PhD position - Advanced in vitro Ear-Nose-Throat (ENT) respiratory models - 36 months fixed-ter[...]

PhD position - Advanced in vitro Ear-Nose-Throat (ENT) respiratory models - 36 months fixed-term contract

Institut Mines-Télécom is the leading public group of engineering and management Grandes Écoles in France. It leads and develops a rich ecosystem of partner schools, economic, academic and institutional partners, key players in education, research and economic development.

Mines Saint-Étienne, a graduate school of the Institut Mines-Télécom, is responsible for education, research, innovation, industrial transfer and scientific culture dissemination. It has 3 campuses dedicated to the industry of the future, health and well-being, and digital sovereignty and microelectronics.

To support this strategy, it is recruiting a PhD student.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Advanced in vitro Ear-Nose-Throat (ENT) respiratory models: development of cellularized anatomical models for cell culture air-liquid exposure to enhance in vitro-in vivo correlation of intranasal drugs.

The position is based on the Saint-Étienne campus.

Host laboratory:

Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Etienne is dedicated to the training of highly qualified engineers. The Center for Biomedical and Healthcare Engineering aims at improving health through science and engineering. The host laboratory has been integrated into the UMR INSERM U1059 since 2016.

Scientific context:

In vitro respiratory 3D replicas serve as invaluable tools for investigating aerosol transport and deposition of intranasal drugs. The project will identify and compare the key parameters that influence the deposition and absorption of drugs delivered into the nasal cavity by intranasal spray technologies.

Work plan:

The project is divided into work packages (WP) requiring a wide range of complementary expertise:

1. WP1 - Development of dismountable segmented nasal casts: Nasal casts will be 3D-printed from CT scans of patients representing two population groups: infants and adults.
2. WP2 - Regional aerosol deposition in segmented nasal casts: The intranasal regional deposition of the aerosol generated with selected nasal sprays will be assessed in segmented nasal casts.
3. WP3 - Development of cellularized nasal cast and In situ pharmacokinetics (PK) of intranasal drugs: Segmented nasal casts are modified to incorporate docking areas determined from deposition data.
4. WP4 - Building a predictive Physiologically Based PharmacoKinetic (PBPK) model: A PBPK model will be built and parameterized to predict the systemic absorption of nasally administered drugs.

Objective and supervision:

The objective of this doctoral thesis is to achieve the WP of the project. The researcher is expected to write reports, perform data analysis and prepare publications. This 3-year position will be co-supervised by experts in biomedical engineering and aerosol science.

PROFIL SOUGHT:
Holder of a Master 2 degree in biological sciences, chemistry or pharmacology

You have the following skills, knowledge and experience:

An autonomous candidate with a strong attraction for the experimental side and a sharp scientific curiosity is preferred.

WHY JOIN US:

• A privileged working environment with a high student supervision rate
• First-rate experimental and digital resources
• Significant contract research activity mainly with industrial partners
• 25% international students
• A unique centre for scientific, technical and industrial culture
• Pleasant workplace, easily accessible by public transport
• Public transport costs reimbursed up to 75% (subject to conditions)
• 49 days annual leave

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Recruitment conditions:

• Fixed-term contract for a period of 36months
• Remuneration will be set according to the candidate's profile
• Full time
• Position based in Saint-Étienne

The position is open to all, with accommodation available on request for candidates with disabilities.

How to apply:

Applications (CV, covering letter, letter of recommendation if applicable) must be submitted on the RECRUITEE platform no later than

For further information about the position, please contact: clement.mercier@emse.fr and pourchez@emse.fr.