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EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, is one of the most dynamic university campuses in Europe and ranks among the top 20 universities worldwide. The EPFL employs more than 6,500 people supporting the three main missions of the institutions: education, research and innovation. The EPFL campus offers an exceptional working environment at the heart of a community of more than 18,500 people, including over 14,000 students and 4,000 researchers from more than 120 different countries.

PhD in Soft Actuators for facial reanimation

Mission

The Integrated Actuators Laboratory (LAI) and the Center of Artificial Muscles (CAM) are looking for a PhD student who is highly motivated towards adressing the challenges in the development of soft actuators and the associated electronics. Facial paralysis is a highly burdening situation, which is associated with emotional distress and overall reduced quality of life. We aim to propose a novel approach for the dynamic restoration of facial movement (smiling and/or blinking). 

Main duties and responsibilities

As a PhD Student, you will be expected to:

  • Have full responsibility for your own research and dissertation
  • Research in close collaboration with medical partners
  • Experiment design and execution ;
  • Analyze and interpret experimental results;
  • Write scientific articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals;
  • Present at international conferences.
  • Supervise student projects and basic administrative support

More specifically, within this project, you will:

  • Support the development of soft electromechanical actuators
  • Design electromechanical test benches (hardware and software) for assessment of devices
  • Design electronics to power systems

Profile

  • Master in microengineering, mechanics, electrical engineering or related fields
  • Experience on biomedical innovative actuators would be nice
  • Strong experimental skills, prototyping, electronics design, test bench development and control
  • Knowledge on FEM, CAD, Matlab and analytical modelling are a plus
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills (English)
  • Motivation for multidisciplinary research and team projects
  • Self-motivated, creative and enthusiastic
  • Good communication skills and willingness to work as part of a team
  • Enthusiasm, scientific curiosity, eager to learn, good organizational skills, rigor in experimental work
  • High level of motivation for academic research work

We offer

  • 4 years to complete your PhD with a competitive remuneration
  • A world-class research and training environment with access to state-of-the-art research facilities;
  • A multi-cultural and stimulating work environment;
  • Term of employment: 1-year fixed-term contract (CDD), renewable for 4 years.

Informations

Only applications submitted through the online platform are considered.

Your application should contain:

  • Motivation Letter
  • Detailed CV
  • Contact information
  • At least 2 references willing to write a recommendation letter. Letters of recommendation should be sent back by the same deadline

Application deadline: 28.02.2025
For more information, please contact: yoan.civet@epfl.ch or yves.perriard@epfl.ch

If you are successful, you will need to enroll in one of the EPFL doctoral school programs. Please check this page for additional information. Please note that this is a separate application process necessary to be eligible to complete your PhD at EPFL.

Contract Start Date : 04/01/2025

Activity Rate : 100.00

Contract Type : PhD Student

Duration : 4 years (max), renewable each year

Reference : 1369










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