Are you passionate about brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), neurorehabilitation, and intelligent assistive technologies?
The Department of Health Technology (DTU Health Tech) at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) invites applications for a fully funded 3-year PhD position focused on enhancing inter-subject BCI-assisted performance for exoskeleton control in stroke rehabilitation
.
This position is part of a strategic research collaboration between DTU and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), combining expertise in biomedical signal processing, neuroengineering, and robotics. The project also involves clinical collaboration with Rigshospitalet and aims to translate cutting-edge research into real-world rehabilitation solutions.
Project Overview
The PhD project will focus on developing a bioinspired, AI-driven BCI system that enables intuitive and adaptive control of a wearable wrist-hand exoskeleton for stroke rehabilitation. The system will integrate electroencephalogram (EEG) and potentially other modalities (e.g., functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)) to improve decoding accuracy and user-specific adaptation.
Key research areas include:
Your Role
As a PhD candidate, you will:
Qualifications
We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with:
Supervision and Collaboration
You will be supervised by:
The project is supported by clinical collaborators at Rigshospitalet and will involve joint supervision, regular biweekly meetings, and co-publication efforts.
Approval and Enrolment
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education
.
Enrolment and Funding
The position is funded through DTU’s strategic alliance with KAIST and includes full tuition and salary.
Assessment
The evaluation of applicants will be conducted by Professor Sadasivan Puthusserypady Kumaran and Associate Professor Silvia Tolu.
We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.
Salary and appointment terms
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union.
The period of employment is 3 years. Starting date is 1 January, 2026, or according to mutual agreement. The position is a full-time position.
You can read more about career paths at DTU here
.
Further information
Further information may be obtained from Sadasivan Puthusserypady Kumaran (sapu@dtu.dk
) and/or Silvia Tolu (stolu@dtu.dk).
You can read more about the Biomedical Signal Processing (BSP) research group here: BSP and about the department here: www.healthtech.dtu.dk
If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark
. Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar
” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU.
Application procedure
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 15 October 2025 (23:59 Danish time)
. Applications must be submitted as one PDF file
containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file
. The file must include:
You may apply prior to obtaining your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.
Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.
DTU Health Tech
With a vision to improve health and quality of life through technology, DTU Health Tech engages in research, education, and innovation based on technical and natural science. We educate tomorrow’s health tech engineers and create the foundation for new and innovative services and technologies for the globally expanding healthcare sector with its demands for the most advanced technological solutions. DTU Health Tech’s expertise can be described through five overall research areas: Diagnostic Imaging, Digital Health, Personalised Therapy, Precision Diagnostics, and Sensory and Neural Technology. Our technologies and solutions are developed with the aim of benefiting people and creating value for society. The department has a scientific staff of about 210 persons, 140 PhD Students, and a technical/administrative support staff of about 100 persons of which a large majority contributes to our research infrastructure and related commercial activities.
Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.