PhD position in molecular epidemiology of malaria, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute

The Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute is a public institution with the mandate to contribute to the improvement of the health of populations internationally and nationally through excellence in research, services, and teaching and training. We are currently looking for candidates for a...

PhD position in molecular epidemiology of malaria 

This position is available from February 1st 2016 in the lab-based SwissTPH Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, in the Unit Molecular Diagnostics (www.swisstph.ch) based in Basel.

Minimum Qualification: MSc in Biology, preferably with experience in molecular biology and statistics

Position and general requirements:

• This PhD project is embedded in an international collaboration on monitoring the impact of malaria control interventions on transmission of Plasmodium falciparum and P vivax. 
• Molecular-epidemiological analyses will be performed in cross sectional studies conducted in Pa-pua New Guinea/South-West Pacific and in Brazil. Participation in field surveys and bench work at field laboratories is expected (in total 6-12 months of field work). 
• Focus of the SNF-funded PhD project will be development of highly sensitive tools for malaria diagnostics, tracking transmission stages of Plasmodium species in human blood samples and investigating the contribution of low density parasite infections to onwards transmission in col-laboration with entomologists. 
• DNA and RNA based PCR and quantitative PCR assays will be employed as well as various geno-typing techniques. 

The candidate is expected to collaborate within an international team, involv-ing a number of institutions from Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Brazil, and Australia.

We are looking for a highly motivated and independent PhD student who well integrates into our international team and is willing to contribute to teaching activities and scientific discussions in an interdisciplinary setting.

If you are interested, please submit your application online via the link provided below, in English with CV, and the names of 2 academic references (please use our standard CV whenever possible).
https://recruitinga pp-2698.umantis.com/Jobs/All 

We are looking to have the successful candidate in place as soon as possible, but not later than March 2016.

Closing date for applying: January 31st 2016

PhD student in the field of Silicon Carbide Based Ceramic Metal Composite Materials

Empa is the research institute for materials science and technology of the ETH Domain and conducts cutting-edge research for the benefit of industry and the well-being of society.

Our Laboratory for High Performance Ceramics at Empa has an opening for a

PhD student in the field of Silicon Carbide Based Ceramic Metal Composite Materials

Empa
Jolanda Müller
Human Resources
Überlandstrasse 129
8600 Dübendorf
Switzerland
www.empa.ch/abt201
empa.ch/EmpaChannel

 

in a 3-year project funded by the Suisse National Science Foundation SNF in collaboration with the Technical University of Lausanne EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory for Mechanical Metallurgy, Dr MER Ludger Weber) and in cooperation with SUPSI, the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (Prof Dr Alberto Ortona).

The project title is “Study and characterization of silicon metal alloy systems for the reactive infiltration process of ceramic matrix composites SIMEA”.

The PhD student will have to

• synthesize metal alloys and perform infiltration experiments under inert gas atmospheres
• analyze and understand the infiltration kinetics
• carry out electron microscopy and x-ray studies on synthesized samples
• disseminate the results through scientific publications and within the PhD thesis.

For a successful PhD thesis in this multidisciplinary project, the candidate needs both significant synthesis skills as well as a strong background in metallurgy and ceramics. Further, we are looking for a highly motivated, ambitious, self-driven and hands-on experimentalist with a strong background in ceramics technology and metallurgy. Our new colleague should hold an MSc degree in Materials Science, Metallurgy, Mineralogy or Chemistry. Fluent English in oral and written form and effective communication and writing skills are mandatory.

The PhD student will be hosted at Empa, which is based in Dübendorf, close to Zurich, Switzerland. The academic thesis advisor is Dr MER Ludger Weber at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.

Scientific questions can be directed to Prof Dr Thomas Graule, thomas.graule@empa.ch

We are looking forward to your application including a letter of motivation, CV, diplomas and two names and addresses of referees by January 31st, 2016.

Please submit your application online and upload all documents ("pdf"-file is recommended) through this webpage. Any other way of applying will not be considered.

 

Apply Online 

 

Postdoctoral position in Biological physics, Sweden

Living organisms contain a variety of naturally occurring lipid-based vesicles with distinct biochemical, structural and mechanical properties that allow them to fulfill well-defined biological functions in our body. Exosomes, for example, are small vesicles secreted from cells that can be isolated from body fluids such as blood and urine. Viruses are small pathogenic particles that highjack the cell to replicate and spread. Detailed characterization of biological nanoparticles is challenging because of their small size and their intrinsically heterogeneous nature with respect to for example size and composition. Moreover, biological samples are typically relatively dilute and can often only be obtained in small volumes, thereby requiring methodologies that can be scaled down to the low microliter regime.

The focus of this postdoc project is the development and implementation of a nanofluidic device for fluorescence-based analysis of small biological particles on a single particle level. The project will involve further development of a currently existing prototype but also its implementation in the analysis of extracellular vesicle samples. More specifically, we will in this project analyze chosen samples, characterize their physico-chemical properties of existing subpopulations and quantify the particles. The overall scope is to establish the relation between the properties of the vesicles and their biofunctionality for a given biological problem related to viruses and/or exosomes.

This postdoc project will be carried out as a collaboration between Asst. Prof. Marta Bally (division of Biological Physics, dept. of applied physics) and Assoc. Prof. Fredrik Westerlund (division of Chemical Biology, dept. of Biology and Biological Engineering). The young group of M. Bally focuses on the study of biological nanoparticles (viruses and exosomes), on their interaction with cellular membranes and on the relationship between their properties and their biological function.  The group of F Westerlund works on developing new nanofluidic-based tools with applications ranging from single molecule biophysics to clinical diagnostics. The project is also carried out in collaboration with Elin Esbjörner-Winters (division of Chemical Biology, dept. of Biology and Biological Engineering. We further collaborate with a number of medical researchers from the nearby Sahlgrenska University Hospital.

Major responsibilitiesThe Post Doc will work with the development of analytical procedures to quantify vesicles and characterize their physico-chemical properties using the nanofluidic device and two-channel fluorescence observation. Further developments of the nanofluidic device design is also envisioned.

Your major responsibility as postdoc is to perform your own research in a research group. The position also includes supervising master's and/or PhD students to a certain extent. Another important aspect involves collaboration within academia and with society at large. The position is meritorious for future research duties within academia as well as industry/the public sector.

Position summaryThe position is funded by a scholarship available to non-Swedish citizens with a PhD from a non-Swedish university (received not more than two years before the starting date of the scholarship), who wish to come to Sweden and conduct postdoctoral research. The scholarship is free of tax. Health care insurance will be provided. The position is limited to a maximum of two years (1+1).

QualificationsThe successful candidate should have a PhD in biosciences, biophysics, bioengineering, analytical chemistry, or related disciplines. Expertise in micro/nanofluidics, in working with lipid assemblies, in the design of bioanalytical assays or in single particle tracking/characterization using fluorescence microscopy would be a strong asset. Some basic knowledge in Matlab is also preferred.


Application procedure

The application should be marked with Ref 20150452 and written in English. The application should be sent electronically and be attached as pdf-files, as below:
1. An application of a maximum of one A4 page containing your specific qualifications for the position2. Attested copies of education certificates, including grade reports and other documents3. Curriculum Vitae4. Letters of recommendation and name of at least 2 reference persons.
Please use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form. The files may be compressed (zipped).

Application deadline: 20 January 2016
For questions, please contact:Assistant professor Marta Bally
Biological Physics
E-mail: bally@chalmers.sePhone +46 31 772 32 66

Source 

PhD student positions in parallel and distributed data streaming, Sweden

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering has about 70 faculty members and enrolls about 90 PhD students from more than 30 countries. The research spans the whole spectrum, from theoretical foundations to applied systems development. There is extensive national and international collaboration with academia and industry all around the world.

The Distributed Computing and Systems (DCS) research group (www.cse.chalmers.se/research/group/dcs/) in the Networks and Systems Division consists of approximately 20 international researchers and has been acknowledged as one of the leading research groups in practical multi-core synchronization and programming internationally (with results adopted in e.g. Java JDK, C++). The group has a strong background in data streaming and big data applications, coordination in networked systems, cyber-physical systems in energy and transportation, sensor networks and security. It has an extensive network of academic and industrial contacts and collaborations and has been supported by the major research organizations in Sweden and internationally.

Major responsibilities

The research will focus on parallel and distributed data streaming and their leveraging in future data-intensive applications (e.g. smart connected systems, such as autonomous and adaptive production systems,  smart energy systems, intelligent vehicular systems and networks). The core of the research will be the design and implementation of streaming processing algorithms that allow for data analysis which is (i) efficient and reliable (ii) high-throughput and low-latency and (iii) parallel, distributed and adaptive. The ultimate goal is to shape data streaming solutions that can be deployed in many-core and distributed architectures leveraging their underlying parallelism and the distributed nature of their data. The research will be funded by the Swedish Foundation of Strategic Research project titled "Future factories in the Cloud (FiC)" and will provide the possibilities for interactions with other top universities and industry in Sweden and Internationally.

Salary for the position is as specified in Chalmers' general agreement for PhD student positions. Currently the starting salary is 27,800SEK per month before tax. The positions are intended to start in winter/early-spring 2016, but a different starting date is also possible to arrange. Your major responsibility as a PhD student is to pursue your own doctoral studies. You are expected to develop your own scientific concepts and communicate the results of your research verbally and in writing. The position generally also includes teaching on Chalmers' undergraduate level or performing other duties corresponding to 20 per cent of working hours.

Position summary

Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of five years.

Qualifications

To qualify as a PhD student, you must have a solid background in Computer Science and Engineering or in a related discipline, corresponding to a master's level degree of at least 240 higher education credits. As for all PhD studies, a genuine interest and curiosity in the subject matter and excellent analytical and communication skills, both oral and written, are needed.

The ideal candidate for the position has strong background in distributed computing and networked systems, with emphasis on and enthusiam for both algorithmic aspects and programming. Further experience with interdisciplinary projects or background in cyber-physical systems or data analysis is helpful. You may apply even if you have not completed your degree, but expect to do so before the position starts.  Knowledge of Swedish is not a prerequisite for applying since English is our working language for research. Both Swedish and English are used in undergraduate courses. Our researchers and PhD students at the department come from more than 30 different countries.

Application procedure

The application should be marked with Ref 20150555 and written in English. The application should be sent electronically and be attached as pdf-files, as below:

1. Application: (Please name the document: APPLICATION, Family name, reference number)
   − CV
   − Other, for example previous employments or leadership qualifications and positions of trust.
   − Two-three letters of reference
2. Personal letter/Qualifications: (Please name the document as: QUALIFICATIONS, family name, ref. number)
   − 1-3 pages where you introduce yourself present your qualifications and describe your future research plans.
   − Previous research fields and main research results.
   − Future goals and research focus. Are there any specific projects and research issues you are primarily interested in?
3. Other:
   − Copies of bachelor and/or master’s thesis, project-reports and/or research-articles written.
   − Attested copies and transcripts of completed education, grades and other certificates, eg. TOEFL test results.

Please use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form. The files may be compressed (zipped).

Application deadline: 31 January 2016

For questions, please contact:Associate Professor Marina Papatriantafilou,
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Networks and Systems Division
Email: ptrianta@chalmers.se
Phone: +46-31-772 5413

Tomas Olovsson
Head of the Division Networks and Systems
Email: tomas.olovsson@chalmers.se
Phone: +46 31 772 1688

Source

PhD Position for Cognitive Computing for Urban Planning, ETH Zurich

The Singapore-ETH Centre for Global Environmental Sustainability (SEC), 

a joint initiative between ETH Zurich and Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF), launched the Future Cities Laboratory (FCL) as its first research program in Singapore in September 2010. The FCL undertakes cutting-edge research in disciplines ranging from planning, engineering, and environmental technologies to communication technology and architecture. The Big Data Informed Urban Design project lead by ETH Prof. Gerhard Schmitt, researches and develops methods and guidelines for integrating advanced data analytics into the urban design and planning process. In order to make data analytics available to design, the main task involves extracting information and knowledge from urban data and investigating correlations between spatial configurations and behavioural phenomena. In this context the FCL is announcing the following job opening:

PhD Position for Cognitive Computing for Urban Planning

This project focuses on the analysis of how urban planners work and how they interact with computational urban planning tools. The goal is to create more responsive and adequate interactions between humans and computational tools. A key to natural interaction is the understanding what either humans or machines could do on their own. You develop tools that combine spatial intelligence, hypothesis generation and evaluation, and dynamic learning for a powerful, fast, and accurate urban planning solution. The work place is at Singapore-ETH Centre, CREATE Tower in Singapore. The position will be available from 1 September 2015.

The successful candidate has a Master degree in Computational Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or with equivalent relevant background, who is interested in working in an interdisciplinary environment at the interface of urban design and algorithm development for large-scale data analysis problems. Ideally you will have a strong background in computational design synthesis techniques and experiences with computational geometry, network analysis, deep learning and machine learning technologies. Applicants educated in architecture or urban planning are welcome, but need to prove their knowledge and experience in one of the above areas. Your English must be fluent, both written and spoken.

Apply Online

PhD positions in Electric Power System Control

The Power System Laboratory (PSL) and the Automatic Control Laboratory (IfA) at the Department of Electrical Engineering – ETH Zürich invite applications for two fully-funded PhD positions in the field of Electric Power System Control. The successful candidates will be working in the PSL and IFA research groups and supervised jointly by Profs. Gabriela Hug-Glanzmann and Florian Dörfler. ETH Zürich is located in the city of Zürich, Switzerland.

The two positions are integrated into the project “MIGRATE -- Massive InteGRATion of power Electronic devices”, funded by the Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. Within MIGRATE, the impact of the proliferation of power electronic interfaced devices to the transmission system will be investigated. The PhD projects will focus on developing and validating innovative control techniques to ensure the secure operation of a system with 100% penetration of power electronic interfaced devices.

The positions require a MSc. (or equivalent) in electrical engineering, control engineering, applied mathematics, or a related field. Excellent knowledge of the English language, both oral and written, but also an interest in learning German is expected. Candidates must have strong mathematical skills and at least some knowledge of programming. Preference will be given to candidates with previous experience in power system dynamics and stability, and/or control and optimization. Finally, the successful candidates should be able to work in a team, are expected to have good communication skills, and to be willing to interact within an international research environment.

Successful candidates will receive an annual stipend according to the standard university rules (https://www.ethz.ch/en/the-eth-zurich/welcome-center/employment-contract-and-salary/salary.html). The planned starting date is February 1^st, 2016, or as soon as possible after that.

Applications with Cover Letter, CV, BSc and MSc transcripts, work certificates, list of publications, and two letters of reference should be sent by January 15th, 2016 online to migrate-phd-positions@ethz.ch. Any documents not in English or German, should be accompanied by a translation.

Please contact Dr. Petros Aristidou (aristidou at eeh.ee.ethz.ch) in case of questions related to the project (no applications).

Researcher Position in Earthquake Early Warning, Swiss Seismological Service

The Swiss Seismological Service (SED) at the ETH Zurich is the federal agency responsible for monitoring earthquakes in Switzerland and for assessing Switzerland’s seismic hazard. The SED employs a team of 70 scientists and staff. The Seismic Network group at the SED work on rapid earthquake characterisation including earthquake early warning (EEW). EEW algorithms developed within the team include the point source approaches Virtual Seismologist and Gutenberg Algorithm, and the finite source approach FinDer. Some of these methods have been independently integrated into the open-source and widely used SeisComP3 (SC3), our earthquake monitoring system. The Network group is also collaborating with INETER in Nicaragua on evaluating the local feasibility of EEW with a view to setting up a prototype system in Central America. In order to develop these projects, the Seismic Network group at SED seeks a highly motivated individual for a

Researcher Position in Earthquake Early Warning

We are looking for a researcher that will develop a production-level EEW probabilistic Bayesian framework that combines independent algorithms, and collaborate with seismic networks to ensure optimal operation of EEW. The primary responsibilities for the researcher are to: 

• Develop and test a Bayesian framework for EEW that provides best estimates of ground shaking by integrating prior constraints and all available information from multiple existing EEW algorithms • Manage migration of the framework to a production open-source framework in SC3 
• Collaborate with INETER in Nicaragua to evaluate readiness of local seismic networks for EEW, and suitability of EEW approaches to local seismicity / seismic networks. 
• Ensure optimal performance of EEW systems in Switzerland and Central America. 

The position is initially for 24 months, with the possibility of extension. Extended travel to Central America is expected. The working language of the group is English, though knowledge of Spanish would be regarded positively. The position will be filled at either postdoctoral or senior researcher level, depending on experience.

The candidate should have a PhD in geophysics, engineering or a related field with documented experience on relevant subjects, which should include Bayesian statistics or scientific software development with a strong interest to apply these to earthquake early warning and seismic networks. A solid background in programming, preferably in Python and / or C++, is required. Postdoctoral experience, preferably within a seismic network environment, and / or familiarity with SeisComP3 are not necessary but would be of advantage.

 

For further information please contact Prof. Dr. Stefan Wiemer by email, wiemer@sed.ethz.ch (no applications) or Dr. John Clinton by email, john.clinton@sed.ethz.ch (no applications) and visit our website www.seismo.ethz.ch. The position is available starting early 2016. The selection process starts immediately (January 2016) and will continue until the position is filled.
We are looking forward to your application including a CV, a statement of research interests, and the names and complete contact information of three referees. Only complete applications will be considered. Please apply online (see button below) and address it to: ETH Zürich, Ms. Maja Bügler, Human Resources, CH-8092 Zürich.

 

Apply now