Coordinated project by Fundació La Marató de TV3
Introduction to the vacant position:
The Biomedical Signal Processing and Interpretation (BIOSPIN) group at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) is looking for a Predoctoral Researcher to conduct her/his predoctoral training on innovative multimodal signal processing and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to extract and provide new digital biomarkers of respiratory function.
The PhD project will be conducted in the framework of the project entitled “Exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO) in children and adolescents with exercise-induced dyspnea: from prevalence and characterization to improving diagnosis through AI-powered acoustic respiratory analysis”, funded by Fundació La Marató de TV3. EILO is a prevalent condition in children and adolescents, having a significant impact on the quality of life and sport performance. The diagnosis of EILO requires visualization of the larynx during exercise, with the reference test known as continuous exercise laryngoscopy (CLE), an invasive test that requires trained personnel and sophisticated equipment. The aim of the project is to develop and evaluate an AI-based acoustic respiratory analysis tool as an alternative noninvasive tool for the screening of EILO.
Main tasks and responsibilities:
- Setting up a multimodal acquisition system based on wireless and wired sensors to acquire respiratory sounds, and synchronise it with the CLE test video signal and with other physiological signals recorded during exercise testing.
- Design and development of algorithms for acoustic respiratory signal processing, particularly using personalised AI models and prioritising explainable AI.
Requirements for candidates:
Essential:
- BSc and MSc in Biomedical Engineering, Engineering, Bioinformatics, Data Science, or other related degrees.
- Knowledge on biomedical signal processing and data analysis.
- Master thesis in Biomedical Engineering or signal processing and interpretation will be a plus.
- Candidates should be ready to enter an official doctoral programme in June-September 2026 (under Spanish Law). By this time, they must have obtained a university degree and a master’s degree; or must hold an official university qualification from a country of the European Higher Education Area with a minimum of 300 ECTS of official university studies, of which at least 60 are at master’s level.
- Candidates must have a strong commitment to scientific research and an excellent academic record.
- Candidates must have a good working knowledge of English.
- Candidates must not yet have been awarded a doctoral degree.
- Candidates must not have held a PhD contract exceeding twelve months by the beginning of the fellowship.
- Good skills in communication, teamwork, proactivity, characterization, integrity, time management, critical and analytical thinking, precision, and focus.
Desirable:
- Expertise in biomedical signal processing and analysis
- Expertise in AI modelling using Matlab and/or Python
- Experience in laboratory for biomedical signal acquisition
- Experience in joint projects with hospitals or health institutes
- Scientific writing skills
Competencies and Skills:
We value not only technical expertise but also the demonstration of core competencies such as Communication, Teamwork and Collaboration, Commitment, Proactivity, Integrity, and Critical and Analytical Thinking.
We Offer:
- Number of available positions: 1
- Starting date: June-September 1st, 2026
- Working conditions:
- Full time 3-years predoctoral contract.
- Measures to reconcile work and family life (parental leave, flexible schedule working hours, 23 working days of paid holidays, 9 leave days for personal matters, among others).
- IBEC ensures equality of access to professional development opportunities irrespective of employment status, length at IBEC or other factors. The IBEC’s yearly training catalogue offers a wide range of training in technical and transferable skills including mobility grants and a Mentoring programme for predoctoral and postdoctoral researchers.
- Stimulating, interdisciplinary research and high-quality international scientific environment.
- Induction programme to facilitate incorporation at IBEC and additional support is provided for foreigners to obtain Visa-working permit and to install in Barcelona.
How to apply:
Until May 1st an online application form is available through IBEC dedicated site: https://careers.ibecbarcelona.eu/
Only those applications submitted before the deadline will be evaluated.
Reference: PhD_ML
If you have any further question regarding your application, please contact us at jobs@ibecbarcelona.eu
Principles of the selection process:
IBEC is committed to the principles of the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers of the European Commission and the Open, Transparent and Merit based Recruitment principles (OTM-R) https://ibecbarcelona.eu/careers-at-ibec/jobs/
IBEC´s Commitment on equal opportunity, diversity, and Inclusion:
Our strength and excellence as an international transdisciplinary Research Institute are based on diversity. Being an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to diversity and inclusion, so that we support employees irrespective of their gender, nationality, religion, disabilities, age, sexual identity or cultural and socioeconomic background.
Visit our devoted webpage on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
For candidates with children that come from outside Barcelona, we offer babysitting services during the interview, so you don’t have to worry about anything else than doing a good interview. Contact us if you are interested in this service.
In categories where women are underrepresented, such as Group Leader positions, and with the aim of ensuring gender balance in recruitment processes, women candidates must represent at least 50% of those interviewed for Junior-level positions and 40% for Senior-level positions, provided they have CVs comparable to those of male candidates. At the end of the evaluation process, in cases of equal merit, preference will be given to women candidates.
IBEC, as a signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), will consider, especially for early-stage investigators, much more the scientific content of research outputs, than publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which it were published.
Protection of personal data:
IBEC guarantees that candidates’ personal data are processed in accordance with the requirements of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Law 3/2018 on Data Protection.
Personal data will be processed solely for the purposes of the selection process.
Who we are?
The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, IBEC is an interdisciplinary research center focused on Bioengineering and Nanomedicine based in Barcelona. IBEC is one of the top research institutions named as a Severo Ochoa Research Centre by the Ministry of Science, Universities and Innovation, which recognizes excellence at the highest international level in terms of research, training, human resources, outreach and technology transfer.
IBEC’s mission is to develop international high-quality interdisciplinary research that, while creating knowledge, contributes to making a better quality of life, improving health and creating wealth. A close link with key universities, reference hospitals and corporations, are assets that facilitate achieving the mission.
IBEC was established in 2005 by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Autonomous Government of Catalonia), the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC).
IBEC is located within the Barcelona Science Park and UPC Besós Campus, with an annual budget of 21 Mio€; 4.400 square meters of facilities; 25 research groups and a team of researchers and support services of 450 people from 40 different countries. www.ibecbarcelona.eu
