Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student), Tissue Engineering

The University of Eastern Finland is inviting applications for a Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) position in Tissue Engineering at the Department of Technical Physics on the Kuopio campus. The position will be filled for a fixed term of three years as from 1 April 2026 (or as agreed).

Please find more information below and submit your application by 12 February 2026.

Role and salary

We are seeking a highly motivated Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) to join our research project PRECIOUS (website) at the Department of Technical Physics of the University of Eastern Finland. This project aims to develop viable replacement cartilage through tissue engineering using an innovative approach that incorporates real-time monitoring and control of tissue properties. We will use a novel hybrid bioreactor that incorporates spectroscopy-based monitoring and quantitative-spectral models for real-time estimation of engineered tissue properties. Non-destructive dynamic monitoring will enable the bioreactor to tune the properties of the engineered tissue and to prevent hypertrophic cartilage formation through real-time adjustment of the bioreactor’s mechanical loading regime.

By addressing the critical need for viable replacement cartilage, this project will significantly enhance the outcomes of cartilage repair surgeries. The anticipated improvements will greatly elevate patients’ quality of life and reduce the socioeconomic burden of osteoarthritis. Real-time monitoring and control of tissue properties will pave the way for optimal engineering of other tissues, leading to more reliable treatments for degenerative musculoskeletal diseases. The project is performed in close collaboration with Associate Professor Isaac Afara's Biomedical Spectroscopy Laboratory, Professor Susanna Miettinen’s Adult Stem Cell Group at Tampere University, as well as with international collaborators.

As a Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) you will focus on:

• performing tissue engineering experiments in the novel bioreactor
• performing reference analyses of engineered cartilage composition (biochemistry), functional properties (mechanical stress-relaxation tests), and expression of hypertrophic markers (qPCR, enzymatic activity)
• performing spectral data analyses for live estimation of engineered tissue properties
• developing prediction models of engineered cartilage properties as a function of the mechanical loading regime.

The main duty of the Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) is to conduct research for their doctoral dissertation and to complete postgraduate studies.

The position will be filled for a fixed term of three years as from 1 April 2026 (or as agreed). The position will be filled for a fixed term due to the Doctoral Researcher’s (PhD Student’s) own doctoral dissertation work and studies. A trial period is applied to all new members of the staff.

The salary of the position is determined in accordance with the salary system for Finnish universities. The salary comprises two components: a job-related salary element and a personal salary element. For a Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student), the job-related salary element is based on levels 2–4 of the job requirement level 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. At the beginning of the employment the total salary will be approximately EUR 2,650 – 2,785 /month.

Our requirements and expectations 

We expect you to

• be eligible for postgraduate studies; i.e., to hold a Master’s degree in biomedical engineering, biotechnology, or a related field, awarded by a university or a university of applied sciences, or to have completed an applicable study programme abroad which in the awarding country gives eligibility for corresponding postgraduate education
• meet the student admission criteria for the LUMETO doctoral programme (Doctoral Programme in Science, Forestry and Technology, website)
• have good proficiency in English, both written and spoken, as English will be the primary language of communication, collaboration, and dissemination within the project
• have demonstrated proficiency in cell culture, biochemical analyses and/or qPCR.

Applicants who do not yet have the right to pursue postgraduate studies at the University of Eastern Finland are not required to apply for study rights at the application stage. If the applicant is selected for the position and applies for postgraduate study rights, the selection will be conditional until the right to pursue postgraduate studies in the faculty’s doctoral programme has been granted. The application for postgraduate study rights is submitted through the Studyinfo (Opintopolku) service.

The following will be considered an advantage

• a background in (cartilage) tissue engineering
• proficiency in (high throughput) data analysis
• experience with spectroscopic techniques. 

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

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

You will have an opportunity to work in a meaningful 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 12 February 2026 by 23:59 (midnight) Finnish time (UTC +2).

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

• a CV (Template for CV, TENK website)
• a list of publications (Instructions, Research Council of Finland website)
• 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 transcript of records
• a motivation letter (max. 1 page) in which you describe your interest in the position and research project, your background, as well as your career aspirations
• other documents to demonstrate the applicant’s merits for the position

If your degree certificate is not in English, Finnish, or Swedish, you must provide official English translations of your degree certificate documents. All translations must be issued by the awarding educational institution or an authorized translator. Each page of the official translation must bear the translator's stamp and/or signature. Official translations must be accurate translations of the original documents. Translations made by the applicants themselves will not be accepted.

Questions?

For further information on the position, please contact Senior Researcher Adriaan Gebraad, email: agebraad@uef.fi, tel.: +358 50 437 7522.

For further information on the application procedure, please contact HR Specialist Noora Hämäläinen, e-mail: noora.hamalainen@uef.fi, tel.: +358 29 445 8302 or HR Specialist Iiris Korhonen, e-mail: iiris.korhonen@uef.fi, tel.: +358 29 445 8161.

Haemme väitöskirjatutkijaa Itä-Suomen yliopistolle. Tehtävä sijoittuu luonnontieteiden, metsätieteiden ja tekniikan tiedekuntaan teknillisen fysiikan laitokselle Kuopion kampukselle. Tehtävä alkaa 1.4.2026  (tai sopimuksen mukaan) ja se täytetään kolmen vuoden määräajaksi. Tehtävässä tehtäväkohtainen palkanosa on vaativuustasoluokittelussa tasoilla 2–4. Lisäksi maksetaan henkilökohtaiseen suoriutumiseen perustuvaa palkanosaa, joka on 6–50 % tehtäväkohtaisesta palkanosasta. Tehtävässä edellytetään hyvää englannin kielen taitoa.​

Lue tarkemmat tiedot tehtävästä ja hakuohjeet yllä olevasta englanninkielisestä ilmoituksesta. Jätäthän hakemuksesi englanniksi. Hakuaika tehtävään päättyy 12.2.2026.