Pre-Doctoral Research Position (PhD): Flow Dynamics Research to Optimize Extracorporeal Circuits.

BCNatal | Fetal Medicine Research Center is carrying out an ambitious project in the field of fetal surgery and therapy for the development of an artificial placenta, which involves animal experimentation. We are looking for an enthusiastic individual to join the team as a pre-doctoral student (PhD) in a multidisciplinary applied research project. This research position is in collaboration with the Department of Fluid Mechanics of the UPC Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.

The position is primarily funded through STEP FI postdoctoral research grants, and the selection of the candidate is contingent upon the resolution of the STEP FI funding. However, candidates interested in other postdoctoral funding opportunities are also encouraged to apply and may submit a motivation letter indicating their interest in exploring alternative funding sources.

Context
BCNatal | Fetal Medicine Research Center, led by Prof. Eduard Gratacós, is a multidisciplinary research center focused on perinatal and fetal medicine, recognized as one of the leading teams in the world in this field. It is accredited by the Spanish government as a center of research excellence, working to find solutions for diseases of perinatal origin.

BCNatal-FMRC is the research division of the clinical area of BCNatal, which consists of the maternal-fetal and neonatal medicine departments of two university hospitals: Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic de Barcelona. BCNatal provides a privileged environment for the development of applied clinical research with direct translation into medical practice.

Job Description
We are seeking a highly motivated pre-doctoral researcher to join our team in the study of flow dynamics in extracorporeal circuit systems for extreme premature babies within a Liquid Incubator system. This project aims to optimize extracorporeal circulation by combining experimental measurements in a devoted circuit and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical simulations combined with AI-driven analytics. The expected research outcomes are a real-time monitoring system, a physics-based numerical model and the AI tools suitable to develop a reliable digital twin.

Key Responsibilities
- Validate and calibrate existing sensors (flow, pressure, temperature) and test and integrate new sensor types.
- Create a monitoring system capable of registering continuous data streams of the circuit.
- Conduct flow dynamics studies of the circuit with CFD to obtain a physics-based model providing a good agreement with the experimental measurements.
- Perform a series of experiments and CFD simulations to understand patient adaptation to different conditions through time.
- Develop suitable signal processing and AI analytic tools to detect anomalies, predict behaviours and support decisions.
- Integrate all the previous results to develop a digital twin to optimize extracorporeal circuit design and clinical protocols.

A Bachelor's degree and Master's degree are required, preferably in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related fields, with a specialization in Fluid Dynamics or a related area.
Independent and proactive working style.
Experience with sensor setup, calibration and real-time digital signal recording.
Strong skills in practical lab testing and data analysis.
Hands-on experience in experimental setups and system assembly.
Knowledge and experience on the use of CFD software (ANSYS, OpenFoam, etc.).
Experience in programming and performing advanced AI statistical modelling with Matlab, Phyton, R, etc.
Preferred, but not required, understanding of hemodynamics or non-Newtonian fluids.

This position offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of biomedical engineering, computational modelling, and experimental research, contributing to life-saving neonatal technologies. The candidate will need to comply with pre-requisites to apply for the doctoral thesis in the fields covered by the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP).

Important:
Candidates must meet the following requirements to apply for the STEP technologies (FI-STEP) grant:

a) Have the nationality of a member state of the European Union.

b) Have completed a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent qualification and provide proof of a minimum average grade in their academic record equal to or higher than 6.50 (on a scale from 0 to 10). This grade must be calculated according to the criteria specified in Royal Decree 1125/2003, of September 5, which establishes the European credit system and the grading system for official university degrees valid throughout the national territory.
If the studies were completed abroad, the average grade must be calculated in accordance with the current resolutions of the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities regarding grade equivalencies.
(Equivalency information).

For the processing, the academic records of the bachelor's and master's degrees (with the year of completion) and the average grade will be mandatory.

c) Have completed studies leading to a PhD in accordance with Article 21 of Law 14/2011, of June 1, on Science, Technology, and Innovation, between January 1, 2022, and the starting date of the contract covered by this grant.

What we offer

• Permanent contract of 37.5 hours per week.
• Work modality: On-site with the option for remote work one day per week.