EU MSCA Doctoral DC- CUSTOM EU - School of Engineering, University

Organisation/Company University of Birmingham Department School of Engineering Research Field Engineering » Mechanical engineering Engineering » Biomedical engineering Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Final date to receive applications 12 Mar 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/London) Country United Kingdom Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37.5 Offer Starting Date 1 May 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Horizon Europe - MSCA Reference Number 106923 Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number  Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Background

CUSTOM is an EU MSCA Doctoral Training Network connecting relevant academic and industrial expertise in emerging medical-device technologies across Europe and apply them to the problems of shoulder implants. Total shoulder replacements (TSRs) are now outpacing those of knees and hips, mainly due to the increasing use of reverse shoulder arthroplasty (rTSR), however roughly 10% of shoulder implants will fail within the first 10 years of service necessitating a complex revision procedure.

Many of the current problems (e.g. soft-tissue failures, implant loosening, infection) derive from a top-down, one-size-fits-all approach to implants; CUSTOM plans to invert this approach, based on combining computational, patient-specific design and additive manufacturing to offer complex, custom designs and structures. The project also incorporates multi-functionality as well as blended experimental and in-silico testing to accelerate the path to certification.

Total shoulder replacement (TSR) is increasingly offered to younger, more active patients, yet implant loosening and migration remain leading causes of early revision. This project tackles this challenge head-on by creating the next generation of six-axis pre-clinical simulators that combine patient-specific bony anatomy with real-time micromotion and fracture sensing. The work will generate the mechanistic evidence needed to refine implant design, surgical technique and international test standards, ultimately reducing the reliance on lengthy, expensive clinical trials.

• Can we recreate the complex glenohumeral loading and motion patterns of reverse (rTSR) and anatomic (aTSR) shoulder arthroplasty in the laboratory?
• How do surgeon technique, implant design and individual patient bone quality interact to trigger early loosening or fracture?
• Which sensing technologies (eddy-current micromotion probes, acoustic emission arrays, embedded MEMS) provide the most sensitive, real-time indication of failure and can they be integrated into routine test standards?

As part of this project you will undertake secondments at KU Leuven, Rush University Medical Center and SME Simulator Solutions.

The Advanced Medical Simulation and Testing Laboratories at the University of Birmingham provide an ideal setting to address this gap. By integrating patient-derived kinematics, joint mechanics with advanced biomechanical/tribological methods and in-situ sensing, the project will generate the new methodologies that support the development of novel implant design. This work will establish a robust pipeline linking real in-vivo biomechanics to laboratory testing protocols, enabling safer, longer-lasting shoulder replacements and better patient outcomes.

As a MSCA Doctoral Candidate, your main duties will include:

• Delivering cutting edge research in the specified area
• Collaborating with researchers and partners across the CUSTOM network to develop innovative solutions
• Ensuring good reporting, record keeping and management practices internally and with stakeholders
• Delivering the outcomes guided by the research aims and objectives including the necessary training required to advance the project
• Disseminating research results through recognised forms of output such as publications conferences or public engagement

These duties provide a framework for the role and should not be regarded as a definitive list. Other reasonable duties may be required.

Role Summary

• Work within specified research grants and projects and contribute to writing bids
• Operate within area of specialism
• Analyse and interpret research findings and results
• Contribute to generating funding
• Contribute to licensing or spin out deals with demonstrated commercial success (such as revenues, asset or company sales, IP generated) and/or public understanding of the discipline or similar

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Analyse and interpret data
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where…