Research Associate in Acoustic Radiation Force Devices

University of Bristol - Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering

Location: Bristol

Salary: £39,906 to £44,746 per annum, Grade: I/Pathway 2

Hours: Full Time

Contract Type: Permanent

Placed On: 11th February 2026

Closes: 24th February 2026

Job Ref: ACAD108444

The role

This role is part of a prestigious ERC Advanced Grant. The project aims to develop acoustic manipulation devices that will enable the microscope user to move, assemble and deform objects. This will be achieved using ultrasonic arrays to create static and dynamic forces can be applied to objects that are simultaneously under observation by an optical microscope. The ideas will be applied to a wide range of matter with a focus on applications in biomedicine including micro-scale tomography requiring precise 3D rotation of arbitrary-shaped objects, stimulation of neural cells requiring user-specified force-fields and bone-tissue engineering.

This role is to work on the development of new acoustic manipulation devices. This will involve (1) designing devices based on multi-physics simulations, (2) manufacturing and evaluating the devices, and (3) working with biomedical researchers to explore application of the devices. The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration of researchers at the University of Bristol and researchers at the University of Lille, France, and the Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria. Hence, the role will require the applicant to be enthusiastic about collaborative research and willing to work across traditional disciplinary boundaries.

What will you be doing?

You will be based in the Ultrasonics and Non-Destructive Testing (UNDT) research group within the School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bristol. Your research will focus on the development of novel acoustic manipulation devices. It will also involve optimising the acoustic fields to achieve efficient manipulation of biological objects such as cells and micro-organisms.

The University of Bristol offers a fully equipped ultrasonics laboratory, featuring multi-channel signal generators, amplifiers, and a wide range transducers and arrays. Additionally, a high-performance computer cluster is available at Bristol can be used to run large and parallel models. You will have full access to these facilities.

You should apply if

You should have a relevant postgraduate research degree, an equivalent professional qualification/experience, or be working towards one.

Additional information

For informal queries, please contact: Prof. Bruce Drinkwater, Professor of Ultrasonics Email: b.drinkwater@bristol.ac.uk

To find out more about what it's like to work in the Faculty of Engineering, and how the Faculty supports people to achieve their potential, please see our staff blog: https://engineering.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/category/engineering-includes-me/

Contract type: Open ended with fixed funding for 3 years

Work pattern: Full time/35 hours per week

This advert will close at 23:59 UK time on 24/02/2026

The shortlisting is expected to take place on the 27th February 2026

The interviews are anticipated to take place on 6th March 2026