Project Summary:
Neural damage is among the leading causes of disability worldwide and, unlike many diseases, treatments for central nervous system do not have a clear clinical pathway and satisfactory outcomes. Applying therapeutic electrical stimulation (ES) by means of advanced biomaterials is considered to be an alternative solution. However, there is still a large knowledge gap in the area of therapeutic ES protocols for recovering neural function. Our goal is to investigate the effect of therapeutic electrical stimulation on neural plasticity by means of an in vitro system. Development, characterization and assessment of the function of this in vitro platform is our main objective at this stage.
Who we are:
We are a young multidisciplinary research team (ES4TERM Lab) at Instituto de Micro y Nanotecnología (IMN-CNM), one of the research units at Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). Our institute provides cutting edge facilities for fabrication and characterization of advanced materials. Our team specialized in the biomedical applications of advanced materials and specifically focuses on developing in vitro and in vivo solutions for challenges in tissue regeneration and regenerative medicine, based on physical stimulations. Currently, Dr. Sahba Mobini is leading a project funded by Comunidad de Madrid Atracción de Talento Programme, Modalidad 1- (Ref. 2019-T1/IND-1335) to incorporate electrical stimulation to in vitrosystems for developing therapeutics for neural damage in CNS.
Where we are:
IMN-CNM is located in Technology Park of Madrid (PTM) in Tres Cantos, Madrid. Madrid, the second-largest city in the European Union, is a vibrant metropolitan city that is home for plenty of world-class universities, museums, archives, and sport clubs. The student community in Madrid is diverse and highly international and is one of the most popular choices for international exchange programs in Europe. Tres Cantos is located 20 km north of Madrid and very well connected.
What we offer:
- 3 years full time contract (6 months trial period)
- Flexible working hours
- Multidisciplinary environment
- Soft skills training
- International networking opportunities
What your tasks will be:
- Studying electrode biomaterials by means of electrochemical, mechanical and in vitro assays and analysing data
- Contributing in developing setups and in vitro platforms
- Developing computational models based on finite element methods (FEM simulation)
- Presenting data in regular-based meetings, writing reports and manuscripts
Job requirements:
- Master of science or equivalent academic degree in: Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Biomaterials, or similar
- English language fluency (Qualification B2/C1)
- Experience in:
- MATLAB, LabVIEW, Origin or similar - FEM simulation - Electronics and automation - The basic wet lab chemistry
Conditions of the employment:
- A standard PhD contract (annual, renewable up to 3 years), with salary of 1.353,84 €/month (The salary will be increased 7% at year 3.)
- The post is available from 1stof April 2021
How to apply?
- Complete the online application in I+D+i employment portal (mandatory) and send your application package by email to sahba.mobini@csic.es and maria-ujue.gonzalez@csic.es. In the subject of email indicate the reference number generated from I+D+i employment portal and our offer code: [Reference Number from I+D+I Employment Portal_TALENTOPhD_2_2019-T1/IND-13350]
- Application deadline is 12th February 2021
- Application Package (in a single pdf file):
- Updated CV
- Copy of the NIF/NIE or valid passport
- Letter of motivation
- Copy of relevant academic degree
- Copy of academic marks
- Copy of English language certificate
- Online application approval and reference number (screenshot)
*Incomplete application will be dismissed. Both online application and Email are mandatory.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Academic Marks [10%]
- Relevance of experience and CV to the project [50%]
- Additional experience in biomedical engineering topics [20%]
- Motivation, language, presentation abilities, vision (To be evaluated during an interview) [20%]
The interview will be offered only to the top-rated candidates.