PHD Position

Four-year PhD position to develop lab-on-a-chip technologies for mechanobiology at the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, within the Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen. The project aims to create miniaturized on-chip platforms that deliver precise, real-time mechanical stimulation to cells and to use these platforms to study cellular responses and sensing mechanisms in controlled microenvironments.

Essential qualifications:

• M.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Bioengineering, or a related discipline.
• Hands-on experience with microfabrication and microfluidics.
• Strong background in fluid mechanics and transport phenomena.
• Experience with fluorescence imaging or live-cell imaging.
• Enthusiasm, self-motivation, creativity, and team spirit.
• Excellent communication skills in English (verbal and written).

Preferred qualifications:

• Hands-on experience with hydrogel synthesis.
• Programming skills (Python, MATLAB, or similar) for data analysis.
• Ability to design and implement microcontroller-based control systems (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, etc.).
• Familiarity with cell culture and biological assays.

• Design and develop a miniaturized on-chip platform capable of delivering precise, real-time mechanical stimulation to cells.
• Implement platform features for controlled microenvironments and experimental manipulation.
• Use the platforms, in collaboration with cell biologists, to investigate how cellular biomechanics are influenced by the surrounding microenvironment and to uncover mechanisms of cellular force sensing and interpretation.

Employment and benefits:

• Salary in accordance with the collective labour agreement for Dutch universities, approximately 3.059 to 3.881 gross per month for a full-time PhD position.
• 232 vacation hours per year based on a 38-hour workweek (1.0 FTE); option to work more or fewer hours in exchange for correspondingly more or fewer free hours (example: 40-hour week saves 96 extra free hours; 36-hour week loses 96 hours).
• End-of-year bonus of 8.3% and 8% holiday allowance.
• Extensive opportunities for personal and professional development and a PhD training programme as part of the appointment; enrollment in the Graduate School of Science and Engineering.
• Initial one-year temporary contract with the option to renew for another three years; renewal is contingent on sufficient progress in the first year indicating likely successful completion of the PhD within the subsequent three years.

The University of Groningen is a European top university conducting interdisciplinary research and education across academia and technology, collaborating with industry, government, and societal organizations. The Faculty of Science and Engineering provides teaching and research in disciplines from physics and biology to artificial intelligence, mechanical engineering, and pharmacy, and maintains an open, informal community of students, PhD candidates, and staff from around the world. The Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP) sits within the Faculty of Science and Engineering and is physically located within the University Medical Centre Groningen; GRIP conducts multidisciplinary pharmaceutical research bridging clinical and biomedical sciences with chemistry, mathematics, engineering, and physics.