PhD Researcher

Project background

Stroke remains a leading cause of disability worldwide. While improved early stroke response has reduced mortality, it has also led to a growing population of stroke survivors, increasing the demand for long-term rehabilitation and placing significant clinical and economic burden on healthcare systems. The current neurorehabilitation model relies heavily on resource-intensive, therapist-led care to meet the growing demand, underscoring the need for scalable, cost-effective solutions that extend into home settings. To address this gap the first phase of the Future Health Technologies Programme (FHT1) at the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC) (https://fht.ethz.ch) developed and piloted innovative upper limb rehabilitation technologies and evaluated them in a clinical context, both in the hospital and at the home of post-stroke subjects. Building on this progress, FHT2 seeks to scale up these technologies and conduct more extensive clinical evaluation to promote integration of technology-based clinic-to-home rehabilitation into Singapore's healthcare system.

Specifically, one of our projects focuses on the technical development and clinical validation of a soft robotic hand orthosis to enhance upper limb rehabilitation sessions in the clinic and allow for additional task-oriented training at home. The project will build on the RELab tenoexo technology, a soft exoskeleton that was developed at ETH Zurich and refined during FHT1. As main features, RELab tenoexo can support grasping, is fully tailorable to the hand of the user, is fully wearable and weighs less than 300g. A proof-of-concept trial demonstrated preliminary feasibility and safety of using RELab tenoexo in chronic stroke.

Within this PhD project, the objective will be to further develop and evaluate RELab tenoexo and demonstrate that a soft hand exoskeleton can be a cost-efficient way to increase therapy dose at home and improve upper limb function of post-stroke subjects. To achieve this goal, we will (i) improve and optimize several key design features of RELab tenoexo,(ii) combine RELab tenoexo with behavioural interventions delivered by a motivational AI chatbot (developed by another PhD student) to enhance motivation to engage in therapy at home, and (iii) evaluate long-term adherence to use at home, functional improvements, movement quality metrics, as well as required resources/costs in the context of a proof of value clinical trial.

Job description

As a PhD researcher your work will focus on evaluating and improving the RELab tenoexo (https://www.youtube.com/watchv=LP43SQpwyvk),an existing actuated lightweight soft hand exoskeleton for neuro rehabilitation. Following a user-centered approach considering the needs and requirements of post-stroke subjects and input from clinicians, you will identify key factors and enablers to improve robustness, usability and applicability in daily life situations, as well as the impact it may have on specific users (case studies). The work will be performed in close collaboration with our research partners at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).

Your tasks will include:

• Leveraging an iterative human-centred design approach involving multiple stakeholders to further develop a hand exoskeleton that can support therapy and provide assistance in daily life activities, evaluate its technical performance, and study its usability.
• Technical design, development and evaluation of an improved version of the hand exoskeleton, benchmarking it with respect to existing devices
• Exploring ways to improve the hand exoskeleton by, for example, optimizing the finger mechanism, extending the hand exoskeleton with a wrist module, improving the fixation and interface to the hand, adding gamification features, integrating intention-detection control(e.g., using EMG sensors) or instrumenting the hand exoskeleton (e.g., with an IMU) in order to implement algorithms to extract digital biomarkers to capture hand use and movement quality.
• Clinical validation of the developed device in post-stroke subjects in collaboration with local hospitals, including direct interaction with post-stroke subjects.
• Designing and conducting a clinical study, collecting and analysing data.
• Tightly collaborating with a second PhD student developing a complementary behavioral intervention to support adherence to home therapy.
• Contributing to the supervision of master students and technical staff
• Disseminating research outcomes at international conferences and in peer-reviewed journals.

Selection Criteria

You will have:

• A MSc in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Biomedical Engineering or related fields
• A strong interest in neurorehabilitation as well as in developing and applying robotic technologies for neurorehabilitation
• Experience with the development or evaluation of robotic technologies, ideally in the field of neurorehabilitation, and strong knowledge in physical human-robot interaction, human-centered design approaches, usability evaluation and human movement science
• Experience in electromechanical design and assembly
• Strong interest in applied translational research and the direct clinical application of rehabilitation technologies
• Motivation to work with clinicians and with post-stroke subjects
• Independence and get things done mentality
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English
• Scientific curiosity and motivation to perform scientifically rigorous experimental work
• Desire to expand knowledge and acquire new expertise, work in an international environment

We seek candidates who take ownership of their research and are able to independently drive ideas forward. Successful applicants will actively engage with supervisors and collaborators, seek input when needed, and thoughtfully integrate feedback.

Why SEC is your employer of choice

• Accredited with 5 Tripartite Standards by Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) Singapore.
• A diverse workplace with 32 nationalities, offering ample opportunities for mutual learning.
• Positive and inclusive working environment.
• 25 days of annual leave for fixed-term contracts.
• 1 day of Birthday Leave.
• Annual dental benefits.
• Committed to being a supportive employer as you prioritize your physical and mental wellness.
• Comprehensive healthcare insurance coverage.
• Flexible hybrid work arrangement (up to 2 days per week from home).
• Abundant networking opportunities across various disciplines.
• Accredited with NS mark certification.

The Singapore-ETH Centre is an equal opportunity and family-friendly employer. All candidates will be evaluated on their merits and qualifications, without regards to gender, race, age or religion.

Curious So are we.

We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents:

• A cover letter with a specific statement of your motivation for the project.
• Your CV including the name and contact information of 2 references.
• A copy of your university transcripts as PDFs.

Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.

Work location: 1 Create Way, CREATE Tower, Singapore 138602 (NUS University Town)
Duration: Full-Time position (4-Year Contract)

Further information about The Singapore-ETH Centre can be found on our website: https://sec.ethz.ch/

For further information, please contact: Prof. Dr. Olivier Lambercy (ETH Zurich) at [Confidential Information], (strictly no applications)