EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions; MSCA PhD Position: Bioprinting generation functional t

Overview

The field of tissue engineering and bioprinting is continually advancing to develop functional tissue models that more accurately mimic native tissue organization. Bioprinting holds transformative potential for enhancing the functionality of tissues in regenerative medicine. At the Tissue Engineering and Biofabrication Laboratory (led by Prof. Marcy Zenobi-Wong), we leverage bioprinting to engineer tissues that address critical clinical challenges. Our lab has pioneered innovative light-based 3D printing techniques, enabling precise control over topological cell guidance cues and multi-scale directional porosity.

The laboratory is embedded in ETH Zurich’s Department of Health Sciences & Technology (D-HEST). D-HEST is a stimulating environment for interdisciplinary research and education with a focus on health science solutions for important societal challenges. The Zenobi-Wong Laboratory is a part of the Institute for Biomechanics, which has a strong focus on musculoskeletal biomechanics and mechanobiology across all scales.

This project is part of the EU-funded Print4

Life, a Marie Sklodowska-Curie (MSCA) doctoral network led by Prof. Cecilia Persson, Uppsala University. This network has 8 doctoral candidate host institutions:
Uppsala University, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Dublin City University, Universidade do Minho, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon Gmbh, Hydrumedical SA, Brinter AM Technologues oy, ETH Zürich; and 6 additional partners: FHNW, PBC Ltd, Xap He, Quintus Technologies AB, CAU ZU Kiel and Region Uppsala (Uppsala University Hospital). The network aims to provide Advanced Research Training for Additive Manufacturing of the Biomaterials and Tissues of the Future.

You will be one of 17 doctoral students across the entire network.

Part of the research will be conducted in collaboration with other doctoral students, other academic institutions, and industry. The study period is planned to include short research stays at the Finnish company Brinter and Uppsala University. The main supervisor will be Prof. Marcy Zenobi-Wong (ETH Zürich), and co-supervisors Dr. Marcin Kotlarz (ETH Zürich), Prof. Paul Callaghan (Uppsala University), Dr. Maurizio Gullo (University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland) and Dhayakumar Rajan Prakash (Brinter).

In this project, the focus will be on development of functional tissues and tissue models by merging high-resolution 3D bioprinting with in situ perfusion systems, enabling direct graft maturation in the printing environment. Your work will bridge biopolymer innovation and microfluidics to overcome perfusion limitations in thick tissues.

You hold a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering or a related field and are passionate about developing next-generation functional tissues for disease modeling and regenerative medicine.

Desired Skills &

Competencies:

• Familiarity with computational fluid dynamics and ability to design mechanical and microfluidic components
• Strong expertise in cell culture and molecular biology techniques
• Experience in the synthesis, characterization, and application of bioprinting materials
• Proficiency in biological evaluation of tissue constructs (e.g., RT-PCR, histology)
• Highly motivated to engage in a multidisciplinary European research network
• Excellent communication skills (written & oral), with a strong collaborative spirit and project management experience

Duties

The main duty for a doctoral student is to devote themselves to their research studies which includes participating in research projects and PhD courses. The work duties can also include teaching and other departmental duties (no more than 20%). Being a PhD student means independently running projects within a specific subject. You collaborate on an ongoing basis with other doctoral students and researchers to create results within various projects…