PhD Studentiship in Food & Nutrition Toxicology Group,ETH Zurich,Switzerland

The Toxicology Laboratory of Prof. Shana Sturla, Department of Health Sciences & Technology, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health at ETHZurich, has two open PhD Positions.

The research projects are at the interface of chemistry and biology. Objectives for one project are to develop novel bioanalytical strategies for biomonitoring DNA damage of cancer relevance. The research will combine techniques in analytical chemistry, nanotechnology and biochemistry. Objectives for a second project are to elucidate mechanisms of DNA adduct formation and processing in cancer cells and to relate the proficiency of the DNA damage response to chemical cytotoxicity. The research will combine techniques in chemistry and biochemistry. The project start dates are between 1 Feb 2015 – 1 July 2015 or an agreed upon date.

A successful applicant will have, or expect to obtain, an MSc or equivalent in chemistry, toxicology, pharmaceutical sciences, molecular biology or a closely related discipline. Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are needed. The individual should have a strong foundation of practical experience involving chemistry or biochemistry. Students with a chemistry-oriented background should have a demonstrated interest in biologically related sciences that is conveyed in their application. Likewise, students with a biology-oriented background should have a demonstrated interest in chemistry that is conveyed in their application.

For further information please contact Dr. Ioannis Trantakis at ioannis.trantakis@hest.ethz.ch (no application documents) or visit our website http://www.toxicology.ethz.ch.

We are looking forward to receive your online application. It should include a cover letter that describes research experience, scientific and professional/career goals and indicates an ideal starting date for the applicant. Moreover it should include an academic transcripts/list of courses completed or ongoing, including grades/notes and the CV has to include the contact information of three referees. Please do not include letters of recommendation with the application – these may be requested later. Please send it to: ETHZurich, Human Resources, Mrs. Nadja Lang, CH-8092 Zurich.

PhD student position in Experimental Geomechanics in Chalmers University of Technology,Sweden

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering works with every aspect of construction in the community – houses to live in, roads to travel on, and water to drink – from planning to maintenance, taking into account the environment, energy and economics. Analysis and problem-solving focus on the ways in which technology, humans and nature interact in society.

The Department has around 130 employees, divided between six research divisions and an administrative team, and is based at the Johanneberg Campus. When it comes to research and education, our Department is at the forefront, and through our work, we contribute to a sustainable built environment.

Information about the research/the project/the division
The current vacancy is within the division of GeoEngineering, which consists of three overlapping research groups: Geomechanics & Geotechnical Engineering, Hydrogeology & Rock Engineering, and Risk Management of Land & Water Resources. The group has unique laboratory facilities to study soft geomaterials in climate-controlled conditions and computational facilities incorporating the latest developments for computational work. We are looking for a doctoral student in the Geomechanics & Geotechnical Engineering group under supervision of Associate Professor Jelke Dijkstra. In our research we study the complex material behaviour arising from the particulate nature of natural soils and the associated coupled processes. Our main focus is on fine grained natural materials, such as soft sensitive clays. On the experimental side, we probe the material behaviour across the scales from small scale (micrometre) to large scale (meters). Subsequently, this information is used to develop novel constitutive models that are implemented in in-house and commercial computational codes. These are used for advanced modelling of geotechnical problems on soft soils, such embankments, foundations, slopes, deep excavations and ground improvement and compared with field monitoring results.

The current position is an experimental position related to the development of novel element tests at small scale to enable advanced non-intrusive measurement techniques, such as micro-tomography, dielectric spectroscopy, small angle x-ray and neutron scattering. Part of the experiments will be performed in collaboration with Dr Stephen Hall at Lund University using the world-class facilities in the Department of Solid Mechanics and at MAX-lab.

Major responsibilities
The aim of the proposal is to improve our fundamental understanding of fine-grained granular matter, such as quick clay, by experimentally studying the evolution of the structure of these materials on the micro scale for several controlled mechanical loading conditions. The applicant is also expected to contribute to the education at undergraduate or MSc level (up to 20 per cent of working hours).

Your major responsibilities are 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, in English.

Position summary
We are looking for a highly motivated and talented individual with experience/interest in design and development of apparatuses for material testing in a collaborative project between Chalmers and Lund funded by Vetenskapsrådet (http://www.vr.se/inenglish).

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

Qualifications
To to qualify as a PhD student, you must have a Master's level degree corresponding to at least 240 ECTScredits or a 4-year Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Applied Physics or related subject. Additional experience with building equipment and developing control software and/or electronics is an advantage. The applicants are expected to be proficient in English (both verbal and written communication) in order to work efficiently in an English speaking research environment.

For more information and how to apply:
http://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/vacancies/?rmpage=job&rmjob=2607