Phd Position Design and Simulation of Patient-Specific Implants Based on External Morphology at TU Delft

Design the next generation of biodegradable, additively manufactured bone substitutes. Combine materials, mechanics, and machine learning to shape patient-specific regenerative implants

Job description

The Department of Biomechanical Engineering at TU Delft invites applications for a PhD position aimed at transforming the design of patient-specific orthopedic implants. With a strong foundation in biomechanics, computational modeling, and experimental methods, the BME department provides an ideal environment for developing next-generation regenerative technologies. This project leverages that expertise to create personalized shoulder implants that respond intelligently to individual anatomical and functional demands.

The project will focus on the personalized design of shoulder implants, with particular emphasis on optimizing the external morphology to improve fit, reduce soft tissue irritation, and promote long-term functional outcomes. You will develop a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation framework that integrates anatomical models and biomechanical data to evaluate implant-tissue interactions. This data-driven platform will enable the design of implants tailored to individual anatomical and loading conditions.

By combining computational modeling with experimental validation, you will explore how implant geometry affects mechanical performance, implant-bone interface adaptation, and osseointegration. The resulting shape-optimized implants will complement structural architectures developed in parallel PhD projects, forming part of a larger, patient-specific bone replacement solution.

This position is embedded in a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network (Horizon Europe), offering advanced training, research mobility, and international secondments. You will join a vibrant network of early-stage researchers and contribute to a new generation of smart, responsive, and clinically effective orthopedic implants.

Job requirements

Your Key Responsibilities:

• Investigate the role of design parameters, architecture, material composition, and AM process settings on mechanical performance and degradation behavior.
• Develop physics-based and data-driven models to link geometry, materials, and biodegradation kinetics.
• Conduct experimental tests to validate models.
• Collaborate closely with researchers at PME and BME, as well as with the wider MSCA network.
• Interface designs with biodegradability tests and topology-optimized structures from sibling projects.

Your Profile:

We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with:

• A Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related field.
• Knowledge of additive manufacturing, biomaterials, or mechanical testing.
• Strong background in computational mechanics, particularly in finite element modeling, and machine learning (experience in more than one is a plus).
• Experience with programming (e.g., Python, Julia).
• Interest in biomechanics, biodegradable materials, and design for AM.
• Good communication skills and the ability to work in a multidisciplinary team.
• Willingness to relocate and undertake international secondments.
• Compliance with MSCA mobility rule: you must not have lived or carried out your main activity (work, studies) in the Netherlands for more than 12 months in the past 36 months.

What we offer:

• A fully funded PhD position within a prestigious MSCA Doctoral Network.
• Close supervision and mentorship from BME department at TU Delft.
• Access to state-of-the-art additive manufacturing and experimental characterization facilities.
• Training through network-wide workshops, summer schools, and transferable-skills programmes.
• Research secondments with international academic and industrial partners.
• Collaboration with a cohort of Doctoral Candidates working toward an integrated, patient-specific implant design pipeline.

Submission is possible until: 29 Jan 2026

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