PhD student in Wireless Passive Implantable Biosensors using Backscattering (M/F)
New
- FTC PhD student / Offer for thesis
- 36 month
- BAC+5
This offer is available in English version
This offer is open to people with a document recognizing their status as a disabled worker.
Offer at a glance
The Unit
Institut d'électronique et des technologies du numérique
Contract Type
FTC PhD student / Offer for thesis
Working hHours
Full Time
Workplace
35042 RENNES
Contract Duration
36 month
Date of Hire
01/09/2026
Remuneration
2300 € gross monthly
Apply Application Deadline : 23 June 2026 23:59
Job Description
Thesis Subject
We invite applications for a fully funded PhD position at the intersection of wireless systems, organic electronics, and neurotechnology.
Project Goal
Develop a wireless, battery-free, implantable analog interface using organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) to sense neuromodulators like dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine. The readout will be performed via radio-frequency backscattering, enabling minimally invasive, real-time brain chemical monitoring in freely moving animals.
Your Mission
You will co-develop a new class of OECT-based battery-free implantable devices that combine:
• Wireless analog communication based on backscatter-modulation architecture.
• Co-design of front-end electronics and miniature RF antennas for chronic implantation.
You will prototype and characterize the wireless link (power + sensing), design and optimize sensor-resonator coupling, and participate in in vitro/ex vivo testing.
Supervision & Environment
• Denys Nikolayev (IETR Rennes): expert in wireless bioelectronics and wave control in tissues
• Simon Hemour (IMS Bordeaux): expert in RF energy harvesting and sensing
Additional collaborations with Nako Nakatsuka's group (Neuro-X, EPFL), Damien Thuau (IMS), and Clémentine Bosch-Bouju (Neurocampus, Bordeaux).
You will work in an interdisciplinary team spanning neuroscience, RF engineering, and organic electronics, and benefit from international exchanges and top-tier research facilities (e.g., IETR's M2ARS platform, IMS' Organic electronics & Nanotech platforms, and EPFL's NeuroTech labs).
Profile Sought
We welcome motivated candidates with a strong background in:
• RF circuits / analog electronics
• Electromagnetics / antenna design
• Wireless sensing / bioelectronics
• Prior exposure to implantable devices or organic electronics is a plus but not mandatory.
Your Work Environment
We are looking for a highly motivated researchers to join our team at IETR Laboratory, CNRS, Rennes, France for a fully funded PhD (3 years). The project is supported by the French National Research Agency (ANR) and Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) and involves close collaboration with EPFL and IMS Bordeaux. Our research focuses on developing passive implantable biosensors that use backscattering to wirelessly transmit sensing data. The researcher will work in a stimulating and highly collaborative environment, alongside experts from an ERC-funded project in wireless bioelectronics.
Compensation and benefits
Compensation
2300 € gross monthly
Annual leave and RTT
44 jours
Remote Working practice and compensation
Pratique et indemnisation du TT
Transport
Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€
About the offer
| Offer reference | UMR6164-DENNIK-030 |
|---|
About the CNRS
The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.
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