Research Assistant or Associate in Vascular Modelling and Biomimetic Testbed Engineering

Imperial Enterprise; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

43 days off a year

Hybrid working potential

Job summary

Imperial College London is seeking a Research Assistant/Associate in Vascular Modelling and Biomimetic Testbed Engineering. The role centers on developing endovascular, electronics-free acoustic neural interfaces and integrating microfluidic testbeds with computational models.

You will work within the Department of Mechanical Engineering, contributing to biomechanics, vascular modelling, and translational research while supporting project management and funding opportunities.

Qualifications

• PhD (or near completion) in mechanical/biomedical engineering or related field.
• Experience in a research environment with publications or high-quality projects.
• Hands-on microfluidic device fabrication and tissue-mimetic phantoms experience.
• Additive manufacturing experience, especially SLA or DLP 3D printing.
• Knowledge of vascular biomechanics, haemodynamics and FSI principles.
• Experience with data analysis and quantitative methods.
• Experience in computational modelling and medical device development is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Apply computational modelling, microfabrication and experimental testbed techniques to investigate vascular, haemodynamic and acoustic phenomena.
• Design, fabricate and validate microfluidic vascular platforms and tissue-mimetic phantoms, integrating these into functional experimental testbeds.
• Apply and extend computational biomechanics and fluid-structure interaction models to support device design and safety assessment.
• Utilise imaging-derived vascular datasets to inform anatomical models, phantom geometries and test conditions.
• Conduct in vitro studies to evaluate device performance and vascular compatibility.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and external partners across engineering, clinical and translational research.
• Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at conferences.
• Contribute to reports, funding proposals and broader research activities.

Skills

Publication record

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Computational modelling

Data analysis

Microfluidic design

Education

PhD in mechanical/biomedical engineering or closely related

Tools

SLA/DLP 3D printing

Job description

Research Assistant or Associate in Vascular Modelling and Biomimetic Testbed Engineering

Funded by the UK Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) through its Massively Scalable Neurotechnology Programme, this Research Assistant/Associate position will contribute to an ambitious, interdisciplinary project developing a radically new class of endovascular, electronics-free acoustic neural interfaces for minimally invasive, transcranial neural monitoring.

Working within the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London, you will contribute to research in biomechanics, vascular modelling, microfabrication and biomimetic testbed engineering to support the development, validation and translation of novel neurotechnology devices. You will also contribute to project management activities, collaborate with multidisciplinary research teams, publish in leading journals and support the development of future research funding opportunities.

What you would be doing

You will:

• Apply computational modelling, microfabrication and experimental testbed techniques to investigate vascular, haemodynamic and acoustic phenomena.
• Design, fabricate and validate microfluidic vascular platforms and tissue-mimetic phantoms, integrating these into functional experimental testbeds.
• Apply and extend established computational biomechanics and fluid-structure interaction (FSI) models to support device design, performance evaluation and vascular safety assessment.
• Utilise imaging-derived vascular datasets to inform anatomical models, phantom geometries and physiological test conditions.
• Conduct in vitro studies to evaluate device performance, vascular compatibility, safety and endovascular delivery approaches.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and external partners across engineering, clinical and translational research disciplines.
• Publish research findings in high-quality peer-reviewed journals and present results at national and international conferences.
• Contribute to research reports, funding proposals and the wider research activities of the Group.

What we are looking for

• You will hold a PhD (or is close to completion) in mechanical/biomedical engineering, bioengineering or a closely related discipline.

You will also have:

• Experience working in a research environment, with a strong publication record and/or contributions to high-quality research projects.
• Experience working collaboratively within multidisciplinary research teams and with a range of academic, clinical or industrial partners.
• Hands-on experience in the design, fabrication and experimental integration of microfluidic devices and/or tissue-mimetic vascular phantoms.
• Experience with additive manufacturing techniques, particularly SLA or DLP 3D printing.
• Knowledge of vascular biomechanics, haemodynamics and fluid-structure interaction principles.
• Knowledge of research methods and quantitative experimental techniques, including data analysis, validation and statistical approaches.

Experience in computational modelling, medical device development, imaging-based anatomical reconstruction, tissue-mimetic materials, in vivo/ex vivo studies, neurovascular physiology, ultrasound or endovascular technologies would be advantageous.

Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for the full list of essential and desirable criteria.

What we can offer you

• The opportunity to work on a pioneering, multidisciplinary programme at the interface of bioelectronics, vascular biomechanics, medical robotics and neuroscience, alongside leading research groups across Imperial College London
• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 43 days off a year)

Further information

This position is offered on a fixed-term basis for 12 months in the first instance.

Hybrid working may be considered for this role. Staff working in roles that are suitable for hybrid working will normally be expected to work 60% of their time onsite. The opportunity for hybrid working will be discussed at interview.

Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.

Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.

If you have any general queries about this vacancy, please contact the hiring manager listed in the ‘Further Information’ section. Alternatively, you can contact the Recruitment Hub at [e-mail], and we will be happy to assist you.

About Imperial

Welcome to Imperial, a global top-ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.

Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, here at Imperial we navigate some of the world’s toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact.

As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you’ll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network.

This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you’ll join us at Imperial College London.

Our Culture

We work towards equality of opportunity, eliminating discrimination, and creating an inclusive working environment for all. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. You can read more about our commitment on our web pages .

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