Professor Device Developer Microfluidics and Microreactors

1 - Working at the VUB

For more than 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and solidarity, and this is very much alive on our campuses among students and staff alike.

At the VUB, you will find a diverse collection of personalities: innovators pur sang, but above all people who are 100% their authentic selves. With some 4,000 employees, we are the largest Dutch-speaking employer, in the private sector, in Brussels; an international city with which we are only too happy to connect and where (around) our 4 campuses are located.

Add to this our principle of free research - in which self-reflection, a critical attitude and an open, creative mind around scientific and social issues are central - and you have a university that is fundamentally groundbreaking and pioneering in education and research. In short: the VUB all over again.

Moreover, the VUB is a member of EUTOPIA, an alliance of like-minded European universities, all ready to reinvent themselves.

The Faculty of Sciences and Bioengineering Sciences , Department of of Bioengineering Sciences , is looking for a part-time professor.

More concretely your work package contains:

Education and Research domain:

• You are co-instructor of the 6 ECTS course Microfluidics (variants for Sustainable Chemistry and for Biotechnology) and deliver approximately half of the lectures.
• You supervise master's and PhD students in their thesis work as a (co-)supervisor.
• You are involved in the organization of workshops and training courses (e.g., within the framework of the Flanders Chips Competence Center).

Research tasks:

• You develop microfluidic applications that make use of microstructured chips fabricated from silicon, glass, and polymers. These applications relate, among other, to analytical and preparative separations, as well as to the generation and handling of suspensions. Over time, you will also develop new applications on your own initiative or in collaboration with the µFlow Team network.
• You develop fabrication process flows and advanced experimental setups for these microfluidic applications.
• You perform supporting numerical multiphysics simulations (COMSOL Multiphysics) to gain insight into systems equipped with components designed to manipulate fluids and particles, such as electrodes, actuators, rotors, and similar devices.

Other tasks:

• You contribute to the overall operation of the µFlow Team (led by Prof. Wim De Malsche) and interact closely with the associated GEAR (Group of Excellence for Advanced Research) µFlow Cell group and the MICROLAB core facility.
• You develop research project proposals (e.g., FWO, EIC Pathfinder, MSCA Doctoral Networks, Innoviris, etc.) and coordinate and supervise funded projects.

For this function, our Brussels Humanities, Sciences & Engineering Campus (Elsene) will serve as your home base.

3 - Profile

What do we expect from you?

You hold a PhD in Sciences or (Bio-)Engineering Sciences

• You have at least four years of postdoctoral experience.
• You currently hold, and will continue to hold for the next three years, a part-time postdoctoral position at VUB in the field of microfluidics/microreactors.
• You are eager to apply your expertise to both fundamental and applied research.
• You are able to motivate, coach, and foster collaboration.
• You communicate effectively, actively build networks, and feel comfortable interacting with researchers, students, and industrial partners.
• You possess strong organizational skills, are capable of managing multiple projects simultaneously, and work proactively, in a structured manner, and with a solution-oriented mindset.
• You have published in high-quality (Q1, Web of Science-indexed) scientific journals on topics relevant to this position.
• You are an expert in microfluidics, with experience in the associated experimental techniques and the ability to develop complete experimental setups. You have experience with and insight into the fabrication of chips made from silicon, glass, and polymers.
• You have experience teaching university-level courses and supervising Master's and PhD students in their thesis research.
• You are proficient in COMSOL Multiphysics and CAD software for designing microfluidic chips and experimental setups.
• You have experience writing scientific project proposals and have a proven track record in the successful management and reporting of large, interdisciplinary projects (e.g., EU-funded projects).
• You subscribe to the university’s vision of education. The full text in relation to this is available on the university website.