Research Associate in Microfluidics for Quantum Bio-Sensing

Research Associate in Microfluidics for Quantum Bio-Sensing

Heriot-Watt University

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

GBP 37,694 - 47,389 per year

The Role

We seek a talented, motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate to develop microfluidic system, integrate it with quantum sensing microscope, and to validate it on biological samples in collaboration with other team members, academic and industrial partners. The project goal is to create an integrated, multimodal platform to evaluate cellular metabolism and metabolic plasticity in complex microenvironments. The project is expected to generate high impact publications and underpin integrated quantum sensing devices for biomedical applications.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Design, fabricate, and optimise microfluidic devices for use with advanced optical and quantum‑sensing instrumentation.
• Integrate microfluidic platforms with the NV‑based quantum‑sensing confocal microscope.
• Develop hardware and mixed‑signal electronic control systems for real‑time microfluidic actuation, manipulation, and sorting.
• Develop, refine, and validate experimental protocols, and apply them to biological samples in collaboration with the team.
• Design and execute experiments, including data acquisition, quantitative analysis, and modelling/simulation where appropriate.
• Contribute to IP generation and translational pathways.
• Collaborate effectively across the QPL and with external partners, share laboratory equipment responsibly.
• Supervise and mentor PhD and undergraduate researchers in daily lab activities.
• Disseminate results via high‑quality publications and conference presentations, present progress in group and project meetings.
• Maintain high standards of record‑keeping, data management and research integrity.
• Support lab operations (maintenance, vendor liaison) and contribute to outreach (talks, demos, public engagement).

Education, Qualifications and Experience

Essential Criteria

• A PhD in physics, electrical engineering, biomedical engineering or related subjects (or expected to be awarded a PhD soon).
• A demonstrated track-record (during a PhD degree or post-doctoral research) in:
  • Microfluidic system design and fabrication, including cleanroom microengineering or soft‑lithography methods.
  • Integration of microfluidic devices with optical instrumentation.
  • Development of mixed‑signal electronics for microfluidic control, including optical detection and analogue/digital signal processing.
  • Design and implementation of real‑time actuation or sorting strategies driven by optical or sensor‑based readouts.
• Experience of programming for device control, data acquisition and analysis.
• Primary author contributions to peer-reviewed journals.
• A record of high-quality publications, as appropriate for the stage in career, and evidence of contribution to the writing of these publications proportionate to opportunity.
• Ability to articulate research work, both in technical reports/papers and by oral presentation.
• Ability to formulate and progress work on their own initiative.
• Evidence of research ability: problem solving, flexibility.
• Must be able to work as part of a team on the experiments at Heriot-Watt and more widely with the collaborators at other Universities.
• Experience in writing and managing peer-reviewed papers.
• Experience in public presentations of scientific results (e.g. conference talks).

Desirable Criteria

• Experience in working with mammalian cells.
• Experience in leading the writing of scientific papers.
• Evidence of ability, subject to opportunity, to guide other researchers, e.g. PhD students and undergraduate project students.
• Experience of research-student supervision.
• Capability to be self-directed and think innovatively.
• Energy and enthusiasm for the project.