25 Postdoctoral Fellowship at ETH Zurich, Switzerland

We seek to fill one postdoctoral position as part of a project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Vontobel Foundation that focuses on online exhaled breath analysis and nutrition. The primary scientific goal of the Lactobreath project is to utilize metabolomics technologies to identify and measure metabolites associated with lactose metabolism found in exhaled breath. The project will be conducted in collaboration with Agroscope (Liebefeld Campus), University Hospital Zurich, and the Swiss Allergy Centre (aha!). The position will last for one year, with an anticipated start date either immediately or upon mutual agreement. 

This position is embedded in a project on Spatio-Temporal Patterns and Trends of Environmental Footprints and Reductions of Climate Impacts in Switzerland (PERSIST), a collaboration with Dr. Helge Aasen at Agroscope, Switzerland. We aim to develop an innovative approach to quantify spatio-temporal patterns and trends of environmental footprints (i.e., greenhouse gas emissions and water use) and to assess management practices to reduce climate impacts of agriculture in Switzerland. We will combine high spatio-temporal resolution data streams from satellite remote sensing, eddy-covariance flux and meteorological measurements with site, soil, and management information to provide quantitative evidence of how land management practices are related to GHG emissions and water use.

We seek a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to develop and apply advanced image analysis techniques. The focus of this position is on integrating both classical image processing techniques and modern machine learning approaches to extract meaningful quantitative information from complex biological images. The successful candidate will contribute to projects involving diverse imaging modalities, including lightsheet microscopy, CT imaging, and ultrasound imaging. In addition, the candidate will actively collaborate with colleagues developing mechanistic models based on the extracted image data.

We have several ongoing projects investigating various topics of mediaeval architecture, including the monographical study of a major gothic cathedral in France, a survey of mediaeval bridges, and  a project on the development of the art of vaulting 1000-1300. In the recent past, we have also carried out several projects in the history of brick construction, notably, a survey of 19th century brick buildings in Zurich, and a major research project on the Basilica Sant’Antonio, Padua. For all these projects, Northern Italy with its long-standing history of brick construction is an important point of reference. However, most of the monuments of the so-called Lombard Romanesque Architecture have not been studied in-depth with state-of-the-art digital approaches so far, and for some, outdated early 20th century publications still serve as key references. We would like to design and execute a project for a post-doctoral researcher, revisiting the most important monuments of the Lombard Romanesque, particularly with a focus on brick construction ranging from Santa Maria Maggiore in Lomello to Chiaravalle Milanese, to mention just two pivotal examples (11th-13th centuries).

Wearable technologies that analyze non-conventional biological matrices, such as interstitial fluid, promise longitudinal biomarker data with minimal invasiveness. These provide insights into physiological and behavioral patterns, in particular outside of medical care facilities. A key bottle neck remains the minimally invasive and continuous extraction of sufficient quantities of interstitial fluid. This PostDoc position aims to (1) design and manufacture microneedles following up on our previous development (Cell Biomaterials, Volume 1, Issue 1, 100008), and (2) investigate the penetration of skin tissue to assess invasivness and interstitial fluid extraction efficiency. It will be embedded in a consortial effort bringing together engineering and medical expertise from ETH Zürich, University Zürich and Sao Paulo University.

The postdoctoral researcher will develop machine-learned force fields trained on density functional theory (DFT) outputs for representative quantum paraelectrics and use these force fields to perform lattice-dynamics simulations with explicit quantum mechanical treatment of the nuclei.

You will be responsible for developing novel spintronic devices for computing applications. The characterisation will be carried out using lab-based characterisation methods (optical and scanning electron microscopy, nanoMOKE, wide-field Kerr microscopy, transport, SQUID-VSM) as well as synchrotron x-ray techniques at international facilities.

Project and Supervision: The selected postdoc will engage in a two- to three-year research appointment focused on producing high-quality, impactful research aimed at publication in top-tier academic journals. The research will align with the Chair’s core topics. Co-supervision and mentorship will be provided by Prof. Georg von Krogh and a team of senior researchers at SMI. Expected starting time: Q3/Q4 2025.

We are inviting applicants for a postdoctoral position, starting as soon as possible but ideally in April/May 2025, to work on the tectono-geomorphic rates and processes driving species origination in global mountains. The research will specifically focus on three regions characterized by high levels of endemism and geomorphic disequilibrium: the Northern Andes of Colombia, Mexico, and the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. New field sampling methodology applied to these areas will provide a unique opportunity to analyze how geological and climatic processes drive speciation and shape both regional and global biodiversity. The project will involve mapping and characterizing tectono-geological processes associated with mountain plant diversity (e.g. GPS or DEM-based analyses); expanding our scope by using process-based models (i.e. DAC) to establish broader response functions between landscape change and speciation; integrating plate movement data (through tools such as GPlates) to understand how tectonic and geomorphic deformation influence paleogeography and paleotopography; and incorporating these insights into a global, process-based model to predict diversity dynamics, including periods of rapid diversification, equilibria or diversity erosion. We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with a strong background geology/geomorphology, or a related discipline, a strong interest for evolutionary biology, and who is interested in bridging field data, computational modeling, and large-scale analyses. Experience with geospatial analysis, programming, or modeling (e.g., Julia) is highly desirable. If you are passionate about uncovering how Earth’s dynamic processes shape life, we encourage you to apply.

The introduction of fiber optics in the 1970s has revolutionized the telecommunications industry upon the replacement of copper wires and played a major role in the advent of the Information Age – One high bandwidth fiber optic cable can replace thousands of electrical links to transmit the same amount of information. As parallels to the thriving field of stretchable electronics, soft optics is emerging as a new platform that uses the modulation of light in soft matter to encode multifunctionalities in the optical path. The goal of this project is to develop novel optical sensing scheme in soft materials and demonstrate the multifunctionality in complex real-​world environment.

The Responsible Automation initiative within NCCR Automation aims to address the societal impacts of automation technologies, ensuring they are equitable, ethical, and aligned with societal values. This includes designing frameworks and mechanisms that prioritize sustainability, fairness, and trust in automated systems.