Research Assistant Extended Reality for Space Emergency Medicine

CAS in Medication Safety University of Bern; Bern; On-site; CHF 36,000 - 48,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

International reputation

Strong research infrastructure

Individual career support

Collaborative environment

Job summary

University of Bern seeks a motivated Research Assistant (50%) to join the HALO-Space project within the ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research. The role combines biomedical engineering, extended reality, emergency medicine, and space exploration, with tasks from requirements analysis to simulation-based evaluation.

You will work with a multidisciplinary team at a university hospital and contribute to XR guidance, clinical data visualization, and usability studies during a 24‑month

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a Master's programme, preferably in biomedical engineering, medical informatics, human-computer interaction, or related field.
• Strong interest in interdisciplinary research at the interface of engineering, medicine, and space exploration.
• Programming and data-analysis skills; experience with XR development is an advantage.
• Experience with experimental studies, usability testing, human factors, medical simulation, or related topics is an advantage.
• You work independently, take responsibility for your tasks, and are highly motivated to contribute to this interdisciplinary research project.

Responsibilities

• Reviewing research and existing technologies in space emergency medicine, XR-supported care, and human‑XR interaction.
• Defining clinical, technical, and human-factor requirements for the HALO-Space system.
• Contributing to adaptation and development of HALO-Assist XR platform.
• Supporting design and implementation of XR guidance and clinical data visualisation.
• Preparing and conducting simulation-based expert evaluations and feasibility studies.
• Analysing usability and human-factor data, including cognitive workload and situational awareness.
• Collaborating with an interdisciplinary team from emergency medicine, biomedical engineering, and space science.

Skills

XR development

Data analysis

Python

C#

Unity

Education

Master's student in biomedical engineering or related field

Master's program enrollment

Tools

Unity

Python

C#

Job description

Research Assistant Extended Reality for Space Emergency Medicine 50%, fixed-term, 3008 Bern UniBE is ambitious. With us, you deliver top performance and test your skills against the best.

Start Date

Date 01.02.2027 or by arrangement

Employment Relationship

50%, fixed-term

Institution / Workplace

ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research 3008 Bern

About Us

The ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, the Center for Space and Habitability at the University of Bern, and the Department of Emergency Medicine at Inselspital are looking for a motivated Research Assistant (50%) to join the interdisciplinary research project HALO-Space for a period of 24 months. The position is particularly suitable for a student enrolled in a relevant Master's programme who is interested in combining their studies with hands‑on research at the intersection of biomedical engineering, extended reality, emergency medicine, human factors, and space exploration.

Project Background

HALO-Space investigates how extended reality (XR) and complementary medical technologies can support emergency care during future exploration missions to the Moon and other remote environments. In such settings, communication with Earth may be delayed or interrupted, evacuation may be impossible, and crew members with limited medical expertise may need to manage time‑critical emergencies independently. The project therefore focuses on developing safe and usable human‑XR workflows for emergency medical support under such constraints. You will be a central member of the project team and support the core project activities from requirements analysis and system development to simulation‑based evaluation and scientific dissemination.

Supervisors And Institutions

• Prof Dr. Manuela Eugster 1
• Prof. Dr. Thomas Sauter 2
• Dr. Valentin Bickel 3
• 1 ARTORG Center for Biomedical Research, University of Bern
• 2 Universitätsklink für Notfallmedizin, Bern University Hospital
• 3 Center for Space and Habitability (CSH), University of Bern

Your tasks

• Reviewing research and existing technologies in space emergency medicine, XR-supported care, and human-XR interaction.
• Defining clinical, technical, and human-factor requirements for the HALO-Space system.
• Contributing to the adaptation and further development of the existing HALO-Assist XR platform.
• Supporting the design and implementation of XR guidance and clinical data visualisation.
• Preparing and conducting simulation-based expert evaluations and feasibility studies.
• Analysing usability and human-factor data, including cognitive workload, situational awareness, and interaction issues.
• Collaborating closely with an interdisciplinary team from emergency medicine, biomedical engineering, and space science.

Requirements

• Currently enrolled in a Master's programme, preferably in one of the following or a closely related discipline: biomedical engineering, medical informatics, human-computer interaction, or a related field.
• Strong interest in interdisciplinary research at the interface of engineering, medicine, and space exploration.
• Programming and data-analysis skills, experience with XR development, Unity, Python, C#, or similar tools is an advantage.
• Experience with experimental studies, usability testing, human factors, medical simulation, or related topics is an advantage.
• You work independently, take responsibility for your tasks, and are highly motivated to contribute to this interdisciplinary research project.

Your Benefits

• International reputation
• Strong research infrastructure and international network
• Individual career support
• Collaborative environment and ambitious team

Working at the University of Bern

The University of Bern not only offers exciting tasks but also an environment that actively promotes development, diversity, and equal opportunities. Discover what makes us stand out as an employer and how you can grow with us.