PhD Position Biomechanical Engineering 100 %

PhD Position Biomechanical Engineering 100 %

Wanted: PhD position in the field of assistive rehabilitation technologies for neurodegenerative diseases. Become Part in the digitization of novel therapy concepts by using Augmented Reality.

School: School of Engineering

Starting date: 1.10.2025

• Development of a novel therapy concept for the mobilisation of patients in neuro-rehabilitation
• Combining Virtual Reality (VR) technologies and motor control principles for the improvement of stability & balance
• Implementation of sensory systems for the measurement of human movements during rehabilitation
• Data evaluation of biofeedback by using pattern recognition and novel algorithms (e.g. machine learning principles)
• University Master's degree in the field of (bio-)mechanical engineering, mechatronics
• Knowledge in the field of sensory technology & feedback control
• Programming skills (e.g. Matlab) in game-based VR applications (e.g. Unity)

Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW is one of Switzerland's largest multidisciplinary universities of applied sciences, with over 14'000 students and 3'400 faculty and staff.

ZHAW is committed to gender-mixed and diverse teams in order to promote equality, diversity and innovation.

As one of the leading Engineering Faculties in Switzerland, the ZHAW School of Engineering emphasises topics which will be relevant in the future. Our 14 institutes and centres guarantee superior-quality education, research and development with an emphasis on the areas of energy, mobility, information and health.

At the IMES Institute of Mechanical Systems, we drive innovation in Mechanical Engineering through applied research, cutting-edge technology, and strong industry collaboration. Our interdisciplinary teams develop smart, sustainable solutions in areas such as lightweight structures, mechanical modelling&manufacturing and biomechanics.

The research fields in Biomechanical Engineering (BME) are Surgical Technologies, Soft Tissue Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Engineering. A close collaboration with Rehabilitation Clinics allows the development of patient-individualised therapy solutions.

The BME group consists of a young and interdisciplinary team and is looking for you from 1.9.2025 to drive the applied research of tomorrow.

The PhD is running in the framework of the PhD Programme Biomedical Science und Health Innovations together with ETH Zurich (Co-Supervision by Prof. Dr. Roger Gassert, ReLab). The workspace is located at ZHAW in Winterthur.

Wir bieten hochschulgerechte Arbeits- und Anstellungsbedingungen an und fördern aktiv die Personalentwicklung unserer Mitarbeitenden und Führungspersonen. Eine detaillierte Beschreibung der Vorteile ist auf der Webseite «Arbeiten an der ZHAW» zu finden. Hier die wichtigsten Eckpunkte:

Prof. Dr. Daniel Baumgartner

Head of Biomechanical Engineering Group, IMES

Jocelyn Schaad

Recruiting Manager