The Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) is seeking an inspired, ambitious and passionate PhD candidate to investigate the separate and combined effects of the stroma's order and stiffness on the mechanobiology of 2D multicellular systems mimicking the regions of the infarcted heart in vitro, with specific focus on the so-called border zone. As the successful candidate, research that you will carry out with us will be part of wider efforts aiming at restoring anisotropy in infarcted cardiac tissues for in situ regenerative medicine of the heart.

You will conduct in vitro and in silico experimentation to understand the mechanical and biological basis of the infarct border-zone, an area of the infarcted heart between the healthy and damaged myocardium that is instrumental to the progression of the disease. Your investigations will specifically aim at understanding the interplay between structural organisation and cardiac cell function in 2D models that mimic the heterogeneity of the disorganised infarcted myocardium at the multicellular level. Your research will resort to correlative experimental methods that may combine a selection of techniques including:
i) (Visco)Elastic Traction Force Microscopy for the quantification of cellular forces at the interface with (Visco)Elastic matrix substrates;
ii) Laser Ablation for the quantification at the intercellular interface;
iii) Advanced Image Analyses for the quantification of cell morphology and kinematics;
iv) Microfabrication and Microprinting for the engineering and functionalisation of 2D cellular scaffolds; and,
v) Molecular and Cell Biology techniques for the manipulation of cellular genotype and phenotype.

You will be embedded in the STEM group (Soft Tissue Engineering and Mechanobiology) and will specifically investigate at the interface of the teams led by Dr. Vito Conte (Synthetic Morphogenesis) and Prof. Carlijn Bouten (Cell-Matrix Interactions for Cardiovascular Tissue Regeneration). By building on experimental protocols previously established in the STEM group, you will develop new methodological approaches for the handling of novel experimental setups currently unavailable in the field. You are expected to do scientific research in the field described above, write a doctoral thesis, and publish research results in scientific journals. A small part of your doctoral position will involve teaching in courses as well as the supervision of students at the bachelor's and master's levels offered by the group. Also, an educational and professional development program will be offered to you.