Postdoc in synthetic adhesives and bone scaffolds for bone fractures - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Job description

Prof. Michael Malkoch’s research group focuses on biomedical materials, such as bone fracture treatments and antibacterial materials. The candidate will work on a new project developing a new adhesive based treatment for bone fractures.

Complex bone fractures are traditionally stabilized by plates and screws. To establish minimal invasive methodologies for bone fixations, the use of benign adhesives are foreseen to play critical role in future orthopedic healthcare treatments. Today, synthetic and biomimetic adhesives are widely used as dental fillers and sealants of soft tissue. Fibrin, cyanoacrylate and dental adhesives belong to the most popular systems. While these are commercially available their use as adhesives to stabilize bone fractures is limited as they either lack appropriate modulus or display cytotoxicity. In order to address this issue, new composite materials based on inorganic nanoparticles and polymers have been investigated. In this project, a complete adhesive solution to complicated fractures will be developed, including an injectable bone scaffold mixture for filling bone voids in the fracture and a light-curable adhesive patch for providing fixation and strength on top of the fracture.

This position, funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 initiative, will be part of the KTH team which is leading a pan-European consortium in the project BoneFix: A paradigm shift in fracture fixation via on-site fabrication of bone restoration patches. The candidate will focus on realizing bone restoration scaffolds and adhesive fixation patches from innovative synthetic building blocks that are able to efficiently crosslink into networks under surgical environment conditions via light initiation. Furthermore, the patches will be designed to cover a wide range of mechanical loadings and be programmed to in vivo degrade within desired timeframes. The candidate will work closely with researchers in the KTH team as well as collaborators from the other consortium partners who specialize in the evaluation of bone scaffold materials.

What we offer

• International workplace.
• A leading technical university that creates knowledge and expertise for a sustainable future.
• Here you get colleagues with high ambitions in an open, curious and dynamic environment.
• Help to relocate and be settled in Sweden and at KTH

Qualifications

Requirements

• A doctoral degree in polymer chemistry, polymer science, material engineering or corresponding competences (or an equivalent foreign degree), obtained within the last three years prior to the application deadline.
• Experience in NMR, SEC, MALDI-TOF, FT-RAMAN, SEM, and mechanical testing.
• Experience in laboratory work.
• The candidate should be structured and creative, be able to work independently and meet agreed deadlines, critically analyze information and have previous high impact reports in this field. You should have good communication and cooperation skills.

Great emphasis will be placed on personal competence and suitability.

Preferred qualifications

Documented experience of crosslinked adhesives from biopolymers constructed via RDRP, ROP, ROMP, dendrimer chemistry, click chemistry and light initiated crosslink chemistry will be regarded as advantageous when evaluating the candidate. Other advantageous experience includes previous work with bone scaffolds and pre-clinical assessment of bone restoration and/or fixation materials, as well as documented success with grant applications. Education within biomaterials and nanomedicine are also of merit, and:

• Research expertise
• Educational ability
• Awareness of diversity and equal treatment issues with a particular focus on gender equality
• Teamwork
• Independence

Trade union representatives

You will find contact information to trade union representatives at KTH's webbpage.

Application

Log into KTH's recruitment system in order to apply to this position. You are the main responsible to ensure that your application is complete according to the ad.

Your complete application must be received at KTH no later than the last day of application, midnight CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

The application must include the following documents:

1. Curriculum vitae (including list of publications, education and relevant academic/work experience)
2. Cover letter (maximum 1 page)
3. Official record of transcripts and copy of degree certificate
4. Contact information for two references

Temporary employment for up to two years, or by agreement.

About the employment

The position offered is for, at the most, two years.

A position as a postdoctoral fellow is a time-limited qualified appointment focusing mainly on research, intended as a first career step after a dissertation.

Others

Gender equality, diversity and zero tolerance against discrimination and harassment are important aspects of KTH's work with quality as well as core values in our organization.

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Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.