University of Southampton
Research Fellow in Bioengineering
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Applications are invited for an enthusiastic Research Fellow
About the Role
Applications are invited for an enthusiastic Research Fellow to join the Molecular Biophotonics and Imaging group within the School of Chemistry and Institute for Life Sciences at the University of Southampton.
Heart failure is a major global health challenge, yet scientists still struggle to observe how new treatments interact with a living, beating heart. This lack of real-time visibility slows progress in regenerative medicine, particularly for therapies such as engineered heart tissue (EHT) transplants. The EIC-funded HeartVision project aims to change this by developing a method to image heart cells as they function. Heart failure remains the leading cause of death worldwide, and currently, no curative therapy exists. EHT transplantation is a promising approach, but researchers lack the tools to monitor its effectiveness as it happens. Key questions remain unanswered: Where do transplanted cardiomyocytes go? How do they integrate with the host tissue? When do they begin contributing to heart function?
At present, even imaging cells deep within therapy-scale EHTs is impossible - let alone visualising them inside a beating heart. HeartVision addresses this gap by using specialised infrared light to track how transplanted cells move, connect, and start working. By combining these imaging technologies with advanced data analysis, the project provides a cell-level view of a functioning heart. This capability will allow researchers to test therapies more accurately and could accelerate the development of life-saving treatments.
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HeartVision brings together five research groups across four European countries. At the University of Southampton, the team led by Dr. Dipanjan Bhattacharya is responsible for developing OrganLab - a platform for long-term imaging of large, live EHT patches and for performing quantitative analyses to understand the mechanical properties of EHTs using custom-built imaging systems.
Responsibilities
The postholder will:
- Culture engineered heart tissue and develop a fluidic platform capable of maintaining large EHT patches for long-term imaging.
- Design and implement a temperature controlled fluidic sample chamber for growing and imaging live EHT patches, using AutoCAD and 3D-printing technologies.
- Image these tissues using the home-built microscope system and subject them to various physical and mechanical manipulations.
- Carry out quantitative analyses to extract meaningful information about tissue mechanics.
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Desired Candidate
The successful candidate will have:
- A PhD or equivalent professional qualifications in biological sciences.
- Experience in basic cell biology and bio-photonics (spectroscopy, optics, imaging) techniques.
- Quantitative image analysis experience.
- A background and experience of working in a highly interdisciplinary environment.
Job Details
- Position Type: Part-time (50%) fixed term for 24 months initially and potentially extendable.
- Work Pattern: Flexible.
- Location: Institute for Life Sciences on the Highfield campus at the University of Southampton.
- Informal Enquiries: Dr. Dipanjan Bhattacharya, Dipanjan.Bhattacharya@soton.ac.uk
Application
Applications for Research Fellow positions will be considered from candidates who have already earned their PhD qualification or equivalent qualifications and experience.
Essential Criteria
Please refer to the job description for full details on the essential criteria.
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