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 position in electromechanical actuators for endodontic applications

Mission

The Integrated Actuators Laboratory (LAI) is seeking a highly motivated PhD student to tackle the challenges involved in developing innovative actuators and the associated electronics for endodontic applications. This PhD position is part of an Innosuisse project in collaboration with a Swiss leader in dentistry. The goal is to develop a novel endodontic instrument specifically designed to address the problem of calcified root canals. This new device aims to simplify the procedure for dentists by combining the capabilities of multiple existing tools into a single, efficient instrument dedicated to treating calcifications.

Main duties and responsibilities

As a PhD Student, you will be expected to:

  • Take full responsibility for your own research and dissertation in close collaboration with industrial partners
  • Develop analytical and/or FE models to describe the innovative endodontic instrument
  • Develop the electronics required for the proposed device
  • Write scientific articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals
  • Present your work at international conferences
  • Supervise student projects, participate to teaching tasks and basic administrative support

More specifically, within this project, you will:

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

Profile

  • Master’s degree in microengineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering or related fields
  • Strong experimental skills, prototyping, electronics design, test bench development and control
  • Knowledge of FEM, CAD, Matlab and analytical modelling is a plus
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
  • Strong motivation for multidisciplinary research and collaborative projects
  • Self-motivated, creative and enthusiastic with good organizational skills and scientific rigor
  • Ability to work effectively as part of a team

We offer

  • A four-year PhD program with competitive remuneration
  • A world-class research and training environment with access to state-of-the-art research facilities
  • A multi-cultural and stimulating work atmosphere
  • Terms of employment: one-year fixed-term contract (CDD), renewable up to 4 years

Informations

Only applications submitted through the online platform will be considered. Your application should contain:

  • A Motivation Letter
  • A detailed CV
  • Contact information
  • At least two references willing to provide a recommendation letter (Letters should be submitted by the same deadline).

Application deadline: 31.07.2025

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 : 10/01/2025 

Activity Rate : 100.00

Contract Type : PhD Student

Duration : 1 year, renewable

Reference : 1661