ERC-funded Postdoctoral Fellow in Organoid and Tissue Engineering

UCD Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin; Ireland; On-site; EUR 40,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

UCD Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin invites applications for a Post-doctoral Research Fellow Level 1. The position is tied to the ERC-funded DESIGN-ECM project investigating species- and sex-driven differences in extracellular matrix and cells for advanced 3D tissue models.

The successful candidate will engineer and characterize 3D ECM scaffolds, perform in vitro cell validations, and develop 3D ovarian organoid models, contributing to safer

Qualifications

• Post-doctoral researcher in UCD School of Medicine - Charles Institute.
• Research on ERC DESIGN-ECM project focusing on species- and sex-driven ECM and cell biology.
• Develop 3D ovarian organoid models and ECM scaffolds.

Responsibilities

• Engineer and characterise 3D ECM scaffolds.
• Perform in vitro cell validations.
• Develop 3D ovarian organoid models.

Skills

Communication and interpersonal skills

Bioengineering

Tissue Engineering

Mechanobiology

Organoids

Extracellular matrix engineering

Education

PhD in a relevant field

Tools

3D ECM scaffolds

Organoid culture

Job description

UCD Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin

Organisation/Company UCD Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin Research Field Engineering Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Application Deadline 5 Nov 2026 - 23:00 (UTC) Country Ireland Type of Contract To be defined Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week To be defined Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Applications are invited for a temporary post of a UCD Post-doctoral Research Fellow Level 1 within UCD School of Medicine - Charles Institute of Dermatology. The ECM lab led by Associate Professor Seungkuk Ahn at University College Dublin in Ireland has an opening for a Postdoctoral Research position (PD level 1) to work on the ERC-funded "DESIGN-ECM" project to investigate the role of species and sex of extracellular matrix and cells for better designing 3D tissue models. Human mimetic preclinical models imitate human organs, tissues, and diseases to enable safer, more accurate testing for new drugs and therapies. Such models are created by employing core biomaterials and cells existing in our tissues. These models have significant potential to enhance our understanding of human disease and the development of treatments. However, the majority of human preclinical models to date have neglected the species and sex of the extra cellular matrix and cells as biological variables, while species- and sex-dependent biomaterial and cell properties have been well acknowledged in animal and clinical studies. Led by Dr Seungkuk Ahn, DESIGN-ECM will address this gap by investigating species-driven dimorphism in biomaterials and cell biology across various disciplines such as materials science, bioengineering, organoids, mechanobiology, nanobiotechnology. Success in this project will reshape the design of future preclinical models to seriously reckon with species and sex of biomaterials and cells, moving towards personalised tissue models in the long term. Candidates will work together with 2 PhD students to establish the core methodologies and data sets for the first 36 months of the total 60-month ERC project. The main scientific works will 1) engineer and characterise 3D ECM scaffolds, 2) perform in vitro cell validations, and 3) develop 3D ovarian organoid models. The start date of this position is 01 May 2027.

Fixed Salary: €47,273 Per Annum

Closing date: 12:00 noon (local Irish time) on 05 November 2026.

UCD do not require assistance from Recruitment Agencies. Any CVs submitted by Recruitment Agencies will be returned.

The PD1 position is intended for early-stage researchers, either just after completion of a PhD or for someone entering a new area for the first time. If you have already completed your PD1 stage in UCD or will soon complete a PD1, or you are an external applicant whose total Postdoctoral experience, inclusive of the duration of the advertised post, would exceed 4 years, you should not apply and should refer to PD2 posts instead.

Desired Skills and Experience

Communication and interpersonal skills, Bioengineering, Tissue Engineering, Mechanobiology, Organoids, Extracellular matrix protein engineering

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute UCD Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin Country Ireland