Predoctoral researcher at the Microenvironments for Medicine Research Group (Ref. PhD-MS)

The Microenvironments for Medicine Group at IBEC seeks a PhD student to develop in vitro models of the oesophageal epithelium and investigate the role of cell and matrix mechanics in cancer initiation. The position is funded by a project of the Fundación Científica Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer and is developed in collaboration with Dr Albert Herms (IDIBAPS). The work involves engineering viscoelastic hydrogels to support epithelial cell growth and characterising them with mechanobiology techniques including Brillouin microscopy and traction force microscopy: chemical synthesis of novel viscoelastic hydrogels, micro- and bulk-scale rheology, cell culture and molecular biology, advanced live microscopy and characterisation of cell mechanics.

Full-time four-year contract (one position), starting flexibly from 1 January 2027. Reference PhD-MS.

Essential: degree and Master’s in physics, biology or engineering; multidisciplinary qualifications (e.g. physics/maths, physics/engineering) and/or knowledge of hydrogels and cell biology (advanced microscopy a plus); high level of English; must not yet hold a doctoral degree. Advantageous: computational modelling of biological systems; experience with immune and mesenchymal stem cells. Applications only through the online form at IBEC’s careers site (careers.ibecbarcelona.eu); enquiries to jobs@ibecbarcelona.eu.