1 - Working at the VUB
For more than 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and solidarity, and this is very much alive on our campuses among students and staff alike.
At the VUB, you will find a diverse collection of personalities: innovators pur sang, but above all people who are 100% their authentic selves. With some 4,000 employees, we are the largest Dutch-speaking employer, in the private sector, in Brussels; an international city with which we are only too happy to connect and where (around) our 4 campuses are located.
Add to this our principle of free research - in which self-reflection, a critical attitude and an open, creative mind around scientific and social issues are central - and you have a university that is fundamentally groundbreaking and pioneering in education and research. In short: the VUB all over again.
Moreover, the VUB is a member of EUTOPIA, an alliance of like-minded European universities, all ready to reinvent themselves.
2 - Position description
The Faculty of Engineering, Department of Applied Physics and Photonics, Research Group Brussels Photonics is looking for a PhD-student.
According to the World Health Organization, cancer is responsible for around 10 million deaths each year worldwide. The burden of cancer is expected to continue to increase over the coming decades. Therefore, developing effective methods for the characterization of cancer cells is crucial in gaining a comprehensive understanding of cancers and developing targeted therapeutic approaches. Single-cell analysis allows for the identification and characterization of individual cancer cells, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the heterogeneity that exists within a tumor. Recently, optical trapping and Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) have gained attention as promising techniques for the study of cancers at single-cell level.
We have recently been awarded a grant from the Research Foundation of Flanders (Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, FWO) for our project 3D-FiberSERS, titled '3D-Printed Optical Tweezers and Curved SERS Substrates on Multi-Core Optical Fibers'. Unlike conventional trapping and SERS techniques that rely on bulky instrumentation, 3D-FiberSERS aims to develop an innovative lab-on-fiber sensor. This system will integrate waveguides, coupling optics, freeform-based optical trapping modules, and curved SERS substrates, all 3D-printed onto specialty multi-core double-clad fiber. Lab-on-fiber devices have the advantage of being compact and integrated, allowing for remote operation. They can also enable high-resolution measurements of samples in real-time, making them ideal for cancer cell analysis. Such a platform offers a promising avenue for biomedical applications, providing a versatile tool for noninvasive, high-sensitivity detection and manipulation of individual cancer cells.
We are looking for an excellent PhD candidate in photonics (48-month duration) to join our team under the supervision of Prof. Tigran Baghdasaryan, with Prof. Heidi Ottevaere and Dr. Qing Liu as co-supervisors.
The research work will include:
- Mastering the fabrication of 3D-printed optical components using the Nanoscribe QuantumX 3D-printing workstation on both planar substrates and optical fiber tips.
- Designing and developing 3D-printed optical components (waveguides, tapers, TIR reflectors, lenses) for laser light guiding and optical trapping, utilizing finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) and non-sequential ray tracing simulations.
- Demonstrating and conducting experiments on particle trapping using 3D-printed components integrated at the tip of optical fibers.
- Developing a novel specialty double-clad multi-core optical fiber probe.
- Designing and fabricating fiber coupling optics for standard multi-core, double-clad and newly developed specialty fiber, ensuring efficient in- and out-coupling of Raman excitation lasers, Raman spectra, and optical tweezing lasers.
- Fabricating sensing probe with tweezers, SERS substrate and supporting proof-of-concept experiments with lab-on-fiber probes for tumor cell studies.
For this function, our Brussels Photonics Campus (Gooik) will serve as your home base.
3 - Profile
What do we expect from you?
- You should possess a master’s degree in electrical engineering, physics, photonics, applied math or related scientific field. Interest in photonic systems, and light technology are necessary.
- Knowledge about 3D-printing, optical tweezers, optical fibers, Raman sensing, SERS, and bio-sensing is a strong plus.
- Good knowledge of numerical techniques and advanced simulation methods (ANSYS Lumerical FDTD and MODE, ANSYS Zemax) is a plus.
- Experience with experimental optical setup, fiber optics, and bio-sensing is a strong plus.
- Good programming skills are a strong plus. Experience with Matlab, Python or a similar language and environment is a plus. Depending on the skills of the candidate, training can be arranged in the first year of the PhD.
- You are expected to be able to carry out the research activities independently and in a critical manner, whilst having excellent communication skills and a positive attitude towards collaboration.
- Good time management skills are a must, along with the ability to meet tight deadlines and work efficiently under pressure.
- Proficiency in both spoken and written English (typically CEFR level C1 or equivalent) is required. You will have the opportunity to take evening English classes to improve your language skills if needed.
- You should be prepared to travel in Europe and potentially worldwide e.g. for participation in conferences or research stays at partner institutions.
- You have not performed any works in the execution of a mandate as an assistant, paid from operating resources, over a total (cumulated) period of more than 12 months.
The VUB wants to be a reflection of the society where everyone's talent is valued, regardless of gender, age, religion, skin color, migration background, disability and neurodiversity.
4 - Offer
Are you going to be our new colleague?
You’ll be offered a full-time PhD-scholarship, for 12 months (extendable up to max. 48 months, on condition of the positive evaluation of the PhD activities), with planned starting date 01/09/2025.
You’ll receive a grant linked to one of the scales set by the government.
IMPORTANT: The effective result of the doctorate scholarship is subject to the condition precedent of your enrolment as a doctorate student at the university.
At the VUB, you’re guaranteed an open, involved and diverse workplace where you are offered opportunities to (further) build on your career.
As well as this, you will also enjoy various other benefits:
- Extensive homeworking options, a telework allowance of 50 euros per month OR an internet fee of 20 euros per month;
- An open and informal working environment where attention is paid to work-life balance, and exceptional holiday arrangements with 35 days of leave (based on a fulltime contract), closure between Christmas and New Year and 3 extra leave days;
- Cost-free hospitalisation insurance;
- Full reimbursement of your home-to-work commute with public transport according to VUB-policy, and/or compensation if you come by bike;
- A wide selection of meals in our campus restaurants at attractive prices;
- Excellent and affordable facilities for sport and exercise, a range of discounts via Benefits@Work (in all kinds of shops, on flights, in petrol stations, amusement parks...) and Ecocheques;
- Nursery near campus, discount on holiday camps;
- The space to form your job content and to continuously learn through our VUB learning platforms and training courses;
- And finally: great colleagues with a healthy drive.
5 - Interested?
Is this the job you’ve been dreaming of?
Then apply, at the latest on 30/04/2025, via jobs.vub.be, and upload the following documents:
- your CV;
- your motivation letter;
- your diploma (not applicable for VUB alumni).
Do you have questions about the job content? Contact Tigran Baghdasaryan at [email protected] or on 0032 485 25 10 87.
Would you like to know what it’s like to work at the VUB? Go to jobs.vub.be, and find all there is to know about our campuses, benefits, strategic goals and your future colleagues.
Would you like more information about EUTOPIA? Go to eutopia-university.eu, and read more about the role of the VUB in the development of the EUTOPIA alliance.
