Doctoral Candidate (PhD student position in Medical Sciences - Biomaterials) at University of B[...]

University of Birmingham; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK university is offering a PhD position to explore the molecular and tissue determinants of adverse outcomes in hearing implants. The role involves important research related to implant-associated infections, requiring a strong academic background in biological sciences and excellent collaboration skills. Candidates will participate in an interdisciplinary setting aimed at enhancing medical device management. The position is funded, offering competitive compensation and professional development opportunities.

Qualifications

• Excellent proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Strong motivation and ability to collaborate in an interdisciplinary and international team.

Responsibilities

• Investigate associations between proteomics, microbial profile and clinical outcomes.
• Develop and validate non-invasive sampling and analytical methods.
• Evaluate the impact of treatment location and technique on patient factors.

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in biological, biomedical or clinical sciences

Job description

Department of Dentistry, School of Health Science, University of Birmingham

Organisation/Company University of Birmingham Department Department of Dentistry, School of Health Science, University of Birmingham Research Field Medical sciences Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country United Kingdom Application Deadline 16 Oct 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/London) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Feb 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon 2020 Reference Number 101226717 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

DC6: Molecular and tissue determinants of adverse tissue outcomes in hearing implants.

Join the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network SHIELD (Strategies for Healing Implant-associated infections and Enhancing Longevity in Devices) and contribute to cutting-edge research aimed at combating implant-associated infections.

The PhD student will be involved in Work Package 1 (WP1) of the SHIELD network “Clinical aspects of implant-associated infection” which has the following overall objectives:

• determine the pathogenesis of implant associated infections (IAIs) and adverse tissue response associated with bone conduction hearing implants (BCHI) by evaluating host, bacterial and clinical factors
• identify determinants and biomarkers for IAI and adverse tissue outcomes associated with bone conduction hearing implants (BCHI)
• optimise preventive clinical practices for reducing the occurrence of diverse tissue reactions and infection
• improve the clinical management of BCHI with effective diagnostic methods and treatment protocols.

The overall purpose of this research project is to identify biomarkers and develop effective antimicrobial strategies to prevent infection and inflammation related to hearing implants.

This PhD project aims toidentify determinants of IAI associated with hearing implants by investigating associations between proteomics, microbial profile and clinical outcome by analysing a large pool of banked biosamples.

Research activities include:

• Identifying biomarkers (cellular and microbial) determining tissue health following implantation
• Developing and validating non-invasive sampling and analytical methods which can be applied both in clinical observation (studies and routine care) and in an innovative pathway for personalised preventative care .
• Evaluating the effect of moving treatment from the operating room to a treatment room using a prospective sampling study (proteomics, microbiome, clinical outcome data).
• Investigating associations between surgical technique, treatment location and patient factors .
• Optimisation of treatment of adverse soft tissue reactions by refining postoperative maintenance strategies aiming to develop tailored protocols for the prevention of IAI.
• The person taking on the project will need to work closely with the clinical teams and the patients and to do laboratory and computer-based work. A clinical qualification is not a requirement.

Training and mobility:

The training objective of the doctoral network is to equip young researchers with scientific, technical, and transferable skills to enhance their employability in academia or industry. Network-wide Training Events will provide complementary knowledge, multidisciplinary experience, and transferable skills: ethics & research integrity, scientific writing, communication & dissemination, leadership, project management, team skills & Networking, IPR & regulatory affairs for medical device certification, business entrepreneurship & innovation, career planning, opportunities, job hunting & interview skills, and grant applications. Secondments at host institutions in the field of IAIs will allow DCs to move between sectors (industry-academia-hospital) and gain valuable experience. Regarding the scientific skills, the PhD student will engage in clinical trials in Ear Nose and Throat and gain experience in translational research, focusing on enhancing the clinical outcome of BCHI by identifying biomarkers associated with infection/inflammation. The PhD student will have a Personal Career Development Plan (PDCP) tailored to the student’s needs, detailing the study program, training, research project, secondments, and publication strategies. It will be reviewed every six months.

• Research secondments at SHIELD partner institutions:
  • University of Gothenburg (Sweden)
  • Oticon Medical AB (Sweden)

Participation in specialised training workshops and international conferences.

How to apply*

Website:Formal applications must be submitted through this link:

Interested candidates should send an application containing the following documents in English (and, when necessary, a certified translation of official documents):

• Motivation Letter (describingresearch career goals, skills, experience, andhighlighting the consistency between the candidate’s profile and the chosen DC position)
• A complete Curriculum Vitae with references to past research and training experiences
• Copies of Bachelor and Master’s certificates/diploma & academic transcripts
• Two Reference Letters
• Publications (if available)

Note: If you are applying for a different DC position within SHIELD Doctoral network, please follow the instructions provided by the hosting organization. These instructions can be found in the specific link associated with each DC position.

* The recruiting organization may decide to interview only those applicants who appear from the information available, to be the most suitable, in terms of experience, qualifications and other requirements of the position.

Education Level: Bachelor degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications/Specific requirements:

• Applicants must hold at least a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in biological, biomedical or clinical sciences or similar.
• Applicants must have excellent proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Strong motivation and ability to collaborate in an interdisciplinary and international team

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Additional Information

The appointment will be on a temporary basis for a maximum period of 36 months(PhD student, regular full-time employment contract), with an attractive salary plus allowances package according to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie / Innovative Training Networks rules.

Eligibility criteria

• Have not been awarded a doctoral degree. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible.
• Career Stage: Applicants must be within the first four years (full-time equivalent) of their research careers at the date of recruitment. This is measured from the date they obtained the degree that formally entitles them to pursue a doctorate.
• Mobility Rule: Candidates must not have resided or conducted their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the host organization's country for more than 12 months within the three years immediately preceding their recruitment.
• Nationality: Researchers from any country are eligible, including those from non-European countries

Additional comments

Website for additional job details:

For additional information about this DC position, please contact the scientist-in-charge/supervisor:

Some background material about host institution & research group can be found here:

This PhD position is part of the European Doctoral Network “SHIELD” (Strategies for Healing Implant-associated infections and Enhancing Longevity in Devices). SHIELD offers an exciting opportunity for 16 early-career researchers to contribute to transforming the management of infections associated to medical implants. Focused on addressing the challenges posed by implant-associated infections (IAIs), SHIELD aims to deepen our understanding of IAI mechanisms and develop innovative antibacterial biomaterials to improve patient outcomes.

Structured around three core scientific pillars—regenerative medicine, biomaterial science, and translational research models—SHIELD supports research on therapeutic strategies, novel antimicrobial materials, and experimental models that bridge laboratory discoveries to clinical applications. The program emphasises interdisciplinary collaboration across orthopaedics, otology, and odontology, integrating basic research with preclinical and clinical studies.

SHIELD offers the opportunity to 16 talented doctoral candidates (DCs) to pursue a PhD within the Network at different universities and industrial companies from 26 institutions across 11 countries (France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States)

Background information on all DC positions and theSHIELD Doctoral Network is available on:

SHIELD is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101226717.