PhD Position in Mechanical Circulatory Support

Welcome to Maastricht University!
What if you could help redefine how we support the failing heart—at the exact moment it matters most? This PhD position bridges a state-of-the-art Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) experimental lab with real-world clinical analysis in patients with cardiogenic shock and cardiothoracic surgery. You will work at the frontline where engineering, physiology, and critical care converge to shape the future of life-saving therapy.

PhD Position in Mechanical Circulatory Support

• Our goal: To improve outcomes for patients with cardiogenic shock and complex cardiothoracic disease by integrating cutting-edge experimental research with high-impact clinical analysis.
• Your colleagues: A multidisciplinary team of cardiothoracic surgeons, intensivists, cardiologists, biomedical engineers, and data scientists within a state-of-the-art MCS lab and high-volume tertiary referral center.

Cardiogenic shock and advanced heart failure remain among the most urgent challenges in cardiovascular medicine. Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) technologies offer life-saving potential, yet optimal patient selection, timing, and device strategies require deeper mechanistic and clinical insight. Our program combines experimental cardiovascular research with robust clinical cohort analysis to refine and personalize circulatory support strategies.

As a PhD candidate, you play a strategically important role in connecting experimental MCS research with clinical outcomes in patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery and/or treated for cardiogenic shock. You design and conduct laboratory-based studies, while also setting up and analyzing prospective and retrospective clinical cohorts. By investigating hemodynamics, organ perfusion, and device–heart interactions, you contribute directly to improving bedside decision-making.

You translate experimental findings into clinically relevant hypotheses and protocols. You analyze clinical, physiological, and imaging datasets with rigor and reproducibility. You publish your results in peer-reviewed journals, present at international congresses, and actively contribute to multidisciplinary clinical–scientific discussions.

Are you ready to help shape the next generation of circulatory support strategies? We would love to meet you.

What you bring

We’re not looking for checkboxes; we’re interested in who you are and what you bring. Do you recognize yourself in this?

• Scientifically curious and translationally minded – You ask mechanistic and clinical questions and are driven to translate findings from bench to bedside within MCS.
• Analytical and quantitative – You work confidently with clinical, physiological, and/or experimental data and interpret results in a rigorous, reproducible way.
• Fascinated by cardiovascular physiology or biomedical engineering – You have a strong interest in hemodynamics, heart–device interactions, and critical care physiology.
• Collaborative across disciplines – You communicate effectively with clinicians, engineers, and researchers, and feel at home in a multidisciplinary environment.
• Clear and persuasive communicator – You present results with clarity, write scientific manuscripts, and contribute to grant proposals and academic discussions.

What we offer 
At Maastricht University, you’ll work in an international, open, and engaged environment. We offer:

• A 12-month contract (1.0 FTE) with the prospect of a 3-year extension upon positive evaluation.
• A gross monthly salary between €3059,00 and €3881,00 (based on full-time employment of 38 hours per week). 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus.
• 29 vacation days (based on full-time), four additional days off (Carnival Monday and Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day), and the possibility to accrue up to 12 extra days through compensation hours.
• Flexible working hours, a home office allowance, and the option to work from home.
• Freedom and space to shape your work independently and develop your ideas.
• A close-knit community of colleagues to collaborate and grow with.
• A solid pension plan via ABP, company fitness schemes, and access to various university sports facilities.
• An inspiring work environment in the heart of Europe.

About the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML)
FHML is committed to health in the broadest sense: from molecule to human, and from healthcare to prevention. We train healthcare professionals and researchers through innovative educational programmes and conduct groundbreaking research in health and well-being. As part of Maastricht UMC+ (MUMC+), our international and interdisciplinary community forms a unique collaboration between university and academic hospital, where education, research, and care come together.

Interested?
Want to know more about this position or what it’s like to work at our university? Reach out to Elham Bidar at elham.bidar@maastrichtuniversity.nl. The end date of the publication is 22 March 2026. 

Apply now via the button below. We look forward to getting to know you!

About Maastricht University
At Maastricht University, we collaboratively seek solutions to help move the world forward. We do this with 23,300 students and 5,400 employees across 5 regional locations, 6 faculties, and more than 70 research institutes. We encourage you to push boundaries and discover new opportunities for yourself and the world around you. Together, we can find the answers for tomorrow.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

At Maastricht University, we prefer to contact potential candidates directly. We therefore kindly ask that no agencies or intermediaries submit offers or approaches.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.