Postdoctoral position in Biomedical Engineering with a focus on acoustofluidic microsystems

at the Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Uppsala University

Full-time temporary position for two years starting as soon as possible or as agreed upon

Join us!

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering aims to be an environment for successful and valuable research and education with a focus on materials science solutions for important societal challenges. Our department is an exciting workplace with research in a broad technology-related area, from basic research to large-scale applied research, and close contacts with students through the department's involvement in engineering and master's programs. Our research and teaching are conducted within seven divisions with different research focuses, as well as a division that provides support and service. The department is an international place to work, and has around 230 active co-workers.

Read more about us here.

About the division

The Division of Biomedical Engineering is part of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Ångström Laboratory. We perform research within the development and evaluation of new materials in interaction with biological systems to understand the underlying principles. For us, it is equally important to study the impact of materials on biological processes as well as the impact of biological processes on materials. Our ambition is to foster a dynamic teaching and research environment that is internationally recognised for its excellence in connecting basic research with clinical applications. 

The position is located at the Division of Biomedical Engineering in the interdisciplinary research group EMBLA, which is led by Professor Maria Tenje. The group conducts successful and internationally-recognized research in organs-on-chip and droplet-based microfluidics in collaboration with research teams at several different Swedish and overseas universities. Research funding has been obtained through several prestigious grants, including from the Knut och Alice Wallenberg Foundation, and European Research Council (ERC).

Further information about the research group is available here.

Information on salary is given upon an initial interview.

Project description

Organs-on-chip is a growing field of research with the ambition to eventually replace traditional animal experiments. A special focus in our research group is to develop microfluidic systems with integrated acoustics, so-called acoustofluidic systems, to manipulate and study cells in 3D environments reminiscent of human tissue. We are now recruiting a postdoctoral researcher who is driven by scientific curiosity and a desire to develop the acoustofluidic technology to build competence within the lab on acoustic holography.

Duties

The tasks within this interdisciplinary research project include conducting high-quality research in all stages of the project, from the design and fabrication of microfluidic systems with integrated acoustics to the evaluation and publication of the scientific results. You are expected to be responsible for the fabrication, characterisation and optimisation of acoustofluidic systems using acoustic holography to assemble endothelial cells to form vascular structures. Important aspects will include evaluation of structural resolution and effect of media viscosity. Moreover, together with other group members, you are expected to use optical microscopy to evaluate how design considerations affect orientation, assembly and growth of the endothelial cells.

In addition to research, some participation in the supervision of doctoral students, master's students and project students, as well as communication of research results through scientific articles in well-established scientific journals and presentations at international conferences, are also included as important aspects of the employment. Some participation in teaching may also be included. You are also expected to contribute to applications for external research funding.

Requirements

To qualify for a postdoctoral position, you must have a doctoral degree or a foreign degree considered equivalent to a PhD degree. The degree needs to be obtained by the time of the decision of employment. Those who have obtained a PhD degree three years prior to the application deadline are primarily considered for the employment. The starting point of the three-year frame period is the application deadline. Due to special circumstances, the degree may have been obtained earlier and be due to circumstances such as sick leave, parental leave, duties in labor unions, etc.

This position requires a doctoral degree in biomedical engineering, engineering physics, nanotechnology, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, materials science or an equivalent degree in a related field where a larger part of your doctoral project was focused on acoustofluidics.

We require documented knowledge and experience in

• Acoustics and wave physics
• Fabrication and use of microfluidic systems with particular expertise in UV lithography, preparation of PDMS devices and polymer 3D printing
• Experience in building experimental platforms for acoustofluidic systems

We require very good oral and written skills in English, as well as very good skills in writing scientific publications.

Additional qualifications
It is advantageous to have documented knowledge and experience in one or more of the following areas:

• FEM-modelling of microfluidic systems
• Culture and characterisation of mammalian cells, specifically endothelial cells
• Analytical techniques (e.g. optical microscopy, flow cytometry, qPCR)

We attach great importance to your personal qualities and you must be self-motivated and proactive, have the ability to independently plan and run projects as well as possess excellent analytical ability and skill with practical handling of experimental equipment.

You must also be pedagogical, structured and able to work effectively both individually and in groups, as well as be able to collaborate and communicate with people in different subject areas easily.

Special emphasis will be placed on your documented experience of publishing scientific works in high-quality journals and giving presentations at scientific meetings.

Your application must include

• A letter describing yourself, your research interests and why you are a suitable candidate for this position.
• CV (max 2 pages)
• List of publications
• Copy of the PhD, master’s degree (or equivalent) and course grades and other merits
• Short description (max 300 words) of your doctoral thesis
• Names and contact information (e-mail and telephone) to two reference persons who have agreed to act as reference for you. Please also describe the relationship with that person.

The application can preferably be written in English. During the application period, we will continuously read applications and call for interviews.

About the employment
The employment is a temporary position of 2 years according to central collective agreement. Full time position. Starting date as agreed upon. Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position, please contact: Professor Maria Tenje, (maria.tenje@angstrom.uu.se) or Gaia Alyasin (gaia.alyasin@angstrom.uu.se)

Please submit your application by 12 August 2026, UFV-PA 2026/1986

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