Student Projects

FEMUR STRENGTH FE MODELS TO IMPROVE HIP FRACTURE RISK ASSESSMENT: DEVELOPING AND VALIDATING A QUALITY CONTROL PIPELINE

Hip fractures are a major and growing health burden, particularly in aging populations. To improve fracture risk assessment, we have developed an automated pipeline that builds finite element (FE) models from clinical CT scans to estimate virtual femoral strength. This approach enables large-scale analysis of hip fracture risk in cohort studies. To ensure robustness and reliability, the pipeline requires automated post-processing and quality control. We are therefore offering a master’s student project focused on developing and implementing quality checks within this FE modeling pipeline, providing hands-on experience in FE analysis, large-scale data processing, and research-oriented software development.

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Hip fracture, FE Model, FEA, Biomechanics, quality check, pipeline, programming

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Semester Project , Internship , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)

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Published since: 2026-01-08 , Earliest start: 2026-02-01 , Latest end: 2026-07-31

Organization Bone Pathologies and Treatment

Hosts Galliker Ellie

Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology

Deep learning-driven development of personalized auxetic epicardial patches for myocardial regeneration

Myocardial infarction remains the leading cause of death worldwide, and no effective therapy exists to regenerate damaged myocardium beyond acute management. Epicardial patches offer a promising strategy by providing mechanical reinforcement and delivering regenerative cells to the injured heart.

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tissue engineering, biomedical engineering, biofabrication, 3D bioprinting, auxetic, engineered heart tissue, epicardial patches

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Semester Project , Master Thesis

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Published since: 2026-01-07 , Earliest start: 2026-02-01 , Latest end: 2026-12-24

Organization Zenobi-Wong Group / Tissue Engineering and Biofabrication

Hosts Winkelbauer Michael

Topics Engineering and Technology

NAD+ metabolism in fibroblast inflammation and fibrosis

This project is focused on the metabolic changes in synovial fibroblasts during the development of inflammation and fibrosis during osteoarthritis.

Keywords

NAD, osteoarthritis, fibroblast, cell culture, molecular biology

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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)

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Published since: 2026-01-07 , Earliest start: 2026-01-19 , Latest end: 2027-05-31

Organization Musculoskeletal Bioengineering - Prof. Tristan Maerz

Hosts DeJulius Carlisle

Topics Biology

Computational Master’s Project on Spatial Transcriptomic Data in Osteoarthritis

Our lab leverages omics approaches to investigate the mechanisms that drive pathologic osteoarthritis using a murine anterior cruciate ligament rupture (ACLR) model, with a focus on synovial tissue. Spatial transcriptomic (ST) data is a powerful tool, combining gene expression with spatial context to investigate complex tissues. Prospective projects offer students an opportunity to explore ST data, applying computational and statistical methods in R and/or Python to extract meaningful biological insights. Potential directions may include identifying spatial patterns of gene expression, cellular niche identification, or evaluating cell-cell communication.

Keywords

Spatial transcriptomics Bioinformatics Osteoarthritis Omics Computational Biology Musculoskeletal

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Semester Project , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)

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Published since: 2025-12-23 , Earliest start: 2026-02-02 , Latest end: 2026-12-18

Organization Musculoskeletal Bioengineering - Prof. Tristan Maerz

Hosts Mohan Aanya

Topics Biology

Usability and Acceptability of a Generic Resilience Framework (SSRO Framework)

Resilience, defined as the capacity to withstand, recover from, or adapt to health-related challenges, is increasingly recognised as essential in modern medicine, yet its meaning and application remain inconsistent across disciplines. To bring clarity and support more coherent research and practice, we recently developed the SSRO Framework, which organises resilience studies around four elements: the Stressor, the System, Resilience resources and mechanisms, and the Outcomes of interest. We now aim to assess how clear, usable, and relevant this framework is to diverse communities, including clinicians, epidemiologists, physiologists, ageing researchers, and translational scientists.

Keywords

Resilience; SSRO Framework; Stressors; Adaptive capacity; Health systems; Clinical research; Translational science; Ageing; Epidemiology; Conceptual framework

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Semester Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)

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Project Tasks: 1. Design the usability study o Develop the overall study protocol including questionnaires to assess usability and acceptability of the SSRO Framework. 2. Recruit and engage study participants o Advertise the study through appropriate networks and online channels. o Contact potential participants (e.g., clinicians, researchers, epidemiologists). o Provide participants with a clear explanation of the SSRO Framework and guide them through applying the framework to a resilience-related study example. o Collect completed questionnaires and qualitative feedback. 3. Analyse and summarise the study results o Perform analyses of study outcomes. o Summarise findings in a structured report. o Prepare and deliver a presentation of the key results. 4. Contribute to scientific dissemination o Support, and potentially lead, the development of a research article based on the study findings. Your Profile: We are looking for a motivated and curious student with a strong interest in the concept of resilience in medicine and health sciences. You should be enthusiastic about working with conceptual frameworks and exploring how they are understood and used across disciplines. The ideal candidate has: • Interest in qualitative or mixed-methods research • Strong communication and coordination skills, as the project involves engaging with clinicians, researchers, and other stakeholders. • Ability to work independently, manage tasks efficiently, and take initiative in a research process. • Comfort working remotely, as supervision will be provided collaboratively by three institutions (ETH Zurich, Radboud University Medical Center, and University of Jyväskylä). • Good organisational and writing skills, with an interest in contributing to scientific dissemination. Experience with qualitative analysis or survey platforms is an advantage but not required. What We Offer: • Supervision by an international team of experts from ETH Zurich, Radboud University Medical Center, and the University of Jyväskylä, providing exposure to multiple perspectives and research cultures. • A highly relevant and timely research topic, with the opportunity to contribute to shaping how resilience is understood and applied in medicine and health sciences. • Flexibility in working mode, including the option to carry out the entire project remotely. • Regular guidance and feedback, while also giving you space to develop your own ideas and lead key components of the project. • Opportunities for scientific contribution, including the possibility to co-author and potentially lead a research article emerging from this study.

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Published since: 2025-12-05 , Earliest start: 2026-01-01 , Latest end: 2026-12-31

Organization Neuromuscular Biomechanics

Hosts Ravi Deepak

Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences

Evaluation of muscle fatigue on paraspinal muscle activation patterns and spinal loads in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a condition characterized by a narrowing of the spinal canal, which can lead to compression of the lumbosacral nerve roots and/or the cauda equina. Clinical observations show that patients often adopt alternative postures and movement strategies to enlarge the spinal canal and relieve pain. These compensations likely require elevated paraspinal muscle activation may increase spinal segmental loads. Muscle fatigue may further increase compensatory posture, joint load and pain representing a vicious cycle. However, the specific implications of muscle fatigue on spinal loading in individuals with LSS remains insufficiently understood. The objective of this master thesis is to investigate how trunk muscle fatigue influences muscle recruitment patterns and spinal segmental loads in individuals with LSS. For this purpose, clinical data from 120+ patients with LSS - collected before and after a fatigue protocol - will be used to drive dynamic simulations of a full-body musculoskeletal model in the AnyBody Modeling System software.

Keywords

Spine biomechanics, musculoskeletal modeling, fatigue, trunk muscles

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Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)

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Published since: 2025-12-02 , Earliest start: 2026-02-01 , Latest end: 2026-07-31

Organization Musculoskeletal Biomechanics

Hosts Caimi Alice

Topics Engineering and Technology

Spatial Proteomics of Mechanically-Driven Bone Healing

Bone healing is profoundly influenced by its mechanical environment. Advances in spatial proteomics now allow us to map protein expression within intact tissue and directly relate it to local biomechanical cues. The Laboratory for Bone Biomechanics is developing a new line of research within spatial mechanomics (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adp8496), integrating spatially resolved proteomic data with in silico models of the mechanical environment at fracture sites. This approach enables us to investigate, at cellular resolution, how mechanical forces shape protein-level signalling during bone repair.

Keywords

Bone, Mechanobiology, Spatial Proteomics, Protein Expression, Aging, Sex Differences, Mechanical Loading, Finite Element Modelling, Image Analysis

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Semester Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis

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Published since: 2025-11-23 , Earliest start: 2025-12-01 , Latest end: 2026-12-31

Organization Müller Group / Laboratory for Bone Biomechanics

Hosts Mathavan Neashan

Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Biology

Exploring the 3D Mineralization Behavior in Material-Induced Osteoinduction Through a Multiscale Micro-CT Imaging Approach

The project aims at investigating material-induced osteoinduction using the available mouse model of orthotopic or ectopic bone graft substitute (BGS) application. Through the 3D-3D registration of ex vivo and in vivo multiscale micro-CT images, crucial 3D mineralization behavior of the BGS can be investigated.

Keywords

Femur, Bone Graft Substitute, Critical Size Defect, Osteoinduction, in vivo, micro-CT, 3D-3D Image Registration, Image Analysis, Image Processing, Python, Computational

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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis

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Bone defects that do not heal spontaneously despite surgical stabilization and require further surgical intervention are termed critical sized defects (CSD). They pose dramatic consequences to a person’s well-being and life expectancy due to their impact on the skeletal system’s integrity. Bone graft substitutes (BGS) present a treatment approach by enhancing and facilitating the natural healing capacity of the bone tissue using their osteoconductive and osteoinductive potential and filling up the physical space of lost bone for mechanical support. The key property of a BGS in treatment of a large bone defect is osteoinduction. Physiological processes in bone usually happen on different spatial scales, spanning from the whole organ, to tissue, to cellular and even to the molecular level. Therefore, an ideal imaging setup to **unravel the underlying mechanisms of material-induced osteoinduction** would require a **multiscale approach** to connect orang and tissue level processes with the cellular and subcellular scale. Micro-CT can be considered the gold standard in hierarchical 3D imaging of bone structure and function and allows a non-destructive _ex vivo_ and _in vivo_ image acquisition. **Time-lapsed _in vivo_ micro-CT images** can reveal distinct information on the longitudinal development of implant calcification or resorption. However, its resolution is relatively low and certain details can not be detected. _Ex vivo_ micro-CT on the other hand allows scans of higher resolution and therefore complements the _in vivo_ micro-CT well. The 3D-3D registration of high-resolution _ex vivo_ and low-resolution _in vivo_ micro-CT images generates a multiscale micro-CT imaging approach. Advanced image analysis methods can help identify newly formed bone and generally distinguish bone and the BGS. By combined analysis of multiscale micro-CT measurements of murine femur samples with implanted ectopic or orthotopic BGS, critical 3D mineralization behavior in material-induced osteoinduction can be investigated.

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Published since: 2025-09-08 , Earliest start: 2025-09-22 , Latest end: 2026-07-31

Organization Müller Group / Laboratory for Bone Biomechanics

Hosts Lindenmann Sara

Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology

Exploring the Mechanoregulation of Bone Regeneration

In over 100 years, the remarkable ability of bone to adapt to its mechanical environment has been a source of scientific fascination. Bone regeneration has been shown to be highly dependent on the mechanical environment at the fracture site. It has been demonstrated that mechanical stimuli can either accelerate or impede regeneration. Despite the fundamental importance of the mechanical environment in influencing bone regeneration, the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are complex and poorly understood.

Keywords

Bone, Mechanobiology, Spatial transcriptomics, Gene expression, Finite element modelling, Image processing

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Semester Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis

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Published since: 2025-08-21 , Earliest start: 2024-11-01 , Latest end: 2026-08-31

Organization Müller Group / Laboratory for Bone Biomechanics

Hosts Mathavan Neashan

Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology

Laboratory for Bone Biomechanics (Prof. Ralph Müller)

Students with background in some of the following: musculoskeletal biomechanics, computational modelling, maths, physics, image analysis, machine learning background, ideally also a bit of programming (Python, Matlab)

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Internship , Lab Practice , ETH Amgen Scholars Program (ETHZ)

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Published since: , Earliest start: 2026-07-01 , Latest end: 2026-09-05

Organization Institute for Biomechanics

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Topics Engineering and Technology

Biomaterials Engineering Group (Prof.Xiao-Hua Qin)

Students with background in: Chemistry, Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

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Internship , Lab Practice , ETH Amgen Scholars Program (ETHZ)

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Published since: , Earliest start: 2026-07-01 , Latest end: 2026-09-05

Organization Institute for Biomechanics

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Topics Engineering and Technology

Laboratory for Movement Biomechanics (Prof. William Taylor)

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Internship , Lab Practice , ETH Amgen Scholars Program (ETHZ)

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Published since: , Earliest start: 2026-07-01 , Latest end: 2026-09-05

Organization Institute for Biomechanics

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Topics Medical and Health Sciences