We offer a 4-year predoctoral position to join the group of Nanoparticles & Nanocomposites (nn.icmab.es) at the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (www.icmab.es). The successful candidate will join our team to develop particulate contrast agents for imaging blood flow dynamics in cardiovascular diseases using advanced imaging techniques. This position involves pursuing a PhD thesis under the supervision of Dr. Juan Pellico and Prof. Anna Roig as part of the project "Single Particle Real-Time Tracking with Positrons in Cardiovascular Diseases," funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.

Main tasks:
This project aims to develop smart imaging agents based on single particle tracers to image alterations of the blood flow dynamics in cardiovascular diseases by positron emission particle tracking.
• Design and synthesise polymeric micro- and nano-particles with high colloidal stability, controlled elasticity and low adhesion to cells.
• Carry out comprehensive characterisation of the novel materials including analysis of protein corona, evaluation of the mechanical properties and in vitro performance under simulated in vivo conditions.
• Optimise radiolabelling reactions for the developed particles with positron emitters and create new methods to isolate single particles.
• Conduct in vivo imaging studies in healthy and cardiovascular mouse models with our collaborators.

Requirements:
• Bachelor´s degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Nanotechnology, Biomedicine or similar.
• Official master´s degree, essential for enrolment in the PhD programme, with strong background in Materials Science, Nanomedicine, Nanotechnology or related disciplines.
• Fluency in written/spoken English.
• Prior experience in laboratory techniques for synthetic chemistry.
• Availability to carry out short stays in other laboratories within Spain.

Personal skills & others:
• High motivation for experimental research and good attitude for collaborative work.
• Strong time management skills, working independently in an organized and project-focused manner.
• Willingness to travel to attend conferences, meetings with collaborators, etc.

What it will also be valued:
• Previous experience in synthesis of micro/nano particulate materials will be highly valued.
• Experience in nuclear imaging techniques will be also positively considered.
• Experience in characterisation techniques such as TEM/SEM/IR/DLS/XRD is desired but not mandatory.

We Offer:
Type of contract: Full-time contract
Lenght: 4 years
Salary: Gross annual salary in accordance with the CSIC salary policy.

ICMAB is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion of people with disabilities.

How to apply:
The deadline for submitting applications is the 17th of February.

Shortlisting and interviews will take place within the last two weeks of March. The starting day is flexible, but the candidates are expected to start no later than July 2025.
Interested candidates should send an email to jpellico@icmab.es including the following information:
• CV.
• Letter of motivation.
• Contact details of at least one reference person (two is desirable).

About N&N group and ICMAB.
• The N&N is a multidisciplinary group mainly focused in the rational synthesis of nanoparticles and nanocomposites and the study of their structural-functional properties including those related to the nano/bio interfaces. The group vision is to see our materials impacting in Nanomedicine, Information Technologies or Energy and Environment.
ICMAB – CSIC is a multidisciplinary global reference centre for the cutting-edge research of functional materials for electronics, energy and health which fosters knowledge transfer and it is characterized by its internationalization and its education, inclusion and diversity policies. ICMAB-CSIC is committed to know-how transfer to productive sectors as well as to participate in educational and outreach activities. Since 2016, ICMAB -CSIC has been awarded for three consecutive periods with the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence distinction.
ICMAB-CSIC, with over 250 members from 47 nationalities, is a more than three decades old research institute located at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) campus, surrounded by other research and technological centres and with access to many state-of-the art equipment and scientific facilities. Moreover, ICMAB-CSIC has its own scientific services equipped with the newest scientific instrumentation and with highly specialised technical staff available to the scientific community.

• Your PhD at ICMAB: ICMAB-CSIC stands out for its great training activity at the doctoral level. Training on technical, scientific and transversal skills are offered to ICMAB-CSIC personnel. Moreover, ICMAB-CSIC has coordinated 2 Marie Sklodowska-Curie COFUND doctoral training programs on advanced functional materials: DOCFAM (2017-2022) and DOCFAM+ (2023-2028) where a total of 48 doctoral students have been trained (18 at the ICMAB).