Last application date May 01, 2025 00:00
Department TW06 - Department of Electronics and Information Systems
Contract Limited duration
Degree PhD in Implantable Biosensors Development
Occupancy rate 100%
Vacancy type Research staff
Job description
ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY
Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.
With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programs grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.
For the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Department of Electronics and Information Systems, Centre for Microsystems Technology we are looking for a m/f/x
Doctoral fellow
YOUR JOB
As part of the highly prestigious FWO - Research Foundation Flanders a PhD position is available at Ghent University. The project aims to use novel materials and devices to develop and validate an implantable bio-interface for sensing bio/chemical and electrophysiology biomarkers linked with epilepsy. The PhD candidate will be part of an interdisciplinary team working towards this objective by being part of (a) the imec-associated research lab Centre for Microsystems Technology (CMST) (Department of Electronics and Information Systems) and (b) Neural Waves lab (NeW) (Department of Information Technology) both belonging to the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture.
The researcher will perform the development of a miniaturized, biocompatible platform (design, in-house fabrication, and testing) and device characterization (electrical, morphological, mechanical, biocompatibility...). He/she will lead experiments to detect and monitor bio/chemical and electrophysiology biomarkers, identify key parameters for effective sensing, and design a comprehensive biosensing framework with standardized protocols. The whole system can be realized integrating sensing technologies available at CMST and NeW teams, in the state-of-the art cleanroom at Ghent University. The PhD candidate will be in continuous interaction with other researchers working on the project.
Job profile
We are looking for a highly motivated person interested in our area of research, ready to explore new avenues in science and develop his/her skills and knowledge further with the following requirements:
- You hold a master’s degree in Micro and Nano Systems Materials Science and Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, or other Engineering fields such as Electrical, or Biomedical Engineering or equivalent and graduated with distinction. The degree requirement needs to be fulfilled at the start of your appointment.
- You have good knowledge and practical experience with microfabrication and Clean Room work and have a profound interest in organic electronics and implantable devices, practical work, and interdisciplinary research.
- You have good interpersonal skills and motivation to work in a multidisciplinary research team.
- You are proactive and able to work independently and pay attention to experimental accuracy and precision with new concepts in a creative and critical way, solving problems independently and by working in a team.
- You are fluent in English, both spoken and written, and you have excellent communication skills to report results (written and oral).
- You are willing to write proposals for national funding opportunities.
- The rankings of the university(-ies) where the BSc and MSc diplomas are obtained will be taken into consideration during the selection process.
- Coding skills (Matlab), and experience with writing scientific papers are a plus.
WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
- We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
- Your contract will start on 01/05/2025 at the earliest and 01/09/2025 at the latest.
- The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
- All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.
- The doctoral project combines micro/nanofabrication, material science, sensor development, basic biochemistry, and electronics to generate a truly interdisciplinary doctoral research scientist.
- Α pleasant work climate to do cutting-edge science in a supportive and collaborative team.
- You will receive advanced and extensive training, technical and advisory support throughout the research project by the highly qualified research staff (CMST/imec support team).
- Access to the leading-quality cleanroom installation and characterization facilities at Ghent University.
- You will have opportunities to participate at national and international meetings/conferences and establish your own network.
How to apply
If you are interested in this job offer, you can address your motivation letter, curriculum vitae, copies of higher-education degrees, grade transcripts, English certificate and the name and contact details of two persons who are willing to give a reference by e-mail to: [email protected] and [email protected].
All documents should be sent electronically (in pdf by email). Please mention in the subject line: "PhD position: Implantable hybrid platform”.
The application deadline is May 1, 2025. We do not accept late applications. Please note that the vacancy can be closed before the deadline if a suitable candidate is found.
For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Ioulia Tzouvadaki and Prof. Spyropoulos ([email protected] and [email protected]).
CMST (www.cmst.be) is an IMEC associated interdisciplinary research group at Ghent University. CMST focuses on smart microsystems design, fabrication and integration and more specifically: i) for health applications ii) conformable, soft sensors for wearables and textile integrated sensor systems and structural electronics iii) optical microsystems including soft and flexible waveguide probes for optogenetics and flexible wearable photonic patches. CMST has on board an excellent Clean Room support team (14 highly skilled research supporting staff), a business developer and an innovation officer supporting all CMST members in patent development, start-up and/or spin-off endeavors. CMST consists of scientists, and engineers that are determined to provide support according to their skill set and expertise and transfer knowledge.
NeW lab (https://www.waves.intec.ugent.be/) is part of the Ghent Auditory Science Platform (GASP) team, a collaboration between several research groups from the faculties of Medicine, Engineering, and Psychology at Ghent University conducting joint research in auditory science. Under this scheme, we are utilizing novel neural interfaces to investigate the auditory-neurological pathway and develop devices going beyond the current state-of-the-art hearing aids and cochlear implants. Further, we are exploring novel materials in micro- and nano-scale domains that will expand the boundaries of interaction with biological systems.
