Research Engineer – Implantable Biosensor

.ResearchEngineer–Implantable biosensorJob Reference:Ref.03.24.12Employer: International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL)Location: Braga, PortugalGroup/Unit: Medical DevicesNumber of Vacancies:1Employment Type: Full timeContract Duration:24 monthsOpen Date for Applications: March 7th, 2024Closing Date for Applications: March 31st, 2024, 23h00m (Lisbon Time)Key words: #electrochemistry #electroanalysis#analyticalchemistry#chemicalsensors #implantsOverviewThe Medical Devices Research Group is dedicated to the development of innovative devices for cutting-edge applications in life sciences. We are seeking a highly-motivated and independent Research Engineer to join our team tackling the development of novel implantable biosensor for the monitoring of spinal cord injury, under the projectWINGS Wireless Neural Guidance Device for Spinal Cord Injury Repair, funded by La Caixa Foundation programme CaixaResearch Health 2023 with reference number HR23-00484.Spinal-cord Injury (SCI) is a devastating condition with life-long impact on patients, who often are young. Currently there is no clinical cure for SCI, and various long-term therapies may only provide some level of recovery. We have a hypothesis, that efficient treatment would require a combinations of electrical and pharmacological stimulation with precise control, but in order to test this hypothesis, we need a special implantable medical device prototype equipped also with tissue sensing capabilities. It does not exist yet and it is one of the goals of this project to develop it. More specifically this position focuses on the development of the tissues sensing functionality of the device.Job DutiesThe job duties will be the following:Design and fabricate of electrochemical microsensors considering requirements for biocompatibility and integration with fabrication techniques; Develop test systems and setups to evaluate and characterise the sensors; Develop test protocols and benchmark the sensor performance, such as sensitivity, selectivity, response time; Participate in research planning and experimental design activities; Contribute to the group's sustainability and core activities; Contribute to the dissemination of scientific results in high quality journals and by participating in national and international conferences; Contribute to preparing required reports and documentation.MandatoryQualificationsEducationPhD in Analytical Chemistry/Chemical Engineering/Physics/Biomedical Engineering, other Physical Sciences, or related areas.Experience"Hands-on" experience developing electrochemical sensors; Continuous monitoring of small molecule analytes; Data analysis.Technical SkillsQuantitative chemical analysis; Electrochemical sensors and electrodes; Designing electrochemical sensors; Electrochemical techniques (e.G