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3D cardiac Tissues integrated with soft iontronic devices

Contribute to Materials & Devices for Life Sciences at EIT, redefining nanopore technologies and progressing new approaches in tissue engineering, as a Graduate Ellison Scholar.

Key facts

Project description

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Animal models of heart disease struggle to replicate human pathophysiology due to distinct heart rates, electrophysiology, and metabolic differences. Engineered 3D heart tissues from human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)–derived cardiomyocytes represent powerful platforms for human cardiac research. Iontronic-cardiac tissue combines stem cell biology, biomaterials, 3D printing and electromechanical stimulation to generate complex, synchronized contractions in 3D hybrid tissues.

The Tissue Engineering Group at the Materials and Devices for Life Sciences (MDLS) develops technologies for generating 3D synthetic, living, and hybrid tissues for biomedical applications. We have developed droplet 3D-printing and microfluidic techniques for the construction of defined and patterned 3D tissues, including living tissues (neural and cardiac tissues) and synthetic ionic tissues (bio-batteries and other iontronic devices).

This project aims to engineer advanced 3D hybrid tissues that merge biological components (hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes) and iontronic components: (conductive hydrogel-based bioelectronics). The iontronic-cardiac tissues bridge the gap between traditional electronics and biology by using mobile ions (rather than electrons) as charge carriers. This allows seamless integration of the biological and ionic components, enabling engineered tissues to conduct electrical signals and reveal biological signs for disease modelling.

We welcome candidates with medicine, biology, materials, biophysics, electronics and tissue engineering background. Experience in stem cell biology and electrophysiology are desirable. DPhil students will work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team engaged in cell biology, biophysics, biochemistry, and device and tissue engineering.

Skills Required

  • Degree in biology, medicine, biomaterials, electronic or tissue engineering.
  • Cell and molecular biology
  • Biomaterials
  • RNA sequencing or proteomics
  • Experience and interest in multidisciplinary research 

Skills to be Developed

  • Stem cell differentiation and 3D co-culture
  • Bio-electronics
  • 3D printing and microfluidics
  • 3D tissue imaging and characterisation techniques
  • Disease modelling 

Relevant Background Reading

  1. Zhang, Y., Riexinger J., Yang, X., Mikhailova, E., Jin, Y., Zhou, L. and Bayley H. A microscale soft ionic power source modulates neuronal network activity. Nature, 620, 1001–1006 (2023), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06295-y
  2. Zhang, Y., Sun, T., Xingyun, Y., Zhou, L., Ming Lei, M., Bayley H. A microscale soft lithium-ion battery for tissue stimulation. Nature Chemical Engineering (2024), 1-11. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44286-024-00136-z
  3. Li, N., Zhang, C., et al., Zhou, L., Bayley, H., et al., Li, D., and Paterson D. Human derived cardiac-neural microtissue reveal catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia is also a disease of the sympathetic neuron. The Journal of Physiology, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP290024.
  4. Zhou, L., Wolfes, A. C., Li, Y., Chen, D.C.W., Ko, H., Szele, F.G. and Bayley, H. Lipid-Bilayer-Supported 3D Printing of Human Cerebral Cortex Cells Reveals Developmental Interactions, Advanced Materials, 2020, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202002183. 

How to apply

Stage 1: Apply to Ellison Institute of Technology

Submit an application to Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) by 5pm UK time on Tuesday 1 December 2026.

We encourage you to apply early, as applications will be reviewed as they are received.

Learn more and apply

Stage 2: Apply to the University of Oxford 

If selected by EIT, you will receive conditional funding and will be invited to apply to the University of Oxford by following the instructions on the course page.

Your application will then follow the standard graduate admissions process and will be assessed against the entry requirements shown on the course page.