Empa is the research institute for materials science and technology of the ETH Domain and conducts cutting-edge research for the benefit of industry and the well-being of society.
Empa’s group Multi-omics for healthcare materials is building up on its strong computational biology expertise to inform design of new materials for biomedicine. The group relies on the analysis of large-scale biomedical datasets, employment of advanced data analytics and modelling of material properties. It is based in St. Gallen and embedded in the Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, which develops healthcare solutions of the future, grounded in the in-depth understanding of materials-biology interactions.
We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic
to join our dynamic and interdisciplinary team and work on the elucidation of signalling networks in tumor microenvironment. The student will contribute to a cutting-edge research work with a high translational value. The PhD project involves analysis of cellular signalling data, building of a machine learning model for the selection of desired materials properties and development of new algorithms for the integration of different data sources. The planned work has a strong potential to contribute to the development of new modalities for nanomedicine. The student will play an active role in the collaborative work with Empa’s material scientists, as well as with external academic and clinical partners. He or she will be additionally affiliated with the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics and will benefit from their rich training programs and a broad student network.
We are looking for an excellent candidate with a University degree in Natural sciences, computational biology or engineering. The student should have strong academic record with high University grades, practical experience of work on research projects and a good command of the English language. In addition, the candidate should have strong programming skills, experience in data analysis and good knowledge of statistics and molecular biology. Knowledge of basic immunology and cancer biology is beneficial, but not required.
We offer a highly interdisciplinary and supportive environment with strong research and innovation projects. The PhD position (100%) is for the duration of three years, and is available from September 2021, or after negotiation.