Postdoctoral and PhD Positions in Neurotechnology: Drug/Biologics Carrier Formulation & Chemical Engineering for Focused Ultrasound-Mediated Brain Drug Delivery

Project Background

The Neurotechnology Group of [contact removed] Yanik at ETH Zurich is recruiting outstanding postdoctoral researchers and PhD students to join a newly funded LOOP Zurich Flagship Project focused on advancing a breakthrough technology to clinic for non-invasive targeted drug delivery to the brain. Our laboratory recently developed a novel focused ultrasound-mediated targeted drug delivery platform, published in Nature Communications, that enables localized, hyper-efficient delivery of therapeutic compounds to specific brain regions without invasive surgery.

We develop advanced focused ultrasound technologies, ultrasound-responsive drug carrier formulations, and adaptive closed-loop control algorithms as an integrated precision drug delivery platform for the brain. Our approach employs a novel two-component ultrasound strategy that first concentrates drug carriers within the target region and subsequently triggers localized drug release, achieving high therapeutic concentrations exclusively at the desired site while minimizing systemic exposure. The chemical formulation and engineering of these carriers — including their drug loading, encapsulation efficiency, and release kinetics — are central to the platform’s performance. By integrating carrier formulation chemistry, chemical engineering, medical imaging, real-time sensing, and intelligent control into a unified system, this technology establishes a new paradigm for precision neurotherapeutics and opens new opportunities for treating epilepsy, brain tumors, neurodegenerative diseases, psychiatric disorders, and other neurological disorders.

Your Responsibilities

The successful candidate will play a central role in the chemical formulation, engineering, and characterization of drug carriers for our focused ultrasound-mediated targeted drug delivery platform. Depending on experience and interests, the project may include:

• Design and synthesis of ultrasound-responsive drug carrier formulations (e.g., microbubbles, nanodroplets, liposomes, or polymeric/lipid nanoparticles)
• Optimization of drug loading, encapsulation efficiency, and release kinetics
• Physicochemical characterization of carriers (size, zeta potential, stability, morphology)
• Chemical engineering of carrier production processes (e.g., microfluidics, emulsification, sonication)
• Assessment of carrier stability under ultrasound exposure and physiological conditions
• In vitro and in vivo evaluation of drug loading, release, and therapeutic efficacy
• Analytical method development for carrier and drug quantification (e.g., HPLC, DLS)
• Integration of carrier formulations with focused ultrasound delivery systems
• Collaboration with engineers and clinicians to prepare first-in-human clinical studies
• Contribution to regulatory-compliant formulation development and quality control

Your Profile

We are looking for highly motivated and creative researchers who enjoy solving challenging interdisciplinary problems.

Education:

• PhD position: Bachelor’s degree and preferably a Master’s degree.
• Postdoctoral position: PhD in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences / Pharmaceutics, Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, or a closely related field.

Skills & Experience:

• Excellent academic records from excellent institutions
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills, incl. programming (Python, MATLAB, or similar)
• Experimental laboratory experience in drug formulation, nanoparticle/microbubble synthesis, colloid chemistry, or related fields
• Hands-on experience with carrier characterization techniques (e.g., dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, HPLC, electron microscopy)
• Microfluidic synthesis/purification expertise
• Knowledge of drug loading, encapsulation efficiency, and release kinetics assessment
• Strong motivation for translational drug delivery research and medical innovation
• For postdoctoral applicants: a track record of peer-reviewed publications in drug delivery, nanomedicine, or pharmaceutical sciences
• Good communication skills, able to work independently as well as part of a multidisciplinary team

Additional Qualifications (Positive):

• Animal experiment experience (e.g., in vivo drug delivery studies, small animal handling, surgical procedures, imaging, or pharmacokinetic/biodistribution assessment)
• Previous experience with focused ultrasound, drug delivery, or biomedical instrumentation

Benefits & Environment

The Neurotechnology Group at ETH Zurich provides one of Europe’s leading research environments for neurotechnology and drug delivery. Our laboratory integrates under one roof chemical synthesis and drug formulation laboratories, High-field 7 Tesla MRI, Two-photon and confocal microscopy, State-of-the-art electrophysiology, Brain-machine interfaces, Mechanical and electronic prototyping workshops, Access to advanced microfabrication facilities, Cell culture facilities, Behavioral neuroscience laboratories, and Small- and large-animal research facilities.

Students and postdoctoral researchers will collaborate closely with scientists and clinicians across ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, and the Swiss Epilepsy Clinic Lengg. PhD candidates will be enrolled in the Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (D-ITET) at ETH Zurich, affiliated with the Institute of Neuroinformatics, and the Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ) PhD Program. Postdoctoral researchers will be affiliated with the Institute of Neuroinformatics.