Advancing Cardiotoxicity Testing with Electrical Pacing and CMOS Biosensing

Imec; Belgique; Hybrid; EUR 12,000 - 18,000; Full time

Job summary

imec in Belgium is offering a Master internship focused on developing and optimizing electrical pacing protocols to enhance the physiological relevance of hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. Working with the CMOS micro-electrode array (CMOS-MEA) platform, you will probe how pacing parameters influence maturation markers like force-frequency response, automaticity, and cell morphology.

You will gain hands-on experience at the intersection of bioelectronics and stem cell biology, learn electrical

Qualifications

• Type of internship: Master internship
• Duration: 2 - 6 months
• Required educational background: Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, Biomedical engineering

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize electrical pacing protocols to enhance hiPSC-CM maturation.
• Improve maturation markers such as force-frequency response, automaticity, and anisotropic cell morphology.
• Investigate factors influencing signal quality and stability on CMOS-MEA platforms.

Skills

bioelectronics

electrical stimulation protocols

data analysis

Education

Nanoscience & Nanotechnology

Biomedical engineering

Tools

CMOS-MEA platform

Job description

/ Advancing Cardiotoxicity Testing with Electrical Pacing and CMOS Biosensing

Advancing Cardiotoxicity Testing with Electrical Pacing and CMOS Biosensing

Electrified heart, beating in sync for maturation and biosensing.

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derivedcardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) are transforming cardiac research by providingpatient-specific models for disease studies and drug safety testing. However,their full potential depends on achieving an adult-like, mature phenotype—achallenge that remains unresolved. Electrical pacing has emerged as a promisingstrategy to accelerate cardiomyocyte maturation, yet optimal protocols arestill under investigation.

This internship focuses on developing andoptimizing electrical pacing protocols to enhance the physiologicalrelevance of hiPSC-CMs. By improving key maturation markers—such asforce-frequency response, reduced automaticity, and anisotropic cellmorphology—you will contribute to creating more predictive models forcardiotoxicity assessment and cardiac disease research.

Why Join Us?

Modern life sciences increasingly integrate advancedelectronics for high-resolution monitoring and stimulation of living systems.At imec, our state-of-the-art CMOS micro-electrode array (CMOS-MEA)platform enables high-precision electrical interfacing with cell cultures atsingle cell resolution. As part of this project, you will also explore howenvironmental factors (e.g., light, temperature, electromagnetic interference)and system parameters (e.g., frequency, voltage, electrode configuration)influence signal quality and stability. Your work will help improve robustnessand reproducibility in real-world biological experiments.

What You’ll Gain

• Hands-on experience at the intersection of bioelectronicsand stem cell biology
• Skills in electrical stimulation protocols,biosensing technologies, and data analysis
• Contribution to cutting-edge research with directimpact on drug safety and cardiac health

Type of internship: Master internship

Duration: 2 - 6 months

Required educational background: Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, Biomedical engineering

University promotor: Liesbet Lagae (KU Leuven)

The reference code for this position is 2026-INT-106.

Only for self-supporting students.

Project Overview Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derivedcardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) are transforming cardiac research by providingpatient-specific models for disease studies and drug safety testing. However,their full potential depends on achieving an adult-like, mature phenotype—achallenge that remains unresolved. Electrical pacing has emerged as a promisingstrategy to accelerate cardiomyocyte maturation, yet optimal protocols arestill under investigation.

This internship focuses on developing andoptimizing electrical pacing protocols to enhance the physiologicalrelevance of hiPSC-CMs. By improving key maturation markers—such asforce-frequency response, reduced automaticity, and anisotropic cellmorphology—you will contribute to creating more predictive models forcardiotoxicity assessment and cardiac disease research.

Why Join Us?

Modern life sciences increasingly integrate advancedelectronics for high-resolution monitoring and stimulation of living systems.At imec, our state-of-the-art CMOS micro-electrode array (CMOS-MEA)platform enables high-precision electrical interfacing with cell cultures atsingle cell resolution. As part of this project, you will also explore howenvironmental factors (e.g., light, temperature, electromagnetic interference)and system parameters (e.g., frequency, voltage, electrode configuration)influence signal quality and stability. Your work will help improve robustnessand reproducibility in real-world biological experiments.

What You’ll Gain

• Hands-on experience at the intersection of bioelectronicsand stem cell biology
• Skills in electrical stimulation protocols,biosensing technologies, and data analysis
• Contribution to cutting-edge research with directimpact on drug safety and cardiac health

Type of internship: Master internship

Duration: 2 - 6 months

Required educational background: Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, Biomedical engineering

University promotor: Liesbet Lagae (KU Leuven)

Supervising scientist(s): For further information or for application, please contact Yoke Chin Chai ( [e-mail] ) and Lukas Fan ( [e-mail] )

The reference code for this position is 2026-INT-106.

Only for self-supporting students.

imec's cleanroom