Postdoctoral Scholar - Surgery

The Pennsylvania State University; United States; On-site; USD 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The Pennsylvania State University’s Penn State College of Medicine, Division of Applied Biomedical Engineering, seeks a highly driven post-doctoral scholar to join an internationally recognized team developing next-generation mechanical circulatory support devices, including pediatric ventricular assist device and continuous-flow blood pumps. The position is on campus in Hershey, PA.

Candidates should have a PhD in Mechanical or Biomedical Engineering, experience in MCS or rotary blood pump

Responsibilities

• Designing and optimizing rotary blood pump components, including impellers/rotors, volutes, and hydrodynamic bearings
• CFD and FSI simulations to evaluate pump performance and blood damage
• In vitro testing including hydraulic characterization and blood-based assays
• In vivo (large-animal) studies in collaboration with surgical and veterinary teams
• Data analysis, manuscript preparation, and conference presentations
• Contributing to grant applications and progress reports
• Mentoring graduate and undergraduate students

Job description

POSITION SPECIFICS

The Penn State College of Medicine, Division of Applied Biomedical Engineering in the Department of Surgery, in Hershey, PA, is seeking a highly driven post-doctoral scholar capable of joining an internationally recognized team developing next-generation mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices, including a pediatric ventricular assist device (Child Pump) and continuous-flow blood pumps.

The applicant must have a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or a closely related field.

This position is on campus, in person.

Duties

• Designing and optimizing rotary blood pump components, including impellers/rotors, volutes, and hydrodynamic bearings
• Conducting computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulations to evaluate pump hydraulic performance, blood damage (hemolysis, vWF, platelets), and bearing clearance
• Planning and executing in vitro experimental testing, including hydraulic performance characterization and blood-based assays
• Supporting in vivo (large-animal) studies in collaboration with the surgical and veterinary team
• Analyzing and interpreting data, preparing manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication, and presenting at scientific conferences
• Contributing to the preparation of grant applications and progress reports
• Mentoring graduate and undergraduate students

Specific Criteria

• Recent PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or a related field, with significant experience in mechanical circulatory support systems or rotary blood pump development
• Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following: turbomachinery design, tribology, hydrodynamic bearings, CFD/FSI modeling, or pump hydraulic testing
• Proficiency with engineering software such as CAD (e.g. SolidWorks), CFD solvers (e.g., CONVERGE, ANSYS Fluent, ABAQUS), and FEM/FSI tools
• Strong critical thinking skills, rigorous training in the scientific method, and the ability to synthesize scientific literature to generate novel hypotheses
• Excellent organizational skills, strong attention to detail, and strong written and verbal communication skills

This is a term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation past the term length discussed will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.

BENEFITS

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)

Background Checks/Clearances

• PA State Police Criminal Background Check
• PA Child Abuse History Clearance Form
• Federal (FBI) Fingerprint Criminal Background Check

EEO IS THE LAW

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.

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