1. The ideal candidate is a highly motivated, enthusiastic and communicative researcher with a Masters degree in Mechanical, Electromechanical, or Biomedical Engineering, or a closely related field. Candidates have experience with numerical modelling and are familiar with biomechanics or are eager to educate themselves on these topics. They have obtained their degree with excellent grades, are result-driven and are able to work independently on this PhD project, as well as to collaborate with fellow researchers in the research team, the CUSTOM doctoral network, and beyond.
2. Candidates should have experience with Finite Element Analysis, and experimental work. Specific experience with biomechanics is a plus.
3. Applicants should have excellent oral and written English communication skills.
4. The successful candidate is expected to contribute to education at the Bachelor or Master level (master thesis supervision, teaching of exercise or practical sessions, …)
5. The MSCA doctoral network requires that applicants for this position cannot have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Belgium for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date. Moreover, applicants cannot have previously obtained a PhD.
The CUSTOM project is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network that unites three core disciplines (design, manufacturing, and testing) towards the development of a next generation of patient-specific shoulder implants. The number of shoulder replacements is projected to increase by 300-400% between 2020 and 2040. With the current technology, 10% of those artificial shoulder implants will fail within the first 10 years of service, mainly due to soft tissue failure, infection, and implant loosening. CUSTOM focuses on combining (1) computational tools that allow patient-specific design, (2) additive manufacturing to realize the custom, complex designs and structures and their further postprocessing to incorporate multi-functionality, and (3) blended in-silico and experimental testing to reduce the burden on experimental testing for certification. In doing so, CUSTOM can address the major failure mechanisms of current shoulder implants and improve their overall functionality and longevity.
This PhD project falls within the first core discipline, namely computational tools for patient-specific design of additively manufactured (porous) shoulder implants. Personalized implants primarily account for the patient’s individual anatomical geometry. However, local bone quality is also patient-specific and can vary substantially between individuals. This project aims to investigate the influence of implantation parameters on bone-implant mechanics, incorporating the local bone stiffness of the shoulder.
This project includes (1) Determining the local bone stiffness of humerus and glenoid using Photon Counting Computed Tomography, (2) Creating a high-resolution computational model (FE) of humerus and glenoid side, incorporating the local bone stiffness and a personalized shoulder implant, (3) Comparing the results of the high-resolution FE-model with those of a continuum FE model, (4) Investigating the influence of various implantation parameters on the mechanical behaviour of the implant within patient-specific bone, (5) Validation of the results using the additively manufactured implant. This PhD project seeks to deliver a predictive model that can simulate different scenarios in pre-surgical planning.
The PhD project includes two three-month research stays (with travel and accommodation costs covered) at world class institutions. In a first secondment, the results with the personalized shoulder implant will be validated in the ‘activities of daily living’ simulator at The University of Birmingham (UK). The project results will be further validated with in-situ micro-CT and DIC at TU Delft (NL).
The successful applicant will become part of the Smart Instrumentation team of the division of Biomechanical Engineering in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, under supervision of Prof. Kathleen Denis (supervisor) and Prof. Harry van Lenthe (head of Biomechanical Engineering, co-supervisor). The Smart Instrumentation research team is a growing, multi-disciplinary group dedicated to the development of new surgical instruments and assistive technologies for medical applications, integrating novel sensing and modelling techniques to improve the execution of complex safety-critical tasks in highly unstructured and variable environments such as e.g. the human body. The team offers a positive and dynamic work environment embedded in a multi-disciplinary network with other research groups in the Department, the broader university and UZ Leuven, the University Hospital, which is also the largest hospital in the country. This Ph.D. position is offered through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network 'CUSTOM'. Vacancies for other Ph.D. topics within this network can be found on the project's website.We offer:
6. A doctoral scholarship (fully funded, starting with 1 year and after successful evaluation extended to maximal 4 years) and a PhD degree in Engineering Technology from KU Leuven upon successful completion.
7. Being enrolled in the Arenberg Doctoral School, you receive a highly specialized doctoral training in an international environment at a top European university, as well as through the CUSTOM MSCA doctoral network.
8. Extensive training and networking activities via the CUSTOM MSCA Doctoral Network project, which involves a total of 17 doctoral candidates.
9. A living allowance, mobility allowance and, if applicable, family, long-term leave and special needs allowances. As such, the gross amount of the doctoral scholarship (tax-free) will be approximately 3.055,61 EUR per month if you are single with no dependent family members. It will be higher if you have a registered partner without income and/or dependent child(ren); it will be lower if you have a registered partner with income.
10. The opportunity to participate in research collaborations and international conferences.
11. A stepping stone towards future career opportunities in the European R&D sectors.
12. A stay in a vibrant environment in the heart of Europe. The university is located in Leuven, a town of approximately 100000 inhabitants, located close to Brussels (25 km), and 20 minutes by train from Brussels International Airport. This strategic positioning and the strong presence of the university, international research centers, and industry, lead to a safe town with high quality of life, welcome to non-Dutch speaking people and with ample opportunities for social and sport activities. The mixture of cultures and research fields are some of the ingredients making the university of Leuven the most innovative university in Europe.