vacancy? We invite you to apply by 31 March 2024 via the application button. The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your personal motivation and specific qualifications for this position (max 1 page).
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of three (academic and/or industrial) references.
• Academic transcript, including grades for your qualifying degrees (BSc, MSc)
• A digital copy of your MSc thesis (if applicable).

Only complete applications will be considered. Screening of applicants will start as soon as applications are received and will continue until the position is filled. The starting date of the position is flexible but not later than 1 September 2024.

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Dr.ir. Mathias Peirlinck ([email protected] ).

You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.

Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.

A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.