PhD Candidate Mechanical Circulatory Support

Maastricht University; Maastricht; On-site; EUR 36,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

12-month contract with potential 3‑yr?

Gross monthly salary €3,204–€4,051

8% holiday allowance

8.3% year-end bonus

29 vacation days + 4 additional days

Home office allowance / work from home

ABP pension plan

University sports facilities

Flexible working hours

Job summary

Maastricht University offers a PhD Candidate position focused on Mechanical Circulatory Support, bridging an advanced experimental lab with clinical data in patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery and/or treated for cardiogenic shock. You will conduct laboratory studies and manage clinical cohorts to advance bedside decision-making.

You will translate findings into hypotheses, publish in journals, and present at international conferences while collaborating with clinicians, engineers and data

Qualifications

• Master’s degree is required or equivalent.
• Strong interest in cardiovascular physiology and disease.
• Experience with pre-clinical and/or clinical studies.
• Ability to design and conduct laboratory-based experimental research.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills with experience analyzing datasets.
• Proficiency in Dutch at C1 level or higher for patient interaction and clinical research.

Responsibilities

• Design and conduct laboratory-based studies within a cardiovascular or biomedical context.
• Analyze prospective and retrospective clinical cohorts and integrate experimental findings with clinical outcomes.
• Translate experimental findings into clinically relevant hypotheses and protocols.
• Publish results in peer-reviewed journals and present at international conferences.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, engineers and data scientists.

Skills

Teamwork in multidisciplinary teams

Scientific communication

Data analysis of clinical/experimental

Manuscript writing

Dutch language proficiency (C1)

Education

Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering, Medicine, Biomedical Sciences or related field

Job description

Welcome to Maastricht University! What if you could help redefine how we support the failing heart, at the exact moment it matters most? This PhD position bridges a state-of-the-art Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) experimental lab with real-world clinical analysis in patients with cardiogenic shock and cardiothoracic surgery. You will work at the frontline where engineering, physiology, and critical care converge to shape the future of life-saving therapy.

PhD Candidate Mechanical Circulatory Support

• Our goal:To improve outcomes for patients with cardiogenic shock and complex cardiothoracic disease by integrating cutting-edge experimental research with high-impact clinical analysis.
• Your colleagues:A multidisciplinary team of cardiothoracic surgeons, intensivists, cardiologists, biomedical engineers, and data scientists within a state-of-the-art MCS lab and high-volume tertiary referral center.

Cardiogenic shock and advanced heart failure remain among the most urgent challenges in cardiovascular medicine. Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) technologies offer life-saving potential, yet optimal patient selection, timing, and device strategies require deeper mechanistic and clinical insight. Our program combines experimental cardiovascular research with robust clinical cohort analysis to refine and personalize circulatory support strategies.

As a PhD candidate, you play a strategically important role in connecting experimental MCS research with clinical outcomes in patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery and/or treated for cardiogenic shock. You design and conduct laboratory-based studies, while also setting up and analyzing prospective and retrospective clinical cohorts. By investigating hemodynamics, organ perfusion, and device-heart interactions, you contribute directly to improving bedside decision-making.

You translate experimental findings into clinically relevant hypotheses and protocols. You analyze clinical, physiological, and imaging datasets with rigor and reproducibility. You publish your results in peer-reviewed journals, present at international congresses, and actively contribute to multidisciplinary clinical–scientific discussions.

Are you ready to help shape the next generation of circulatory support strategies? We would love to meet you.

What you bring

We’re not looking for checkboxes; we’re interested in who you are and what you bring. Do you recognize yourself in this?

You thrive in a multidisciplinary environment and communicate effectively with clinicians, engineers, and researchers. You are a clear and persuasive communicator, able to present results with clarity, write scientific manuscripts, and contribute to academic discussions and grant proposals.

Furthermore, you bring:

• A Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering, Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, Human Biology, or a closely related field.
• Strong interest in cardiovascular physiology and disease, including cardiogenic shock, cardiothoracic surgery, and mechanical circulatory support systems, combined with a translational mindset to connect experimental research with clinical applications.
• Experience with pre-clinical and/or clinical studies.
• Ability to design and conduct laboratory-based experimental research within a cardiovascular or biomedical context.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills, with experience in analyzing clinical, physiological, and/or experimental datasets (including prospective and retrospective cohort studies).
• Proven ability to communicate scientific findings through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at international conferences, plus proficiency in Dutch at C1 level or higher due to patient interaction and clinical research involvement.

What we offer

At Maastricht University, you will work in an international, open, and engaged environment. We offer:

• A 12-month contract (1.0 FTE) with the prospect of a 3-year extension upon positive evaluation.
• A gross monthly salary between €3204,00 and €4051,00 (based on full-time employment of 38 hours per week). 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus.
• 29 vacation days (based on full-time), four additional days off (Carnival Monday and Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day), and the possibility to accrue up to 12 extra days through compensation hours.
• Flexible working hours, a home office allowance, and the option to work from home.
• Freedom and space to shape your work independently and develop your ideas.
• A close-knit community of colleagues to collaborate and grow with.
• A solid pension plan via ABP, company fitness schemes, and access to various university sports facilities.
• An inspiring work environment in the heart of Europe.

About the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML)

FHML is committed to health in the broadest sense: from molecule to human, and from healthcare to prevention. We train healthcare professionals and researchers through innovative educational programmes and conduct groundbreaking research in health and well‑being. As part of Maastricht UMC+ (MUMC+), our international and interdisciplinary community forms a unique collaboration between university and academic hospital, where education, research, and care come together.

Interested?

Want to know more about this position or what it’s like to work at our university? Reach out to Dr. Shreyas B. Rao via [e-mail]. The deadline for submitting your application is 20 September 2026.

Early availability of the candidate is preferred.

About Maastricht University

At Maastricht University, we collaboratively seek solutions to help move the world forward. We do this with 23,300 students and 5,400 employees across 5 regional locations, 6 faculties, and more than 70 research institutes. We encourage you to push boundaries and discover new opportunities for yourself and the world around you. Together, we can find the answers for tomorrow.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

At Maastricht University, we prefer to contact potential candidates directly. We therefore kindly ask that no agencies or intermediaries submit offers or approaches.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.