This vacancy is posted as part of RegMedXB, which stands for 'Regenerative Medicine Crossing Borders'. RegMedXB is a virtual institute composed of universities, health foundations, governments and private companies in the Netherlands and Belgium. The partners work together to tackle some of the greatest challenges in regenerative medicine, while building a community of researchers and companies to realize health and economic benefits.

The Department of Biomedical Engineering. There is an endless demand in modern healthcare for technologies to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of health problems. To meet this demand, TU/e has a strong focus on Health in its research and education programs and has a department devoted entirely to this socially vital area: Biomedical Engineering. Biomedical engineers improve human health by cross-disciplinary activities that integrate the engineering sciences with the biomedical sciences and clinical practice.

The Department of Biomedical Engineering presently consists of thirteen research groups, organized in 3 clusters and covers everything from regenerative engineering to biomedical image analysis to biomolecular engineering. With 58 (assistant, associate and full) professors, over 100 researchers and postdocs, 158 PhD candidates and circa 950 bachelor and master students, the Department of Biomedical Engineering provides high-quality academic education and cutting-edge research.

See here for more information about the department, and here or more information about the current research programs.

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) is ranked as one of the most innovative universities located in the heart of the high-tech industry in the Netherlands, the Brainport region. The unique positioning in one of Europe's leading tech regions also means excellent job opportunities for spouses. TU/e actively facilitates career opportunities for partners of successful candidates. Eindhoven is the fifth largest city in the Netherlands, and including suburbs, it has about 420,000 inhabitants.  Our training and research programs are highly regarded, and we foster close relationships with companies, organizations, and research institutes in the Brainport region and beyond.  Fundamental and applied research are equally valued here.  The high rank of the TU/e is due to the impact of its scientific research and also to its scientific co-­publications with industry.  TU/e is a social and inspiring university with a vibrant culture.  Surrounded by people who share your scientific ambitions, we translate our basic research into meaningful solutions. The TU/e currently has nine departments, with over 11,000 students in total.

Project description: Within the RegMedXB Cardiac Moonshot program, the overall aim is to develop innovative strategies to regenerate the heart.

The project of this position aims to develop in vitro and ex vivo models that recapitulate the characteristics of myocardium. By reestablishing the three-dimensional architecture of the myocardium including matrix organization, disease initiation and progression can be minimized or prevented. In particular, the project will aim at identifying the critical mechanical and compositional parameters of the tissue required for healthy matrix remodeling and contractility.

We will collaborate intensively with our partners in the RegMed-XB Cardiac Moonshot consortium, in particular with the University Medical Centers in Leiden and Utrecht on cardiac cell sources and characterization, and with other TU/e groups on computational modeling and synthetic matrices.

About STEM: The research will be mainly conducted within the Soft Tissue Engineering and Mechanobiology (STEM) group in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.

The STEM group, headed by prof.dr. C.V.C. Bouten, concentrates on the engineering of soft tissues, aimed at either the replacement of diseased or malformed tissues, or the development of in-vitro model systems of developing tissues. Important fundamental research lines concern the biophysical (stem) cell niche and the mechanobiology of tissue organization. Results are used to design novel approaches of in-situ tissue regeneration, with principle application in the cardiovascular area (heart valves and vessels) and organ regeneration (heart, kidney). The group houses the Cell and Tissue Engineering laboratory, a shared research infrastructure operating at the international forefront of the engineering of living, load-bearing tissues.

What we are looking for:

• A PhD degree in biomedical engineering, biology, or an equivalent area
• Background in mechanobiology and affinity with medical applications
• Experience in (cardiac) cell and tissue culture, with emphasis on engineered disease modeling
• Ability to contribute to and initiate cross-disciplinary collaborations
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
• Result-driven and proactive attitude

What we offer:

• A challenging job in a dynamic and ambitious program (1.0 fte) for maximum of three years, starting with a one year contract.
• Support with personal development and career planning, including the possibility of attending a series of offered courses in addition to scientific education.
• Gross monthly salary in accordance with scale 10 of the Collective Labour Agreement of the Dutch Universities, depending on experience between €3.255 and €4.274 gross per month.
• Additionally, we offer a yearly holiday allowance of 8% of the annual salary and a yearly end-of-year bonus of 8.3% of the annual salary. In addition we offer a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave, flexible employment conditions, the possibility to participate in a collective health care plan, and other benefits such as support in moving expenses, commuting expenses, savings schemes, child care and excellent on campus sports facilities.

TU/e aims to increase diversity among its employees and encourages applications from under-represented groups; in particular, female scientists are encouraged to apply.

The city of Eindhoven offers a relaxed, multicultural environment, high quality of life and many options for extra-curricular activities. The city has a mild climate, and it is well-connected by rail, air, and road links with major European cities. The city is at the heart of the Brainport region of Netherlands, a region with high growth, high innovation, and many permanent employment opportunities for expats. Candidates moving to the Netherlands from abroad may qualify for a tax incentive scheme, where 30% of your income is tax free for a (maximum) period of five years. Click here for more information.