PhD position (65%, 2 years) at the interface of computational and experimental muscle physiology/biomechanics

As part of a project “Development and validation of a failure model of the healthy porcine intestine” funded by the German Research Foundation, a doctoral position is to be filled at the Institute for Sport and Movement Science (University of Stuttgart) in the Department of Movement and Exercise Science. The position (TVL E13 65%) is limited to 2 years. A project extension as part of a continuation application is envisaged.
Gastrointestinal perforations (GIP) lead to high mortality, especially when diagnosed and treated late. Since neither experimental studies nor numerical models are available to describe GIP, the underlying mechanics are largely unknown. This research project, therefore, aims to understand the basic mechanical processes that occur during GIP for the first time through layer-specific experiments on intestinal wall tissue and to describe and predict them using a numerical three-dimensional model. In this sub-project, experimental data for the characterization of the tearing behavior of multi-layered biological tissue are to be collected. The data are an important prerequisite for developing organ models to describe gastrointestinal perforations of diseased or damaged tissue under physiological stress situations.

Required Qualifications:

• applicants should be highly motivated and should have an excellent MSc in movement science, kinesiology, biology/physiology, neurophysiology, physics/biophysics or a related field
• high interest in neuromuscular mechanisms and biomechanics
• communication-, team- and good English language skills

The environment in Stuttgart enables particularly close cooperation with an interdisciplinary team of sports scientists, biologists, physicists and engineers. Women are specifically invited to apply. The University of Stuttgart further aims to hire more people with disability and also encourages them to apply for research positions.
Please submit your detailed application in PDF format by email to Sybille Kegreiß.

Prof. Dr. Tobias Siebert
University of Stuttgart
Motion and Exercise Science
Allmandring 28
70569 Stuttgart
Germany

PhD in Sport, Health and Well-being

The Biomechanics group at the University of Bologna employs four open fully-funded PhD positions in biomechanics.   All the positions are within the PhD program in Health and Technology, a highly interdisciplinary program which includes supervisors from the different domains.  The call includes 14 positions including four projects in the field of Biomechanics:

•   #2 Towards digital diagnosis: models for the evaluation of the intervertebral disc (supervisor: prof. Luca Cristofolini)
•   #3. Prevention of vertebral fractures: digital diagnosis and computational modelling of vertebrae affected by metastasis (supervisor: prof. Luca Cristofolini)
•   #4 Digital twins to prevent the risk of joint replacement failure in patients affected by neurodegenerative disorders (supervisor: prof. Marco Viceconti)
•   #5 Digital twins informed by wearable sensors to predict joint loads in the real world (supervisor: prof. Marco Viceconti)

Research topics

The PhD Programme’s distinctive topic is the relationship between sport, health and well-being in its unitary complexity. Such relationship defines a research field with both a strongly cohesive content and an intrinsic openness to multi-and inter-disciplinary approaches. This general theme is articulated in the following three areas:

• Physical activity, nutrition and drugs for well-being promotion and health protection: determinants and benefits of a healthy lifestyle; exercise for special populations; research and development of drugs for health protection; biomarkers’ analysis for monitoring the well-being status; metabolism and nutrition.
• Sport performance: multi- and inter-disciplinary investigation of the factors determining human performance in sport and other activities that push humans to the limits of their physical and mental capacity; analysis, development and learning of sports techniques; monitoring and optimization of the training process; preparation for sports competitions.
• Sport as a means to education and sustainable development: analysis of the values conveyed by sport to promote social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and global citizenship; teaching and learning of culture in childhood, in relation to movement and the human body; good practices for starting and practicing grassroot sports; education to the factors of individual and social well-being in the current reality; role of the context in promoting human development.

The various research topics will be developed by stressing those “soft-skills” components that allow to locate rigorous disciplinary investigations exactly into the horizon where, today, extremely useful answers for the promotion of sport, health, and well-being can emerge.

Job opportunities and potential areas of employmentJob opportunities are primarily related to both the University’s research and/or public and private institutions (national and international) related to exercise and sport sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, nutrition sciences, education and pedagogical sciences. Other potential areas of employment may be consultancy, planning and partnerships, related to research activities mentioned above, in the fields of: pharmaceutical and nutritional sciences; sport practice for prevention, reeducation, and training; planning and management of sport and physical activity; high-level competitive sport (coach, athletic trainer, sport scientist, scout, and analyst); formal and informal education (teaching and learning, Continuing Professional Development training).

Please find more details here:

PhD details – Sport, Health and Well-being — University of Bologna (unibo.it)

Call for Applications:

https://www.unibo.it/en/teaching/phd/2023-2024/attachments/39-pnrr-call-for-applications/@@download/file/39th%20cycle_callforapplications_ENG.pdf

PhD Programme Table:

https://www.unibo.it/en/teaching/phd/2023-2024/attachments/39-pnrr-phd-programme-table-sport-health-and-well-being/@@download/file/39_PNRR_PhD%20Programme%20Table_SportHealthWellbeing.pdf

Application deadline:

Jun 20, 2023 at 11:59 PM

Doctoral programme start date: 

Nov 01, 2023

Contacts:

CARMELA FIMOGNARI

Dipartimento di Scienze per la Qualità della Vita – QUVI