Introduction to the vacant position:
The Microenvironments for Medicine Group is looking for a PhD student to develop 2D and 3D models of the immune system interaction with stem cells in hydrogels with controlled viscoelastic properties. The contract will be within the framework of the ERC AdG Devise, whose objective is the engineering of physiological viscoelastic cellular microenvironments. The viscoelastic hydrogels developed by the PhD candidate will be first characterized in terms of physicochemical properties (storage modulus, loss modulus, stress relaxation; as well as protein functionalization involving micropatterning), and then employed to study different aspects of stem and immune cell interaction, such as their dynamic migratory behavior.
Main tasks and responsibilities:
- Establishing a toolset for understanding immune and mesenchymal stem cell interactions in vitro involving mechanical, chemical and computational techniques. These will include:
- Chemical synthesis of novel viscoelastic hydrogels
- Advanced rheological characterization both at the micro and the bulk scale
- Cell culture in 2D and 3D hydrogels
- Cellular and molecular biology techniques
- Advanced live microscopy experiments
- Computational simulations to understand cell-material interaction in viscoelastic microenvironments
Requirements for candidates:
Essential:
- Degree and Master on any field on physics, biology, engineering, chemistry
- Multidisciplinary qualifications (Physics/Maths, Physics/Engineering, etc.) and/or knowledge on hydrogels, cell biology (specifically on advanced microscopy techniques will be a plus).
- Competencies and skills: Communication, Teamwork and collaboration, Commitment, Proactivity, Integrity, Critical and Analytical thinking.
- High level of English.
- Candidates must not yet have been awarded a doctoral degree.
Advantageous:
- Experience in computational modelling of biological systems
- Experience with immune and mesenchymal stem cells
We Offer:
- Number of available positions: 1
- Starting date: flexible from 1st June 2025
- Working conditions:
- Full time 4-year contract.
- Salary commensurate with previous experience.
- 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 19/05/2025 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-MS.
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, female 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 female 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 is managing 3.800 square meters facilities, with an annual budget of 22 Mio€; 4.150 square meters of facilities; 21 research groups and a team of researchers and support services of 400 people from 35 different countries. www.ibecbarcelona.eu
