PhD Scholarship in Photoacoustic Sensors and Actuators for the Brain – DTU Health Tech

If you are establishing your career as a scientist and you have the ambition to develop groundbreaking technologies for sensors and actuators for the brain and acoustic multifunctional endoscopy, this is the right research project for you.

The PhD research project aims to explore and develop probes for ex-vivo and in-vivo applications for tissue classification and identification and for brain activity recording and manipulation by exploiting optoacoustic technology. The technology will be based on optical probes for optoacoustic shock wave generation by pulsed laser excitation and plasmonics, integrated with piezoelectric transducers to record acoustic signals. You will join a laboratory with expertise in photonics, piezoelectric materials and device fabrication methods for sensors and actuators, working under the supervision of Prof. Massimo De Vittorio. You will be a part of the IDUN Center of Excellence, led by Prof. Anja Boisen at DTU Department of Health Technology. IDUN is a highly cross-disciplinary research center with over 40 members that focuses on the development of micro and nanotechnology-based sensors, detection systems, and drug-delivery devices.

IDUN is a highly cross-disciplinary research center with over 50 members, that focuses on development of micro and nanotechnology-based sensors, detection systems and drug delivery devices. 

Responsibilities and qualifications
Your overall focus will be on the design, fabrication and characterization of implantable optoacoustic probes such as micro and nanomachined optical fiber, integrated with plasmonic nanostructures and piezoelectric transducers based on either chitosan, aluminum nitride or PVDF. You will work with academic, clinical, and industrial partners in Denmark and abroad. 

Your primary tasks will be to:

• Develop and characterize optical fibers with acoustic generation properties for the generation of shock waves upon applying laser pulses.
• Tailor the optical, mechanical, piezoelectric and electrical properties of the optoacustic materials by advanced design and fabrication methods.
• Cooperate on the fabrication of piezoelectric transducers for sensing weak acoustic signals.
• Design the experiments to employ the integrated acoustic probe for preclinical applications.
• Teach and supervise BSc and MSc student projects.

The research activity will be carried out within the framework of the Center of Excellence – IDUN. In IDUN, our motto is ‘bringing science to life’ and we believe in openness, inclusiveness, having ambitions, making a difference and collaboration.

You will play a role mainly in the “Optomechanical Biointerfaces” research group coordinated by prof. Massimo De Vittorio of the IDUN section, and you will interact with several members of IDUN working in different disciplines, such as biology, microfabrication, pharmaceutical science and polymer science. The project is highly interdisciplinary and we expect that you enjoy teamwork.

You are expected to have a background in physics, materials science and/or microfabrication technologies. You are highly independent, self-motivated and enjoy collaboration in a multidisciplinary academic environment. You have the ability to drive the project forward, supervise students and achieve ambitious goals. You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree. 

Approval and Enrolment 
The scholarships for the PhD degree are subject to academic approval, and the candidates will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education . 

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. 

The period of employment is 3 years. The starting date is 1 May 2025 (or according to mutual agreement). The position is a full-time position. 

You can read more about career paths at DTU here http://www.dtu.dk/english/about/job-and-career/working-at-dtu/career-paths.

Further information 
Further information may be obtained from Professor Massimo De Vittorio, [email protected] . 

You can read more about DTU Health Tech at www.healthtech.dtu.dk.

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark . Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar ” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU.

Application procedure 
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 21 March 2025 (29:59 Danish time). Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae 
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale

You may apply prior to ob­tai­ning your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it. 

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.

DTU Health Tech
With a vision to improve health and quality of life through technology, DTU Health Tech engages in research, education, and innovation based on technical and natural science. We educate tomorrow’s health tech engineers and create the foundation for new and innovative services and technologies for the globally expanding healthcare sector with its demands for the most advanced technological solutions. DTU Health Tech’s expertise can be described through five overall research areas: Diagnostic Imaging, Digital Health, Personalised Therapy, Precision Diagnostics, and Sensory and Neural Technology. Our technologies and solutions are developed with the aim of benefiting people and creating value for society. The department has a scientific staff of about 210 persons, 140 PhD Students, and a technical/administrative support staff of about 100 persons of which a large majority contributes to our research infrastructure and related commercial activities.

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.