Research Fellow in Bioengineering in Southampton

Applications are invited for an enthusiastic Research Fellow to join the Molecular Biophotonics and Imaging group within the School of Chemistry and Institute for Life Sciences at the University of Southampton. Heart failure is a major global health challenge, yet scientists still struggle to observe how new treatments interact with a living, beating heart. This lack of real‑time visibility slows progress in regenerative medicine, particularly for therapies such as engineered heart tissue (EHT) transplants.

The EIC‑funded HeartVision project aims to change this by developing a method to image heart cells as they function. Heart failure remains the leading cause of death worldwide, and currently, no curative therapy exists. EHT transplantation is a promising approach, but researchers lack the tools to monitor its effectiveness as it happens. Key questions remain unanswered: Where do transplanted cardiomyocytes go? How do they integrate with the host tissue? When do they begin contributing to heart function?

At present, even imaging cells deep within therapy‑scale EHTs is impossible – let alone visualising them inside a beating heart. HeartVision addresses this gap by using specialised infrared light to track how transplanted cells move, connect, and start working. By combining these imaging technologies with advanced data analysis, the project provides a cell‑level view of a functioning heart. This capability will allow researchers to test therapies more accurately and could accelerate the development of life‑saving treatments.

HeartVision brings together five research groups across four European countries. At the University of Southampton, the team led by Dr. Dipanjan Bhattacharya is responsible for developing OrganLab – a platform for long‑term imaging of large, live EHT patches and for performing quantitative analyses to understand the mechanical properties of EHTs using custom‑built imaging systems.

The postholder will culture engineered heart tissue and develop a fluidic platform capable of maintaining large EHT patches for long‑term imaging. They will design and implement a temperature‑controlled fluidic sample chamber for growing and imaging live EHT patches, using AutoCAD and 3D‑printing technologies. These tissues will then be imaged using the home‑built microscope system and subjected to various physical and mechanical manipulations. The postholder will also carry out quantitative analyses to extract meaningful information about tissue mechanics.

The successful candidate will have a PhD or equivalent professional qualifications in biological sciences and experience in basic cell biology and bio‑photonics (spectroscopy, optics, imaging) techniques as well as quantitative image analysis with a background and experience of working in a highly interdisciplinary environment. It is a part‑time (50%) fixed term for 24 months initially and potentially extendable. The work pattern for this position is flexible. It is based in the Institute for Life Sciences on the Highfield campus at the University of Southampton.

Informal enquiries are welcome and should be made to Dr. Dipanjan Bhattacharya (Dipanjan.Bhattacharya@soton.ac.uk). Applications for Research Fellow positions will be considered from candidates who have already earned their PhD qualification or equivalent qualifications and experience.

The Desired Candidate Will Have:

• PhD/equivalent professional qualifications and experience in biological science with the ability to work in an interdisciplinary research group bridging biology, chemistry, physics, computer science etc.
• Experience in quantitative imaging using commercial and lab‑built microscope systems.
• Experience working with engineered heart tissue, including tissue culture and preparation for live imaging.

Please refer to the job description for full details on the essential criteria.