Post-doctoral position for the project 'Computational modeling of the cell-matrix interface' at the Department of Cell Biology-Inspired Tissue Engineering (cBITE) at the MERLN Institute
Post-doctoral position for the project 'Computational modeling of the cell-matrix interface' at the Department of Cell Biology-Inspired Tissue Engineering (cBITE) at the MERLN Institute
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The post-doctoral researcher will perform cutting-edge research in computational modeling methods applied to regenerative medicine and more specifically, to cell-matrix interactions.
Regenerative medicine (RM) holds the promise to cure many of what are now chronic patients, restoring health rather than protracting decline, bettering the lives of millions and at the same time preventing lifelong, expensive care processes: cure instead of care. The scientific community has made large steps in this direction over the past decade, however our understanding of the fundamentals of cell, tissue and organ regeneration and of how to stimulate and guide this with intelligent biomaterials in the human body is still in its infancy. To date, the RM field has focused on studying cell-biomaterial interactions. Materials properties such as elasticity, topography, hydrophobicity, and porosity have all been shown to influence cell fate, and the introduction of high-throughput combinatorial approaches is expediting research and decoupling the properties to further inform the design of biomaterials. However, in order to improve the design of synthetic biomaterials, it is crucial to understand the physiological cell-ECM interactions and how these influence cell behavior. This research project aims to use in silico models to simulate cell-ECM interactions, improve our fundamental understanding thereof and use the obtained knowledge to design improved synthetic matrices.
Job description
Project description:
- Computational modeling of integrin signaling, cell-ECM interaction to inform the design of synthetic matrices;
- Parameter optimization and sensitivity analysis;
- Analysis and integration of various in vitro/in vivo data for model calibration.
What we offer:
- Computational ecosystem at Maastricht University: Institute for Data Science (IDS), Department of Knowledge Engineering (DKE) and Maastricht Centre for Systems Biology (MacsBio);
- Excellent computational and experimental facilities to validate the in silico analyses and predictions in vitro/in vivo;
- Interdisciplinary environment within MERLN and the “Materials-driven regeneration (MDR)-consortium”
Project embedding:
The project will be coordinated by the MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine (http://merln.maastrichtuniversity.nl/) as part of the “Materials-driven regeneration (MDR)-consortium” (see http://www.mdrresearch.nl/ for more information) which brings together an interdisciplinary team of excellent scientists at three leading institutes (ICMS at Eindhoven University of Technology, RMU at Utrecht University and MERLN at Maastricht University). The central goal of MDR’s research program is to investigate, design and use intelligent biomaterials that drive the functional regeneration of living tissues and organs under complex (patho)physiological conditions.
Specifications
- max. 38 hours per week
- €2846—€4490 per month
- Maastricht View on Google Maps
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Maastricht University (UM)
Requirements
Requirements and key expertise
- PhD in mathematical biology, computational mathematics, biomedical engineering, numerical optimization, biophysics, or equivalent;
- Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as in a team;
- Strong scientific background and publication record;
- Expertise in computational modeling, biophysics, mechanobiology;
- Good programming skills (for example Comsol, Matlab, Python, R, VCell);
- Affinity with regenerative medicine;
- Good oral and written English communication.
Conditions of employment
Fixed-term contract: 18 months.
Fixed-term contract: 1,5 year. The position is temporary for the duration of the project (18 months).
Depending on experience and qualification, the gross monthly salary is scale 10,
max. € 4.490,- (based on a full-time appointment).
The terms of employment of Maastricht University are set out in the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO). Furthermore, local UM provisions also apply. For more information look at the website www.maastrichtuniversity.nl > About UM > Working at UM.
Employer
Maastricht University
Maastricht University (UM) is the most international university in the Netherlands and, with more than 20,000 students and 4,700 employees, is still growing. The university stands out for its unique, innovative, problem-based learning system, international character and multidisciplinary approach to research and education. Thanks to its high-quality research and study programs as well as a strong focus on social engagement, UM has quickly built up a solid reputation. Today it is considered one of the best young universities in the world.
For more information, visit www.maastrichtuniversity.nl.
Maastricht is the southernmost city in the Netherlands, and is the capital of the province of Limburg. Situated on the Maas River, within walking distance of Belgium and cycling distance of Germany, it claims to be the oldest city in the Netherlands (a claim it shares with Nijmegen). A great place to spend some time, it contains some magnificent buildings and culture, taking the form of plenty of old houses and buildings, lovely cathedrals and a spectacularly cobblestoned town center. The city is also well known for its fine cuisine, excellent shops and multicultural atmosphere.
Department
MERLN Institute
The MERLN Institute for Technology-inspired Regenerative Medicine focuses on developing novel and challenging technologies to advance the field of tissue and organ repair and regeneration through, amongst others, the development of high-throughput material platforms to screen cell-biomaterial interactions. MERLN consists of an interdisciplinary team of researchers including fields as (stem cell) biology, materials engineering, chemistry, micro/nanofabrication, additive manufacturing, etc. The scientists at MERLN have an extensive network of collaborators within research institutions in and outside the Netherlands as well as with a number of biomedical companies, including their own spin-off companies, as entrepreneurship is highly fostered.
Specifications
- Postdoc
- Health; Engineering
- max. 38 hours per week
- €2846—€4490 per month
- Doctorate
- AT2022.51
