项目介绍

2026年5月9日

We are looking for a motivated student to fill a fully funded PhD position at the University of Groningen. The aim of this PhD project is to develop novel therapies for healthcare through the engineering of smart bioelectronic devices. Although interfacing electronics with biological systems has shown great promise for a wide variety of disorders, personalized therapies that adapt in real-time have not been established yet. The development of soft and flexible bioelectronic devices that use feedback of integrated biosensors and high-density microelectrode arrays will enable precision therapy to improve healthcare.

Background

Bioelectronic medicine, or therapies based on electronic devices, is currently witnessing an explosion of interest in both academia and industry. Inspired by clinical successes such as the cardiac pacemaker, cochlear implants, and deep brain stimulators, bioelectronic medicine has the potential to revolutionize healthcare because it offers local and targeted treatments with reduced side effects and improved outcomes. For these therapies to be effective and deliver personalized therapies, devices need to record and process relevant biological data and adapt therapeutic parameters real-time.

In this project, you will develop low-power biosensors and circuits that can record and processes biological signals. This will be used as real-time feedback to deliver targeted electric fields with high spatial resolution with optimized stimulation parameters for precise and safe modulation.

What are you going to do?

This is an interdisciplinary project where various components of biomedical engineering such as materials science, chemistry, electronics, and biology converge to develop innovative therapeutics. The project includes the following key elements, with the allocation of time depending on the interests of the candidate:

• Develop flexible bioelectronic interfaces using soft materials that can electrically record and stimulate neural networks.
• Microfabricate thin-film bioelectronic devices.
• Develop novel clean room and photolithography processes that are compatible with organic materials for reliable and scalable manufacturing.
• Develop organic transistors for high signal-to-noise ratio electrical recordings using soft, organic semiconductor materials.
• Electrochemical characterization of conducting polymers as electrode material to interface with nervous tissue.
• Assess, study, and improve long-term functionality of the bioelectronic interface, including the device stability and the biological response.
• Validate device performance on neuronal cell cultures.
• First steps towards in vivo animal studies.

Faculty of Science and EngineeringApply no later than: 4 June 202623:59 Dutch local time€3.059 – €3.881

Who are you?

The following requirements are mandatory:

• Master’s degree in engineering or other equivalent degree from internationally renowned universities.
• Written and spoken English proficiency.
• High motivation to perform academic research.
• Enthusiasm for learning and discovery.

The following items are preferred, but not required:

• Experience with cleanroom processes such as photolithography, material deposition, and dry etching.
• Hands-on experience with electronics, transistors and/or biosensors.
• Cross-cultural sensitivity and strong communication skills.

What can you expect from us?

• In accordance with the collective labor agreement for Dutch universities, we offer a salary of at least € 3.059 up to a maximum of € 3.881 (promovendus) gross per month for a full-time employment contract.
• 232 vacation hours per year, based on a 38-hour workweek (1.0 FTE). You can also work more or fewer hours in exchange for more or fewer free hours. For example, with a 40-hour workweek, you save 96 extra free hours, and with a 36-hour workweek, you lose 96 hours.
• End-of-year bonus of 8.3% and 8% holiday allowance.
• Extensive opportunities for personal and professional development.
• A temporary PhD position for a period of 4 years (1+3). After 9 months, a Go/No Go decision will be made, after which the contract will be extended for 3 years.

Where will you be working?

At the University of Groningen (UG), researchers from all fields of academia and technology are working on academic challenges and societal questions. Lecturers prepare their students for meaningful careers within or outside the academic world. Interdisciplinary research and teaching, sharing of knowledge, collaboration with businesses, government institutions, and societal organizations are aspects that are of the utmost importance to this European top university. The UG aims to be an open academic community with an inclusive and safe working climate that invites you to add your value.

The Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) provides teaching and research across a wide range of disciplines, from physics and biology to artificial intelligence, mechanical engineering, and pharmacy. In close collaboration with partners from industry, healthcare, and society, we contribute to the urgent challenges of our time, such as energy, sustainability, digitization, and medical technology. Our community is open and informal, with more than 7,000 students, 1,000 PhD students, and 1,400 staff members from all over the world. If you would like to learn more about the Faculty of Science and Engineering, visit rug.nl/fse. 

This project will take place in the research group Bioinspired MEMS and Biomedical Devices that operates within the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE). The group focusses on the development of advanced micro/nano technologies and nanofabrication to develop state-of-the-art MEMS/NEMS sensors and systems, biomimetic MEMS/NEMS, wearable sensors, 3D printing and additive manufacturing for novel MEMS sensors, sensors for biomedical /clinical /healthcare monitoring applications, and bioelectronics.

The student will be supervised

To improve the performance and integration of bioelectronic devices with biology, devices will be made of organic materials (polymers) to better match the mechanical properties of cells and tissue. This technology will be applied on rigid substrates for lab-on-chip applications as well as on flexible substrates for in vivo applications with a strong focus on reliability and stable performance to realize clinical translation.