Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) in Mechanobiology of the Musculoskeletal System - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The University of Eastern Finland is inviting applications for a Doctoral Researcher position in “Mechanobiology of the Musculoskeletal System” at the Department of Technical Physics on the Kuopio campus. The position will be filled for a fixed-term from May 1, 2024 (or starting date as agreed).

Please find more information below and submit your application no later than 11 March 2024.

Role and salary

Current therapies for osteoarthritis are not effective to affect structural progression of the disease. One of the challenges is that importance of the mechanical and chemical factors at the cell and tissue levels, and at the whole neuromuscular system, on tissue regeneration and regeneration are not well known. Here, we conduct ex vivo experiments of osteoarthritis and therapies, and analyze the effect of normal, abnormal and “optimal” mechanobiochemical environment on, e.g., cell responses, biosynthesis, and tissue composition. We will further develop in silico computational models of the human knee with a crosstalk between joint loading, tissue responses, and cell responses, that in turn affect tissue degeneration and regeneration. Clinical data of the structural progression of osteoarthritis and pain are used for model validation and testing. The approach possesses large impact potential as it is targeting to improve therapy guidance of patients with this chronic illness.

We are seeking for highly motivated and talented Doctoral Researcher to work full-time on one or several of the following tasks:

• Experimentally characterize changes and responses of articular cartilage and chondrocytes post injury by bioreactor experiments.
• Develop mechanobiological models of cartilage by considering cell-driven mechanisms of the disease progression.
• Develop in silico neuromusculoskeletal finite element models of human knee joints based on different imaging and motion capture datasets and test the model performance against clinical data.
• Develop a monitoring tool in conjunction with a digital twin for near real-time assessment of the disease prognosis.

The work is done primarily in the Biophysics of Bone and Cartilage (BBC) group, University of Eastern Finland, which is globally one of the leading groups in musculoskeletal research. The BBC group belongs to the “Ageing, Lifestyles, and Health” profile area and “Musculoskeletal Diseases” research community of the University of Eastern Finland. The project includes national and international collaboration and may include collaboration with industry.

The position will be filled for a fixed-term from 1 May 2024 to 31 December 2027 (or starting date as agreed) due to it pertaining to a specific project task and own doctoral degree. Continuation of the position will be agreed separately. A probationary period is applied to all new members of the staff. Candidates who are currently completing or have recently completed a master’s degree or equivalent are invited to apply.

The salary of the position is determined in accordance with the salary system of the Finnish universities. The salary comprises two components: a job-related salary element and a personal salary element. In this position, the job requirement level is based on levels 2–4 on the job requirement chart for teaching and research staff, depending on the stage of the applicant’s doctoral research and postgraduate studies. The personal salary element is 6–50% of the job-related salary element. Depending on the personal salary element, the salary will be approximately EUR 2,580.00-3,380.00 /month.

Our requirements and expectations

Requirements:

• A person to be appointed as a Doctoral Researcher shall be qualified to pursue postgraduate studies.
• Suitable degree in biomedical engineering, biomechanics or mechanobiology, medical physics and technology, mechanical engineering, computational science, biophysics or a related field, is required. The persons who don't yet hold the degree before the call deadline are also eligible to apply as long as they graduate before the starting date.
• Potential candidates should have a good command of the English language.

The following will be considered an advantage:

• Good programming skills (e.g. MATLAB, python) 

Your benefits

You will have access to the university’s staff benefits, including:

• the opportunity for flexible multi-location work
• extensive occupational health care
• a broad selection of staff training
• staff discount on lunch in our campus restaurants, as well as on a range of other services
• affordable sports services and a tax-free bike benefit

Please read more in the Work at UEF section on our website. 

You will have an opportunity to work in an interesting and diverse role as part of our international, creative, participatory and inclusive academic community.

Enjoy your life in Finland! Known for its cleanliness, welfare know-how, modern technology and superb education system, Finland is an exotic and safe country to work in. Please visit the Life in Finland section on our website to learn more.

How to apply?

Submit your application by using our electronic application form no later than 11 March 2024 by 24:00 (midnight) Finnish time (UTC+2).

Please note that you must include the following appendices in your application:

• CV (template for researcher’s curriculum vitae, but also other styles will be accepted)
• copies of your academic degree certificates/diplomas, and copies of certificates/diplomas relating to your language proficiency, if not indicated in the academic degree certificates/diplomas
• a trancscript of records
• a motivation letter
• other documents you wish to include to demonstrate your merits for the position (maximum 3 pages)

Questions?

For further information on the position, please contact Professor Rami Korhonen, email: rami.korhonen@uef.fi, tel.+358 29 445 3343.

For further information on the application procedure, please contact Human Resources Secretary Iiris Korhonen, e-mail: iiris.korhonen@uef.fi, tel. +358 29 4458161.