PhD position at the interface of biomaterials and organoid research

Welcome to Maastricht University!
Are you excited about pioneering the future of regenerative medicine? Do you want to work at the crossroads of biomaterials, organoid biology and developmental biology? Join the MERLN Institute and help us shape tomorrow’s biomedical innovations as our new PhD candidate. 

 

PhD position at the interface of biomaterials and organoid research

• Our goal:
  We aim to engineer innovative biomaterials and synthetic microenvironments to better understand and guide organoid development. By integrating materials science, cell biology, and bioengineering, we want to push the boundaries of organoid research and shed light on how complex tissues and embryonic structures emerge.
• Your colleagues:
  You will work within a highly interdisciplinary environment at MERLN, collaborating closely with the “Morphogenetic Micro Engineering” laboratory of Dr. Stefan Giselbrecht and the “BioMatt” group of Dr. Matthew Baker. Together with an international team of biologists, chemists, and engineers, you will be part of the Drive-RM international consortium, which offers unique collaboration, training, and talent development opportunities.

What you do

We are looking for a motivated and creative PhD student who will:

• Develop and apply novel biomaterials for dynamic organoid cultures;
• Explore the role of the physical and local environment in organoid formation, differentiation, and patterning;
• Contribute to projects involving kidney organoids, intestinal organoids, and stem cell-derived embryo models;
• Employ advanced biomaterial systems (dynamic covalent, supramolecular, light-responsive, 3D-printable inks) for spatiotemporally controlled organoid cultures;
• Collaborate within the Drive-RM consortium and present research at international conferences and training events.

This project has two main aims:

1. Understanding organoid patterning – controlling organoid formation from pluripotent stem cells to study cell-cell communication, signaling centers, and tissue boundary formation.
2. Engineering dynamic environments – developing biomaterial-based microenvironments to steer organoid growth and gain deeper mechanistic insights into developmental biology.

What you bring

We’re not just looking for a list of skills—we’re looking for the right mindset. Do you recognize yourself here?

• Academically grounded. You hold (or will soon complete) a Master’s degree in biomaterials, bioengineering, cell biology, developmental biology, or a related field.
• Interdisciplinary mindset. You combine interest in both biological systems and material innovation.
• Curious and creative. You thrive in exploring how materials can be used to influence organ development.
• Collaborative. You enjoy working across disciplines in a highly international environment.
• Communicative. You have excellent scientific English skills (spoken and written). Dutch is not required.

Are you an ambitious researcher with a passion for biomaterials and developmental biology? Then we would love to meet you.

What we offer
As PhD position at the interface of biomaterials and organoid research at Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded in scale P according to UFO profile PhD, with corresponding salary based on experience ranging from €3059,00 and €3881,00 gross per month (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 12 months with a scope of 1,0 FTE. Upon a positive evaluation, an extension of 3 years will follow. 
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model. 
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students. 
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'. 
   

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Maastricht University
Why work at Maastricht University?
At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.

In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.

With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.

Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.

Click here for more information about UM. 

Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences
At the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML), everything revolves around healthy living. Our research and education are not solely focused on recovery, but place a strong emphasis on prevention, health preservation, and health promotion. Our aim is to use our knowledge and expertise to genuinely contribute to the well-being of individual people as well as society in total. 

In, research, and healthcare, FHML is closely collaborating with the academic hospital in Maastricht, together forming the Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+).  FHML is strongly connected in education, research, and care with the Maastricht academic hospital, together with which it forms the Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC+). 

FHML, which is the largest faculty of Maastricht University, is formed by an (inter)national community of employees and students. The faculty offers a wide range of Dutch and English-taught bachelor's and master's programs in innovative educational concepts in which the emphasis is always on building bridges to practice.
 

The multidisciplinary research of the FHML focuses on a number of carefully chosen topical current themes. In addition to research aimed at gaining new insights, it also concerns research whose results can be directly translated into concrete applications and innovations. The implementation of the various research programs is organized in our six graduate schools and two institutes.

 
About the department
As a new team member, you will be part of the Morphogenetic Micro Engineering laboratory of Dr. Stefan Giselbrecht within the MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine (https://merlninstitute.com/merln/morphogenetic-micro-engineering) and collaborate closely with the BioMatt group of Dr. Matthew Baker (https://biomattgroup.com/). MERLN brings together an international community of researchers from more than 25 nationalities and a wide range of disciplines. Our strength lies in collaboration: we combine expertise in biomaterials, chemistry, tissue engineering, microfabrication, and cell biology to tackle complex challenges in regenerative medicine.

Working at MERLN means working in a vibrant, interdisciplinary environment with newly renovated labs and state-of-the-art facilities. With our strong tradition in tissue engineering and a clear focus on translating science into real-world applications, we offer an inspiring place for researchers who want to make impact.

Curious?
Are you interested in this exciting position but still have questions? Feel free to contact Dr. Stefan Giselbrecht (s.giselbrecht@maastrichtuniversity.nl), or Dr. 
Matthew Baker (m.baker@maastrichtuniversity.nl) for more information. 

Applying?
Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new PhD position at the interface of biomaterials and organoid research? Apply now, no later than 09/14/2025, for this position.
 

Please upload your CV, motivation letter and contact information of 2 referees. 

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

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.