A 4-year full-time (1.0 FTE) PhD-student position supported by the SMART OoC consortium. Your project will focus on the generation of a biofabricated joint-on-a-chip to study synovial inflammation and degeneration and to investigate new therapies to tackle osteoarthritis. You will be performing cutting-edge research in the development of new high resolution bioprinting technologies and biomaterials for 3D printing. The bioprinted devices will be integrated on a multi-organ-on-chip platform developed together with the other consortium partners. You will join the Biofabrication for Translational Regenerative group, within the Utrecht Biofabrication research line, based at the Department of Orthopaedics of UMCU, and at the Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht. You will coordinate your work within an (inter)national network of collaborators, including 3D bioprinting industry partners. Moreover, collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of physicists, pharmaceutical scientists, clinicians, biologists, engineers and veterinary doctors form an essential part of the job. You will be co-supervising students, and you will also be closely working with colleagues from Utrecht University and from the University of Twente. We offer an exciting opportunity to contribute to an ambitious research program within a highly motivated team and to conduct your work at a renowned research university. Teaching opportunities will be available, if desired. You will receive training, supervision, and guidance for both your research work and personal development, which will provide an excellent basis to an independent academic career.

You hold a Master degree in biofabrication, biomaterials science or a related field. You are a quick learner and you thrive in a multidisciplinary research environment. You are able to communicate effectively scientific ideas, foster collaboration and independent thinking. You are knowledgeable in your field and committed to keep up with the recent advances in the literature, as well as to integrate new interdisciplinary solutions into your skillset. You are result-oriented. Experiences with microfluidics, 3D (bio)printing, especially Laser-Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT), and the design of bioinks will be positively evaluated. Proven proficiency in written and spoken English is required.

The initial contract will be for a period of one year, which will be extended to a total of four years upon successful assessment. 

https://www.werkenbijumcutrecht.nl/international/Pages/Terms-of-employment.aspx 

This position is hosted at Regenerative Medicine Center Utrecht (RMCU) and you will be appointed at the Department of Orthopaedics of UMC Utrecht. Located at the Utrecht Science Park, the RMCU brings together the largest group of researchers in regenerative medicine in the Netherlands. Our outstanding scientists, engineers, clinicians, students, ethicists and staff work together closely to translate scientific and technological discoveries into patient benefit.

The Department of Orthopaedics at the UMC Utrecht is a global leader in the development of novel regenerative technologies, such as 3D (bio)printing, the application of biomaterials and controlled release systems, and novel imaging modalities. The department also initiated the Utrecht Biofabrication Facility, a leading European knowledge center that aims at expediting emerging biofabrication technologies in areas of regenerative medicine, 3D in vitro cell culture models and therapeutic treatments. The Department is also a firmly involved in the Utrecht Advanced in vitro models Hub (U-AIM), taking key steps towards the establishment of the next generation animal-free biomedical research.