PhD candidate/UK/MSCA-DN- RENOVATE-DC02/ Personalised treatment alternatives for osteoarthritis

university college london; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research institution in London is looking for a PhD researcher to focus on personalized treatment alternatives for osteoarthritis. The position involves working with various hospitals and contributing to impactful research. Ideal candidates will have a first-class honours degree in a relevant field and research experience in tissue engineering. The role offers a competitive salary and funding opportunities. Applications should include a CV and cover letter detailing relevant experience and motivation for the project.

Benefits

Mobility allowance

Family allowance

Access to training opportunities

Qualifications

• At least a 1st -class honours degree in a relevant field.
• Research experience in tissue engineering and Biomedical Engineering.
• Knowledge of in vitro and in vivo evaluation.

Responsibilities

• Study personalized treatment alternatives for OA.
• Investigate biological changes in osteoarthritic joints.
• Develop strategies for early intervention of OA.

Skills

Research experience in tissue engineering

Analytical skills

Knowledge of osteoarthritis

Good verbal and written skills

Knowledge of mechanical testing

Education

1st -class honours degree in Medicine or Biomedical Engineering

Tools

Medical image processing

Additive manufacturing

Job description

Organisation/Company university college london Department Division of Surgery Research Field Engineering » Biomedical engineering Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country United Kingdom Application Deadline 7 Jan 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 36.5 Offer Starting Date 1 May 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - MSCA Reference Number 101227121/ DC 02 Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number 101227121 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The RENOVATE Consortium has been awarded a Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie scheme (grant no: 101227121). The RENOVATE programme is to recruit the best candidates, to provide them with world-class supervision, support, and training opportunities, to support their career development, opportunities to generate impact from their work, and create a challenging and stimulating environment which fully exposes them to the world of research and collaboration opportunities.

As part of this RENOVATE programme, University College London is seeking to appoint a PhD student to study “Personalised treatment alternatives for OA”. The project involves 1) investigate the local biological and physical environment changes in osteoarthritic joints (hip, knee and shoulder) and define the disease conditions; 2) consider the stage of OA,gender of the patients and sizes of cartilage defects in develop a stratified, subgroup-specific osteochondral scaffold; 3) develop a personalised strategy for early intervention of OA with respect to their OA conditions; 4) do an in vitro evaluation of the developed strategy and explore its clinical implementation route.

This project will, in collaboration with the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and Royal Free Hospital, as well as other partners within the RENOVATE Consortium, design and develop personlised treatment options for OA patients. It is expected that this project will lead to tangible and clinically relevant results for the early diagnosis and intervention of osteoarthritis. Thus, improving the quality of life of the OA patients through early diagnosis and early intervention.

All our doctoral students are members of the UCL Doctoral School, which provides high-quality training and resources. The Doctoral Skills programme provides the students with a comprehensive range of transferable skills training, including research ethics, public engagement, outreach, and impact, in addition to opportunities to attend master's level modules, CPD training and external courses.

£30805 per year plus UK tuition fees (dependent on the fellow type and registration date of the student).

Mobility allowance and family allowance are available to comply with EU according to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network rules.

• At least a 1st -class honours (UK, or equivalent) degree in Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, tissue engineering, biomaterials or tissue biology.
• Research experience in tissue engineering and Biomedical Engineering, or medical imaging.
• Knowledge of osteoarthritis, in vitro and in vivo evaluation of biomaterials and medical devices.
• Analytical skills: ability to think independently, interpret data, and knowledge of statistics.
• Knowledge and skills in medical image processing

Good verbal and written skills in plain English for dialogue and scientific language for communication with team members and academic staff, publication in relevant journals and presentation to conferences.

• 1. Knowledge/experience working with cell or tissue biology.
• 2. Knowledge of mechanical testing and microstructure examinations, and materials chemistry analysis.
• 3. Knowledge and experience in additive manufacturing

Specific Requirements

Mobility eligibility criterion: Candidates can be of any nationality, butthey must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the UK for more than 12 months in the 3 yearsimmediately before the recruitment date.

They must also not have been awarded a doctoral degree

Languages ENGLISH Level Good

Research Field Engineering » Biomedical engineering Years of Research Experience 1 - 4

Internal Application form(s) needed

The project manager of RENOVATE will check that the information of each candidate is complete and complies with the rules of the eligibility criteria. All the candidates must submit their information in English.

Information from eligible candidates directly applying to each position or giving their permission to be considered for others, will be distributed among the host institutions.

Selection process

The selection process of DCs complies with ethical principles, including the highest standards of research integrity as set out in the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity and, all applicable international, EU and national law, including the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its Supplementary Protocols

Eligibility check

The project manager of RENOVATE will check that the information of each candidate is complete and complies with the rules of the eligibility criteria. All the candidates must submit their information in English.

Information from eligible candidates directly applying to each position or giving their permission to be considered for others, will be distributed among the host institutions.

Assessment

Assessment comprises a two-stage process: a) scientific merit assessed by the application files and b) in person or online interview (only for the short-listed candidates). In each stage, the following items will be addressed: (i) academic profile, (ii) personal motivation, (iii) relevant background, (iv) professional experience, (v) scientific knowledge, (vi) transversal skills, and (vii) soft skills and English proficiency.

A Selection Committee, led by the RENOVATE coordinator, will be set up at each host institution. Each DC Selection Committee will short-list the best candidates among those applying for the DC position and produce a reserve list of potentially interesting candidates.

Decision

The project manager will elaborate the final ranked list of the selected candidates and communicate the decision to the candidates by email, tentatively by University College London.

Additional comments

To apply for the studentship, please email your CV (in Europass Format, ( https://europass.europa.eu/en ) that must highlight activities and place where the activities have been carried out in order to give evidence of fulfilling the mobility eligibility criterion), full transcript, two academic references and a covering letter to Prof Chaozong Liu ( [e-mail] ), CC ( [e-mail] ). Covering letter should explain your interest in the project, previous research experience (including examples of previous project work) and why you would be a suitable candidate for this post, and proof of language proficiency if any.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Institute of Orthopaedic & Musculoskeletal Science Country United Kingdom State/Province Stanmore City London Postal Code HA7 4LP Street Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Brockley Hill, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 4LP