Offer Description
Job position
Doctoral Candidate (PhD student position in biociences) / DC7 - SHIELD Doctoral Network
This PhD position is part of the European Doctoral Network “SHIELD” (Strategies for Healing Implant-associated infections and Enhancing Longevity in Devices). SHIELD offers an exciting opportunity for 16 early-career researchers to contribute to transforming the management of infections associated to medical implants. Focused on addressing the challenges posed by implant-associated infections (IAIs), SHIELD aims to deepen our understanding of IAI
mechanisms and develop innovative antibacterial biomaterials to improve patient outcomes. Structured around three core scientific pillars-regenerative medicine, biomaterial science, and translational research models-SHIELD supports research on therapeutic strategies, novel antimicrobial materials, and experimental models that bridge laboratory discoveries to clinical applications. The program emphasises interdisciplinary collaboration across orthopaedics, otology, and odontology, integrating basic research with preclinical and clinical studies.
SHIELD offers the opportunity to 16 talented doctoral candidates (DCs) to pursue a PhD within the Network at different universities and industrial companies from 26 institutions across 11 countries (France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States)
Background information on all DC positions and the SHIELD Doctoral Network is available on:
- early-career-researchers-be-part-new-msca
SHIELD (Strategies for Healing Implant-associated infections and Enhancing Longevity in Devices) is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101226717.
DC7: Preventing bacterial infections in hearing implants using biocompatible materials with surface modifications: a cell culture study.
Pre-doctoral researcher position at the Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona to work on the SHIELD (Strategies for Healing Implant-associated infections and Enhancing Longevity in Devices) project.
Join the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network SHIELD and contribute to cutting-edge research aimed at combating implant-associated infections.
Objectives: This PhD project aims to design and develop advanced nanoarchitectured surface coatings for bioelectronic cutaneous interfaces
(BCHIs), minimizing skin irritation and infection risks. The candidate will engineer multifunctional materials using techniques such as electrodeposition and dip coating and validate their performance through biological assays using innovative 3D skin models and co-cultures with bacteria. The work will be carried out in close collaboration with international partners within the SHIELD consortium.
Research activities include:
- Design and fabricate nanoengineered surface coatings using techniques like electrodeposition and dip coating.
- Develop and characterize porous TiO₂ and metal oxide thin films.
- Establish and optimize 3D in vitro skin models for biological testing.
- Assess cytotoxicity, hemocompatibility, inflammation, and cell behavior.
- Evaluate antibacterial performance through co-cultures of skin cells and bacteria.
- Collaborate with international partners for cross-validation and advanced assays.
Training and mobility:
- Research secondments at SHIELD
- Goeteborgs Universitet (UGOT/Oticon), 2 months, studies on host cell-bacteria-biomaterial interactions + 1 week industry visit.
- The Chancellor Masters and Scholars of The University of Cambridge (UCAM), 1 month, learning different culture models.
- Universitá degli Studi di Torino (UNITO), 1 month, assessment of material hemocompatibility
- Participation in specialised training workshops and international conferences.
Job position requirements
- Applicants must hold a Master's degree or equivalent in biociences (Biology, Biotechnology, Biosciences or similar providing access to
PhD programs and should have experience with experimental research.
- Applicants must have excellent proficiency in written and spoken English.
- Strong motivation and ability to collaborate in an interdisciplinary and international team
- Experience rule: researchers must be doctoral candidates at the date of recruitment, also, not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the deadline of the open calls. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but have not yet formally awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible. Recruited researchers must be enrolled in a doctoral programme leading to the award of a doctoral degree at UAB at
the time of signing the contract.
Benefits
3 years contract with a gross salary of €2.900, as well as a monthly mobility allowance of €710. If the doctoral candidate is married or has dependent children (with documented proof), the fellow will receive an additional family allowance of €660 per month.
Elegibility criteria
-Academic Record - 20
-Experience - 20
-Languages - 20
-Interview - 40
Selection process
Curricular phase, followed by, in application of the agreement of February 1, 2019, tests and/or interviews to be carried out.
An online or face-to-face interview will be held with the pre-selected candidates.
Please, also send an Email with your CV and motivation letter to: with the subject “REMINDS predoctoral position".
To validate this request, you must validate the form that is accessed at the URL:
Any application that is not submitted in this way will not be included in the selection process.
Where to apply Website
Requirements
Research Field Biological sciences Education Level Master Degree or equivalent
Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent
Research Field Biological sciences
Additional Information
Additional comments
Reference: 2025DILIFRUA120
Programmes: European Commission (EC), MSCA Doctoral Network - HEU-101226717-SHIELD.
You will find the bases of the call in the following link:
To validate this request, you must validate the form that is accessed at the URL:
Any application that is not submitted in this way will not be included in the selection process. Website for additional job details
Work Location(s)
Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute UAB Country Spain State/Province Barcelona City Cerdanyola del Vallès - Campus Bellaterra Postal Code 08193 Geofield
Contact City
Cerdanyola del Valles - Barcelona Website
Street
Campus Bellaterra - Edifici Rectorat Postal Code
08193 E-Mail
upac.intec@uab.cat
STATUS: EXPIRED
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