Industrial PhD scholarship: Tissue Adhesive Materials in Bio-surgical Leak Management

Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and Ferrosan Medical Devices A/S (FeMD) invite highly motivated graduates to apply for a 3-year industrial PhD scholarship starting in September 2023 or soon thereafter.

If you are interested in advancing a career at the interface of chemistry, biomaterials, and medical devices and working in close collaboration between university, industry, and hospital, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

The project will be carried out in collaboration between Ferrosan Medical Devices A/S, the newly established Nanosmithery group at DTU Health Tech, Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Rigshospitalet, and Stanford University, USA. The purpose of the PhD is advancing new tissue adhesive materials for use in bio-surgical leak management.

Responsibilities and qualifications
Your overall focus will be advancing new biocompatible materials for use as tissue adhesives. This entails synthesis, detailed physico-chemical and biological characterizations, in vitro testing, as well as pre-clinical evaluation in animal models. The project is interdisciplinary in nature, and the successful applicant will acquire a diverse set of skills and can explore interests in polymer synthesis, materials characterization, and medical device prototyping. The project will have direct relevance for strong unmet clinical needs in biosurgery.

Specifically, the work will involve:

• Organic/Polymer synthesis
• Materials characterization
• Assaying polymers for tissue adhesive formation capabilities by in vitro models.
• Medical device prototyping
• Pre-clinical testing

As our Ph.D. candidate you will be enrolled at DTU and be involved in

• Research collaboration with worldwide leading manufacturer of haemostatic products, Ferrosan Medical Devices A/S, Denmark.
• Research collaboration with (and possibly short stay at) cutting-edge international research labs at Stanford University, USA.
• Guidance from two Danish leading chief surgeons in HPB surgery at Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Rigshospitalet, Denmark.
• Active dissemination of results in scientific articles and through participation in international conferences.
• Authoring new patents and scientific publications.

You have a degree in either chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science (polymer), biomedical engineering or pharmacy with outstanding results. You have thoroughly documented laboratory experience from either a synthetic organic/polymer chemistry setting, or a biomaterials science setting. Previous knowledge/experience about materials characterization techniques and biomedical product development will be an advantage.

You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree.

Approval and Enrolment

The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see the DTU PhD Guide and the guideline for an indutrial Ph.D. from the Innovation Fund Denmark.

Assessment

The assessment of the applicants will be made by representatives from DTU and Ferrosan Medical Devices A/S.

We offer

DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation, and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Ferrosan Medical Devices offers a truly purpose driven workplace with strong roots in values. What exactly this means is quickly visible to our new colleagues. We are driven by improving patient outcomes and we take our values to work every day – we care about each other, our environment and our customers and we win for patients with innovative high-quality solutions.

Salary and appointment terms

The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant parties. The period of employment is 3 years, starting on 1 September 2023.

Questions?

If you have questions or need further information, please contact the supervisors, Anton A. A. Autzen, DTU Health Tech, [email protected] or Anders Friderichsen, Ferrosan Medical Devices, [email protected].

You can read more about DTU Health Tech at www.healthtech.dtu.dk/english/about-us and Ferrosan Medical Devices A/S atwww.ferrosanmedicaldevices.com.

If you apply from abroad, you may find useful information about working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark.

Send us your application!

Send your application containing the below mentioned documents latest 16 June 2023.

Applications should be submitted as one PDF file containing all the below materials in English. The file should include:

• A cover letter motivating your application
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma
• Excel sheet with translation of grades to the Danish grading system - see guidelines here

You may apply prior to obtaining your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.

Industry PhD position

The candidate will be employed at Ferrosan medical Devices A/S and enrolled in the PhD School at DTU Health Technology.

Some of the facts and a little piece of history about Ferrosan Medical Devices A/S
Ferrosan Medical Devices develops and produces a portfolio of medical devices used in surgical care. Our portfolio consists of various haemostatic products to minimize bleeding challenges in surgery and electromechanical medical devices to perform breast biopsies. We are an international company with products registered in more than 100 countries. Our products are marketed in collaboration with global MedTech partners. New ideas are developed and matured from the first thought to finished implementation in production. And we manage the business with an uncompromising focus on quality based on current GMP requirements.

DTU Health Tech
DTU Health Tech creates health technology to improve health and well-being for humans in collaboration with companies, hospitals as well as national and international researchers. The cross-disciplinarity at the department, which includes mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry, and biology, provides the foundation for new and innovative technology for the future.

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear vision to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That vision lives on today. DTU has 12,000 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. Our main campus is in Kgs. Lyngby north of Copenhagen and we have campuses in Roskilde and Ballerup and in Sisimiut in Greenland.