Job description
The University of Twente is setting up a unique facility for groundbreaking Organ-on-Chip research and development. Organs-on-chips are tissue cultures that are used to study human disease and aging. We aim to make these miniature organs as representative as possible, so that they can replace animal testing and advance personalized medicine.
One of the challenges in the facility is to imaging living cells inside complex culture chambers. Such chambers often include thick layers of various materials, curved surfaces, micro capillaries, and even rough structures that scatter light. In order to cope with these challenges, we are implementing a unique wavefront shaping microscope system, which you will help design and implement.
Wavefront shaping is a technology for focusing light through even the most complex structures and materials, enabling microscopy deep inside the organ on chip systems. This technique was invented at the University of Twente, and this project is part of our continued pioneering work to push the limits of what is possible. You will be working on a combination of experimental optics, integrated with a high-end microscopy system, as well as highly advanced modelling, wavefront shaping, and machine learning algorithms.
Your profile
- A PhD in experimental optics (ideally, wavefront shaping, adaptive optics, OCT, computational optics, structured illumination microscopy, or related field).
- Proven proficiency in Python or other programming language, ideally in collaborative open source projects.
- You are able to write reliable software to integrate directly in the facility workflow.
- You have excellent communication skills and you are enthusiastic about helping researchers from diverse scientific backgrounds solve their imaging problems.
Our offer
- A full-time position for 2 years at 1 FTE, with some flexibility (e.g. 0.8 FTE for 2.5 years).
- Your salary and associated conditions are in accordance with the collective labour agreement for Dutch universities (CAO-NU).
- You will receive a gross monthly salary ranging from € 4.060,- to € 5331,-.
- There are excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, and a solid pension scheme.
- A minimum of 232 leave hours in case of full-time employment based on a formal workweek of 38 hours. A full-time employment in practice means 40 hours a week, therefore resulting in 96 extra leave hours on an annual basis.
- Free access to sports facilities on campus.
- A family-friendly institution that offers parental leave (both paid and unpaid).
- Excellent career support and courses for your professional and personal development.
Information and application
Are you interested in this position? Please send your application via the 'Apply now' button below before 15 June 2025 and include:
- a specific motivation letter
- a CV including at least three references
- a list of publications
- one or more links to software you wrote or contributed to
About the department
The University of Twente (UT) is located on a green campus in the student town of Enschede, with excellent railway connections to the rest of the Netherlands and to Germany. The Applied Physics program is a top-rated educational program for over 10 years consecutively, and the UT is a world-leading pioneer in both research on Organs-on-Chips and wavefront shaping. On campus, you have access to a wide range of sports facilities, including a free gym and swimming pools, as well as cultural activities, courses and associations.
About the organisation
The Faculty of Science & Technology (Technische Natuurwetenschappen, TNW) engages some 700 staff members and 2000 students in education and research on the cutting edge of chemical technology, applied physics and biomedical technology. Our fields of application include sustainable energy, process technology and materials science, nanotechnology and technical medicine. As part of a people-first tech university that aims to shape society, individuals and connections, our faculty works together intensively with industrial partners and researchers in the Netherlands and abroad, and conducts extensive research for external commissioning parties and funders. Our research has a high profile both in the Netherlands and internationally and is strengthened by the many young researchers working on innovative projects with as doctoral candidates and post-docs. It has been accommodated in three multidisciplinary UT research institutes: Mesa+ Institute, TechMed Centre and Digital Society Institute.
