Phd Position Development of Digital Twin Based Platform for Simulating Thrombectomy Procedures

Are you passionate to contribute to the future of in silico medicine?

Job description
We are looking for an enthusiastic PhD candidate to join a multidisciplinary project on improving minimally invasive stroke treatment using advanced computer simulations.

In this project, you will develop and apply in silico models to better understand how blood clots and medical devices interact during thrombectomy procedures. By combining medical imaging, computational modelling, and data-driven methods, the goal is to create virtual patient populations and simulation tools that can support safer, more effective stroke treatments and accelerate medical device innovation.

You will work in an academic environment at the interface of engineering, medicine, and industry, collaborating closely with industrial partners and clinicians. Your tasks will include developing and implementing numerical models, analysing and validating simulation results, and disseminating your work through publications and conference presentations.

More specifically, you will be responsible for developing an in silico platform generating virtual patient populations with comprehensive vessel and thrombus characteristics in collaboration with our industrial partner InSteps. In parallel, you will create a computational device evaluation platform featuring efficient models of stent retrievers and aspiration devices, leveraging Delft's expertise and the simulation capabilities of our second industrial partner, 4RealSim. Finally, you will Integrate these platforms into a unified simulation environment for in silico clinical trials, enabling evaluation of thrombectomy procedures across diverse virtual patient cohorts with various devices and techniques in collaboration with our clinical partners from the Erasmus Medical Center.

The project described above is sponsored in the context of a public-private partnership, which implies that there will be a strong collaboration with our industrial partners and an emphasis on real world application of the tools described above.

You will be based in the CardioVascular Biomechanics Section (https://www.tudelft.nl/me/over/afdelingen/biomechanical-engineering/research/cardiovascular-biomechanics), a research group within the BioMechanical Engineering Department, under the supervision of Prof. Frank Gijsen and Dr. Behrooz Fereidoonnezhad.

Job requirements
Your Profile:

• Strong interest and/or experience in patient-specific computational modelling.
• Have a strong affinity with scientific programming.
• Have experience with Finite Element analysis.
• MSc degree (completed or near completion) from a technical program such as (bio)mechanical engineering or similar fields.
• Be proactive, collaborative mindset and good communication skills in English.

Please highlight your specific skills for this position explicitly in your motivation letter. Motivation letters that do not address any of these requirements will not be considered.

If you are passionate about advancing the field of in silico medicine and digital twin technology and contributing to the future of personalized treatment strategies, we encourage you to apply. Please submit your application, including a CV and cover letter, via the provided application portal.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Mechanical Engineering
From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying mechanisms, research and education at the ME faculty focusses on fundamental understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, materials, processes and (mechanical) systems.

ME is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in ME’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national cooperation.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These videos will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work.

Conditions of employment
Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from €3059 - €3881 gross per month, from the first year to the fourth year based on a fulltime contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.

As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service, offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.

Additional information
For more information about this specific position, please contact Prof. Frank Gijsen (F.J.H.Gijsen@tudelft.nl) or Dr. Behrooz Fereidoonnezhad (b.fereidoonnezhad@tudelft.nl).

Application procedure
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 20 January 2026 via the application button and upload the following documents:

Please submit a single PDF including:

• A cover letter that details your motivation and fit to the job requirements.
• Your CV with a list of (academic and/or industry) references that we can contact.
• A list of grades of the qualifying degrees (BSc, MSc).

A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure. You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email. The selection procedure will start as soon as the vacancy is posted.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• As part of knowledge security, TU Delft conducts a risk assessment during the recruitment of personnel. We do this, among other things, to prevent the unwanted transfer of sensitive knowledge and technology. The assessment is based on information provided by the candidates themselves, such as their motivation letter and CV, and takes place at the final stages of the selection process. When the outcome of the assessment is negative, the candidate will be informed. The processing of personal data in the context of the risk assessment is carried out on the legal basis of the GDPR: performing a public task in the public interest. You can find more information about this assessment on our website about knowledge security.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.