Are you interested in developing breakthrough rehabilitation robotics technologies for improving human movement? Are you passionate about investigating how human muscles change their biological structure in response to injury, training and robot-interaction?

The Neuro-Mechanical Modeling and Engineering Lab (http://bit.ly/NMLab) is seeking for an outstanding post-doctoral fellow to work within the ERC project INTERACT. You will join an international team working on a high-gain/high-risk project at the frontiers of neurophysiology, biomechanics and robotics (http://bit.ly/NMLTube).

ERC project INTERACT aims to develop predictive models of the neuromuscular system to establish new closed-loop control methods for robotics-based neuro-rehabilitation. With a focus on spinal cord electrical stimulation and robotic exoskeletons, we will demonstrate how motor dysfunction is repaired by robotically inducing optimal changes in neuromuscular targets.

European Research Council (ERC)'s mission is to encourage the highest quality research in Europe through competitive funding and to support the best of the best in Europe's frontiers research (https://erc.europa.eu).

The opening:
Neurological injuries such as stroke leave millions of people disabled worldwide every year. Motor improvement is promoted via physical training with an appropriate afferent input to the nervous system and mechanical loads to muscles. If neuro-rehabilitation robots could be controlled to generate optimal stimuli to the body, a new era in neuro-rehabilitation would begin!

Your tasks will be:

• To design and conduct multi-week experiments on healthy and post-stroke individuals to induce targeted muscle adaptation, i.e. muscle lengthening, strengthening.
• Record and analyse, on a week-by-week basis, neuromuscular data: high-density electromyography, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, fluorodeoxyglucose.
• Establish computational models of muscle adaptation driven by experimentally recorded data.
• Translate muscle adaptation models into wearable rehabilitation technologies.

Your work will be facilitated by in-house expertise and mentorship. You will collaborate with top-scientists on aspects including muscle-on-a-chip and statistical modelling, giving large opportunity to perform impactful research!

• Computational modelling of muscle/tendon function and adaptation.
• Multi-week muscle training and recording (EMG, ultrasounds, MRI)
• Scripting and object-oriented programming.
• Interpersonal and organizational skills, motivation, and communication (oral and written) ability.
• Coordinating undergraduate and graduate students.
• Proficient in written and oral English.

• A full-time 3-year position
• A gross salary between € 3.217,- and € 4.402,-  per month, depending on experience and qualifications.
• An annual holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, and an annual end of year bonus of 8.3%.
• A solid pension scheme.
• Minimum of 29 leave days in case of full-time employment.
• Professional and personal development programs.
• Access to Neuromechanics and Wearable Robotics Labs outstanding facilities and fun work atmosphere with social lab retreats.
• The University of Twente is situated on a green and lively campus with lots of facilities for sports and other extracurricular activities.

ET

The Faculty of Engineering Technology (ET) engages in education and research Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Industrial Design Engineering with a view to enabling society and industry to innovate and create value using sound, efficient and sustainable technology. We are part of a ‘people-first' university of technology, taking our place as an internationally leading centre for smart production, processes and devices in five domains: Health Technology, Maintenance, Smart Regions, Smart Industry and Sustainable Resources. Our faculty is home to some 1,800 Bachelor's and Master's students, 400 employees and 150 PhD candidates and offers three degree programmes: Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Industrial Design Engineering. Our educational and research programme are closely connected with UT research institutes Mesa+ Institute, TechMed Centra and Digital Society Institute. As an employer, the ET Faculty offers jobs that matter. We equip you as a staff member to shape new opportunities both for yourself and for our society. With our Faculty, you will be part of a leading tech university that is changing our world for the better. We offer an open, inclusive and entrepreneurial climate, in which we encourage you to make healthy choices, for example, with our flexible, customizable conditions.