Job Description

Ref Number

B04-06972

Professional Expertise

Research and Research Support

Department

UCL BEAMS (B04)

Location

London

Working Pattern

Full time

Salary

See advert text

Contract Type

Fixed-term

Working Type

On site

Available for Secondment

No

Closing Date

08-Feb-2026

About us

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UCL Mechanical Engineering has been pioneering the development of engineering education, having taught the core discipline for over 170 years. UCL was home to the UK's first ever Professor of the Mechanical Principles of Engineering, Eaton Hodgkinson, in 1847. It was also where Sir Alexander Blackie William Kennedy introduced organized laboratory practicals in university education training; a world-leading educational innovation at the time.



The Moazen Lab is recruiting for a Post Doctoral Research Fellow. The lab is located within UCL Mechanical Engineering, the first department of its kind in the UK, and is supported by state-of-the-art imaging and material characterisation facilities.



The Moazen Lab focuses on the biomechanics of bones and joints, with particular emphasis on understanding the mechanisms of growth, adaptation, and repair through computational and experimental techniques.In particular, this research group has acquired an international reputation for research in craniofacial biomechanics. The group has led several multidisciplinary projects in collaboration with biologists, clinicians, and industrial partners, with two main research strands in craniofacial and lower limb biomechanics.



This role is part of an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded research project, conducted in collaboration with several inter/national partners, which aims to investigate the mechanobilogy of craniofacial system.

About the role

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The physical-mechanical interactions that shape our skulls during infancy are poorly understood. This lack of fundamental knowledge limits our ability to advance treatment of a wide range of craniofacial conditions mostly affecting children. This is a significant engineering challenge due to the complexity of this system.



In this project (CranioMech) you will address this challenge and critical gap in our knowledge while focusing on developing a revolutionary therapy for a major craniofacial condition called craniosynostosis (CS), that has virtually doubled in incidence across Europe in the last 30 years. CranioMech builds on a strong network of collaborators & our track record in this field, significant institutional support as well as our recent work (in vivo mouse testing) that demonstrates the feasibility of a therapy that could become a reality for children of the 21st century. CranioMech aims to: (1) further develop the new therapy in mouse and unravel the fundamental underlying mechanism by which it works; (2) test its scalability in larger animal models; and (3) carry out a series of proof of concept studies in preparation for the first human trials, while unravelling the biomechanics of current treatments of CS.



This is a multidisciplinary, multiscale project, combining fundamental principles and translational potential. It will use a combination of advanced approaches e.g. computer simulation, manufacturing, imaging, sensing, and in vivo experiments to transform the treatment of CS by resolving its unknown mechanobiology.

About you

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We would be delighted to receive applications from candidates who meet the following criteria:


PhD (or about to complete) in relevent discipline e.g. Bio/Medical/Mechanical Engineering A track record of assembling experimental set up using force sensors and actuators and develop the required control program (e.g. using LabVIEW) Proven track record of presenting and publishing research in reputable conferences and peer-reviewed journals.

While not essential, your application will be enhanced if you have experience of working on biological systems and/or craniofacial system



Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for more insight into the essential and desirable criteria required in this post.



FURTHER INFORMATION:



The post is initially funded for 9 months and will be subject to standard probation and appraisal procedures. Please note that this is a Grade 7 post remunerating at Spine Point 31 (45,103.00).



The position is based in UCL Mechanical Engineering at our Bloomsbury campus.

What we offer

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As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:


41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days) Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE) Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan Immigration loan Relocation scheme for certain posts On-Site nursery On-site gym Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service Discounted medical insurance

Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/rewards-and-benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

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As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.



We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce.



These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.


Our department holds an Athena SWAN Bronze award, in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality.