Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student), Bioreactor Development

The University of Eastern Finland is inviting applications for a Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) position in Bioreactor Development at the Department of Technical Physics on the Kuopio campus. The position will be filled for a fixed term as from 1 August 2026 (or as agreed) to 30 May 2028.

Please find more information below and submit your application by 23 June 2026.

Role and salary 

We are seeking a highly motivated Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) to join our research project Novel Photonics Sensing Approach for Monitoring, Modelling and Controlling Tissue Growth in a Bioreactor: Towards Personalised Cartilage Tissue Engineering – (M2C) funded by Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation. The primary aim of this project is to combine cutting-edge knowledge on near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) with state-of-the-art paradigms in functional cartilage tissue engineering (TE) for in situ live monitoring and control of the cartilage TE process.

As a Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) you will focus on:

• designing, constructing, and optimising a custom bioreactor for cartilage TE
• developing and integrating mechanical components, electronic control systems, and sensing technologies for controlled tissue culture environments
• implementing NIRS for non-destructive monitoring of engineered cartilage constructs
• programming and operating automated data acquisition and feedback control systems
• prototyping, testing, and troubleshooting hardware–software integration
• conducting TE experiments involving cell–hydrogel scaffolds and engineered cartilage constructs
• analysing data, documenting system design, and participating in the preparation of grant applications and scientific publications, as well as performing other tasks assigned by the supervisor.

The main duty of the Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) is to conduct research for their doctoral dissertation and to complete postgraduate studies.

The project will be conducted in the Biomedical Spectroscopy Laboratory (BSL) (website) and the Biophysics of Bone and Cartilage (BBC) (website) research groups, at the Department of Technical Physics, under the supervision of Associate Professor Isaac O. Afara and Professor Rami Korhonen. The BSL is an active research group focused on fundamental and translational biospectroscopy and the BBC research group is a global leader in the biophysics of bone and cartilage. The combined group consists of more than 60 researchers applying experimental, computational and clinical approaches to understanding and developing innovative techniques for diagnosing joint diseases.

The position will be filled for a fixed term as from 1 August 2026 (or as agreed) to 30 May 2028. The position will be filled for a fixed term due to the Doctoral Researcher’s (PhD Student’s) own doctoral dissertation work and studies. A trial period is applied to all new members of the staff.

The salary of the position is determined in accordance with the salary system for Finnish universities. The salary comprises two components: a job-related salary element and a personal salary element. For a Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student), the job-related salary element is based on levels 2–4 of the job requirement level chart for teaching and research staff depending on the stage of the applicant’s doctoral research and postgraduate studies. The personal salary element is 6–50% of the job-related salary element. At the beginning of the employment, the total salary will be approximately EUR 2,710–2,845  /month.

Our requirements and expectations 

We require you to

• be eligible for postgraduate studies; i.e., to hold a Master’s degree in biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, mechatronics, bioengineering, applied physics or a related field, awarded by a university or a university of applied sciences, or to have completed an applicable study programme abroad which in the awarding country gives eligibility for corresponding postgraduate education
• meet the student admission criteria for the LUMETO doctoral programme (Doctoral Programme in Science, Forestry and Technology, website)
• have good skills in English, both written and spoken
• have intermediate/advanced knowledge of electronics, sensors, or instrumentation
• have programming skills for hardware control and data acquisition (e.g., Python, MATLAB, C/C++)
• have experience in CAD design and rapid prototyping.

Applicants who do not yet have the right to pursue postgraduate studies at the University of Eastern Finland are not required to apply for study rights at the application stage. If the applicant is selected for the position and applies for postgraduate study rights, the selection will be conditional until the right to pursue postgraduate studies in the faculty’s doctoral programme has been granted. The application for postgraduate study rights is submitted through the Studyinfo (Opintopolku) service.

The following will be considered an advantage

• hands-on experience in laboratory or engineering system construction
• experience with microcontrollers or embedded systems
• knowledge of control systems or signal processing
• experience with bioreactors, laboratory instrumentation, or automation systems
• basic understanding of TE or cell culture
• strong troubleshooting and interdisciplinary research skills
• experience in statistical analysis and scientific publishing.

Your benefits 

You will have access to the university’s staff benefits, including 

• opportunity for flexible multi-location work
• excellent opportunities for professional development and continuous learning
• extensive occupational health care  
• broad selection of staff training
• staff discount on lunch in our campus restaurants, as well as on a range of other services 
• affordable sports services.

Please read more in the Work at UEF section on our website.  

You will have an opportunity to work in meaningful as part of our international, creative, participatory and inclusive academic community.    

Enjoy your life in Finland! Known for its cleanliness, welfare know-how, modern technology and superb education system, Finland is an exotic and safe country to work in. Please visit the Life in Finland section on our website to learn more.    

How to apply? 

Submit your application by using our electronic application form no later than 23 June 2026 by 23:59 (midnight) Finnish time (UTC +3).

Please note that you must include the following appendices in your application

• CV (Template for CV, TENK web page)
• a list of publications (Instructions, Research Council of Finland Web page)
• copies of your academic degree certificates / diplomas, and copies of certificates / diplomas relating to your language proficiency, if not indicated in the academic degree certificates/diplomas
• a transcript of records
• a motivation letter (max. 1 page) in which you describe your motivation for this position and your earlier research experience
• other documents to demonstrate your merits for the position. 

If your degree certificate is not in English, Finnish, or Swedish, you must provide official English translations of your degree certificate documents. All translations must be issued by the awarding educational institution or an authorized translator. Each page of the official translation must bear the translator's stamp and/or signature. Official translations must be accurate translations of the original documents. Translations made by the applicants themselves will not be accepted.

Questions?

For further information on the position, please contact Associate Professor Isaac Afara, e-mail: [email protected], tel.: +358 29 445 3305.

For further information on the application procedure, please contact HR Specialist Iiris Korhonen, e-mail: [email protected], tel.: +358 29 445 8161. 

Haemme väitöskirjatutkijaa Itä-Suomen yliopistolle. Tehtävä sijoittuu luonnontieteiden, metsätieteiden ja tekniikan tiedekuntaan teknillisen fysiikan laitokselle Kuopion kampukselle. Tehtävä alkaa 1.8.2026  (tai sopimuksen mukaan) ja se täytetään kolmen vuoden määräajaksi. Tehtävässä tehtäväkohtainen palkanosa on vaativuustasoluokittelussa tasoilla 2–4. Lisäksi maksetaan henkilökohtaiseen suoriutumiseen perustuvaa palkanosaa, joka on 6–50 % tehtäväkohtaisesta palkanosasta. Tehtävässä edellytetään hyvää englannin kielen taitoa.​

Lue tarkemmat tiedot tehtävästä ja hakuohjeet yllä olevasta englanninkielisestä ilmoituksesta. Jätäthän hakemuksesi englanniksi. Hakuaika tehtävään päättyy 23.6.2026.

The Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology operates on the Kuopio and Joensuu campuses of the University of Eastern Finland. The mission of the faculty is to carry out internationally recognised scientific research and to offer research-education in the fields of natural sciences, forestry and technology. The faculty invests in all of the strategic research areas of the university. The faculty’s environments for research and learning are international, modern and multidisciplinary. The faculty has approximately 2,650 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students and some 440 postgraduate students. The number of staff amounts to 650.

The University of Eastern Finland (UEF) is the most multidisciplinary university in Finland. Our university employs approximately 3,200 employees, and our community includes approximately 17,000 degree students and 16,000 adult education students. Our campuses are located in Joensuu and Kuopio. We represent the world’s cutting edge of research in many fields and produce research-based knowledge, which is made openly available to benefit everyone. Learn more about our university at www.uef.fi/en. Read also about UEF as a working community and employer and the career stories of our employees.

1. Isaac Afara, [email protected]