Predoctoral researcher at the Biosensors for Bioengineering Research Group/ (HEPAGING)

Institute for bioengineering of Catalonia, IBEC; España; Presencial; EUR 15.000 - 19.000; Jornada completa

Ventajas ofrecidas por este puesto de trabajo

Babysitting service for interviews

Induction programme

Visa/work permit assistance

Descripción de la vacante

Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) in Barcelona seeks a predoctoral researcher to develop a biotechnological project focused on aging and liver senescence. The PhD will be conducted under the HEPAGING project, within a national framework funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.

The role requires a BSc/MSc in relevant fields, readiness to join a doctoral program by Dec 2026, and excellent English.

Formación

• Requires BSc and MSc in biology, biotechnology, biomedical engineering, biomedicine or similar areas.
• Candidate must be ready to enter an official doctoral programme in December 2026 (Spanish law).
• Must hold an official university qualification from an Erasmus+ country with 300 ECTS, including 60 at master level.
• Excellent academic record and good working knowledge of English.
• No doctoral degree has been awarded yet, and no PhD contract longer than 12 months by Dec 2026.

Responsabilidades

• Develop 3D in vitro liver tissue models to study cellular senescence and ageing.
• Apply tissue engineering and biomaterials to create physiologically relevant liver models.
• Culture and differentiate human liver cells or liver-derived models.
• Develop and optimise 3D cell culture and encapsulation strategies.
• Characterise liver function and senescence using molecular, biochemical and imaging methods.
• Investigate inter-organ communication and liver-mediated systemic ageing processes.
• Integrate biosensors and analytics for real-time monitoring of tissue function and biomarkers.
• Analyze data with quantitative and statistical methods.
• Disseminate results via publications, conferences and reports.
• Collaborate within a multidisciplinary and international research environment.

Conocimientos

English proficiency

Strong scientific research commitment

Educación

BSc and MSc in biology or biomedical engineering

Descripción del empleo

Institute for bioengineering of Catalonia, IBEC

Organisation/Company Institute for bioengineering of Catalonia, IBEC Research Field Biological sciences Biological sciences Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 20 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid) Country Spain Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37.5 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Other EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Introduction to the vacant position:

The Biosensors for Bioengineering Group is looking for a predoctoral researcher to develop a biotechnological project to develop a liver senescence model. The contract will be within the framework of a national project, whose objective is to determine the liver’s effect on the ageing process. The PhD project will be conducted in the framework of the project entitled: “Modelización in vitro del envejecimiento sistémico iniciado por el hígado: mecanismos de senescencia celular y comunicación interorgánica” – (HEPAGING)

This fellowship is associated with the research project Generación de Conocimiento, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.

Main tasks and responsibilities:

• Development of 3D in vitro liver tissue models to study cellular senescence and ageing.
• Application of tissue engineering and biomaterials approaches for the generation of physiologically relevant liver models.
• Cell culture and differentiation of human liver cells and/or liver-derived cellular models.
• Development and optimisation of 3D cell culture and cell encapsulation strategies.
• Characterisation of liver function and senescence, including molecular, biochemical and imaging-based approaches.
• Investigation of inter-organ communication mechanisms and liver-mediated systemic ageing processes.
• Integration of biosensors and analytical technologies for real-time monitoring of tissue function and secreted biomarkers.
• Analysis and interpretation of experimental data using quantitative and statistical approaches.
• Contribution to the dissemination of results through scientific publications, conferences and project reports.
• Collaboration within a multidisciplinary and international research environment.

Requirements for candidates:

• BSc and MSc in biology, biotechnology, biomedical engineering, biomedicine or similar areas
• Candidates should be ready to enter an official doctoral programme in December 2026 (under Spanish Law). By this time, they must have obtained a university degree and a master’s degree; or must hold an official university qualification from a country of the European Higher Education Area with a minimum of 300 ECTS of official university studies, of which at least 60 are at master’s level. Candidates who expect to be awarded with such degrees by October 2026 are eligible to apply.
• Candidates must have a strong commitment to scientific research and an excellent academic record.
• Candidates must have a good working knowledge of English.
• Candidates must not yet have been awarded a doctoral degree.
• Candidates must not have held a Ph.D. contract exceeding twelve months by the beginning of the fellowship (December 2026 to January 2027).
• Good skills in communication, teamwork, proactivity, characterisation, integrity, time management, critical and analytical thinking, precision, and focus.
• Willingness to work in a highly multidisciplinary environment.

Advantageous:

• Experience in cell encapsulation and tissue engineering

For the conditions, requirements, details of the research project and other relevant data, please check the general call Proyectos de Generación de Conocimiento 2025 by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation at Proyectos de Generación de Conocimiento 2025 .

Competencies and Skills:

We value not only technical expertise but also the demonstration of core competencies such as Communication, Teamwork and Collaboration, Commitment, Proactivity, Integrity, and Critical and Analytical Thinking.

We Offer:

• Number of available positions: 1
• Predoctoral researcher contract: 4 years
• Starting date: As of January 1st, 2027 (to be confirmed, based on the resolution of the call Proyectos de Generación de Conocimiento 2025 by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities).
• IBEC ensures equality of access to professional development opportunities irrespective of employment status, length at IBEC or other factors. The IBEC’s yearly training catalogue offers a wide range of training in technical and transferable skills including mobility grants and a Mentoring programme for predoctoral and postdoctoral researchers.
• Stimulating, interdisciplinary research and high-quality international scientific environment.
• Induction programme to facilitate incorporation at IBEC and additional support is provided for foreigners to obtain Visa-working permit and to install in Barcelona.

Only those applications submitted before the deadline will be evaluated.

IBEC is committed to the principles of the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers of the European Commission and the Open, Transparent and Merit based Recruitment principles (OTM-R) https://ibecbarcelona.eu/careers-at-ibec/jobs/

IBEC´s Commitment on equal opportunity, diversity, and Inclusion:

Our strength and excellence as an international transdisciplinary Research Institute are based on diversity. Being an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to diversity and inclusion, so that we support employees irrespective of their gender, nationality, religion, disabilities, age, sexual identity or cultural and socioeconomic background.

For candidates with children that come from outside Barcelona, we offer babysitting services during the interview, so you don’t have to worry about anything else than doing a good interview. Contact us if you are interested in this service.

In categories where women are underrepresented, such as Group Leader positions, and with the aim of ensuring gender balance in recruitment processes, women candidates must represent at least 50% of those interviewed for Junior-level positions and 40% for Senior-level positions, provided they have CVs comparable to those of male candidates. At the end of the evaluation process, in cases of equal merit, preference will be given to women candidates.

IBEC, as a signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), will consider, especially for early-stage investigators, much more the scientific content of research outputs, than publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which it were published.

Protection of personal data:

IBEC guarantees that candidates’ personal data are processed in accordance with the requirements of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Law 3/2018 on Data Protection.

Personal data will be processed solely for the purposes of the selection process.

Who we are?

The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, IBEC is an interdisciplinary research center focused on Bioengineering and Nanomedicine based in Barcelona. IBEC is one of the top research institutions named as a Severo Ochoa Research Centre by the Ministry of Science, Universities and Innovation, which recognizes excellence at the highest international level in terms of research, training, human resources, outreach and technology transfer.

IBEC’s mission is to develop international high-quality interdisciplinary research that, while creating knowledge, contributes to making a better quality of life, improving health and creating wealth. A close link with key universities, reference hospitals and corporations, are assets that facilitate achieving the mission.

IBEC was established in 2005 by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Autonomous Government of Catalonia), the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC).

IBEC is located within the Barcelona Science Park and UPC Besós Campus, with an annual budget of 21 Mio€; 4.400 square meters of facilities; 25 research groups and a team of researchers and support services of 450 people from 40 different countries. www.ibecbarcelona.eu

Grant PID2025-175576OB-I00 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and FEDER, EU.