Balgrist University Hospital, Spinal Cord Injury Center

Open PhD position: computational modeling of CSF dynamics in spinal cord injury 80 %

Start of employment 01.08.2025, temporary

Our team consists of the Spinal Cord Injury Center Group at Balgrist University Hospital (https://www.sci-research.uzh.ch/en/aboutus.html) and The Interface Group at the University of Zurich (interfacegroup.ch). The Spinal Cord Injury Center provides highly specialized treatment for spinal cord injury patients by an interdisciplinary team of surgeons and neurologists. The Interface Group provides a creative, cross-disciplinary international work environment with outstanding infrastructure for computational research in biomedicine, physiology and biophysics. This unique constellation of clinical and basic sciences enables fast translation of research findings to benefit patients.

Your responsibilities

The core task of the PhD student will be the development of a computational model of CSF dynamics and spinal cord compression. This will be based upon the collected data in patients and animals, as well as established physical and physiological concepts CSF fluid dynamics and CSF space obstruction. The PhD student will be trained in the relevant clinical and physiological areas, and mentored in computational modeling. The student will also participate in the data acquisition in large animals (adapting the data acquisition software for the new measurements (LabView), surgical assistance, animal handling) and in clinical data acquisition (assisting with signal monitoring in the operating theatre). This project has the potential to elucidate entirely novel avenues to improve the diagnosis and monitoring of spinal cord disease.

Your profile

Your goal is to have an immediate impact on the lives of patients. You are intrigued by the potential of combining neuroimaging and biomechanical proxies for evaluating spinal cord compression. You have a background in (biomedical) engineering, in physiology with strong technical expertise in data acquisition and analysis, or a comparable background. You are comfortable with working alongside medical doctors in the operating theater, with veterinarians for data acquisition on large animals, and in collaboration with engineers on the analysis of image and signal analysis. You are open to spending part of your PhD with our collaborators in the United Kingdom and Australia.

Information on your application

Please send us your full application including CV and motivation letter.

What we offer

Our employees benefit from a wide range of attractive offers. More

What we offer

Work-Life Balance
  • Flexible working models (such as part-time positions, mobile working, job-sharing)
  • Childcare at the kihz foundation of UZH and ETH


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Learning and Development
  • Wide range of continuing education courses of UZH and the Canton of Zurich
  • Language Center run jointly with ETH Zurich

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Food
  • Food and drinks at reduced prices in the UZH cafeterias
  • Lunch-Check-card with UZH contribution

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Healthcare
  • Special conditions on the Academic Sports Association ASVZ
  • Free seasonal flu vaccinations
  • Rest and relaxation at the quiet room in the university tower

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Discounts
  • Private traffic: Carsharing, rent a vehicle, parking space
  • Digitalization: Hardware, software, mobile phone subscriptions
  • Special conditions on hotel reservations

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Conditions of Employment
  • Policies of the UZH
  • Most UZH staff are employed according to public law


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International Services
  • Support for people from outside Switzerland

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Campuses
  • Campuses Zurich City, Zurich Irchel, Oerlikon and Schlieren
  • Sites Zurich West, Old Botanical Garden, Botanical Garden and Lengg

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Further information

Questions about the job

Carl Moritz Zipser Senior Neurologist +44 44 386 3806
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Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
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Please apply via our job portal www.jobs.uzh.ch.

Working at UZH

The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer! More
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