ABOUT VINUNIVERSITY 

VinUniversity (VinUni) is Vietnam’s first private, not-for-profit university established to international standards, with the vision of becoming one of the world’s top 100 universities. Guided by its core values (EXCEL) of Empathy, Creativity, Leadership Mindset, Exceptional Capability, and Entrepreneurial Spirit, VinUni develops talent equipped to create meaningful impact in Vietnam and globally. 

Founded by Vingroup, one of Asia’s largest private conglomerates, VinUni benefits from a dynamic ecosystem spanning Industrials & Technology, Real Estate & Services, Infrastructure, Green Energy, Culture, and Social Enterprises. This ecosystem provides unique opportunities for collaboration and innovation through leading organizations such as VinFast, Vinpearl, Vinmec, Vinschool, and Vinhomes, as well as a vibrant entrepreneurial network including VinVentures, VinMotion, VinRobotics, VinSpace, and VinEnergo, etc. 

VinUni comprises four colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business and Management, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and the College of Health Sciences. The University has established strategic partnerships with Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania and Nanyang Technological University to advance excellence in education, research, and innovation. 

In 2024, VinUni became the youngest and fastest university globally to achieve QS 5 Stars, earning the highest rating in nine categories: Global Engagement, Good Governance, Program Strength, Academic Development, Teaching, Employability, Facilities, Arts, and Social Impact. The University was also appointed by UNESCO as the first and only UNESCO Chair University, focusing on Environmental Leadership, Cultural Heritage, and Biodiversity. 

As a rapidly growing research-intensive university, VinUni is investing in world-class talent, research centers, and cutting-edge facilities to drive breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Data Science, Environmental Intelligence, Innovations in Health Sciences, Policy Development, and Sustainable Societies. 

ABOUT INNOVATIONS IN HEALTH SCIENCES  

Innovations in Health Sciences focuses on four strategic research pillars: Immunology, Stem Cell & Gene Technology, Precision Medicine & Health Tech and Population Health & Health Systems. At Innovations in Health Sciences (IHS), we aim to comprehensively address and develop innovative solutions that promote health, wellness, and disease prevention, enhance early detection, and provide novel and affordable precision medicine solutions to the most common health issues in Vietnam, Southeast Asia, and beyond. Additionally, we aim to be the leading authority on healthcare access and the social determinants of health shaping outcomes across Vietnam and Southeast Asia, with the goal of developing policies, practices, and interventions that improve health and well-being. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION 

Title: A Brain-Driven Closed-Loop Hybrid Soft–Hard Hand and Wrist Robotic System for Stroke Rehabilitation 

Loss of hand and wrist function is one of the most persistent and disabling consequences of stroke, severely limiting independence in activities of daily living and quality of life. Although robotic hand rehabilitation devices and EEG-based brain–computer interface (BCI) approaches have been widely explored, most existing systems rely on open-loop or discrete control with limited sensing, resulting in weak coupling between neural intention and assisted movement and poor implementation of assist-as-needed therapy. Taken together, these limitations reveal a critical gap in closed-loop, brain-driven hand rehabilitation systems that integrate neural intent with rich sensor feedback to deliver adaptive, personalized therapy that actively engages patients and promotes neuroplastic recovery. 

This study tests the hypothesis that a closed-loop, brain-driven hybrid soft–hard hand and wrist robotic system, integrating AI-based decoding of motor intention and effort from EEG and EMG with multimodal sensor feedback, can deliver reliable assist-as-needed therapy and improve movement quality and functional task performance after stroke. EEG provides access to central motor intent, while EMG offers complementary information on residual peripheral effort and enhances robustness when neural decoding confidence is reduced. To address this hypothesis, we will develop and evaluate an integrated neuro-robotic system that fuses EEG–EMG signals with IMU-based kinematics and embedded force sensing to control a hybrid soft–hard hand and wrist device in real time. The study adopts system development and pilot evaluation design, including bench testing, healthy volunteer validation, and feasibility studies in individuals with post-stroke hand impairment performing task-oriented rehabilitation activities. 

Expected outcomes include a safe, fully integrated closed-loop neuro-robotic hand and wrist rehabilitation platform and preliminary evidence that brain-driven, adaptive assistance enhances movement quality, force coordination, and task performance after stroke. If successful, this work will advance neurorehabilitation by establishing a scalable, intention-driven framework for personalized post-stroke hand therapy and will provide a strong foundation for larger clinical trials and future translational impact. 

The PDRA will be supervised by Professor Sanei, a pioneer in EEG Signal Processing, Professor Simon Park, involved in sensors and sensor design as well as biomechanics, and Dr Thai Mai Thanh to achieve the following objectives:   

• Develop and validate a closed-loop, brain-driven hybrid soft–hard hand and wrist rehabilitation system with integrated sensing.
• Implement and evaluate AI-based EEG–EMG motor intention and effort decoding integrated with multimodal sensor feedback for assist-as-needed control.  
• Assess feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the closed-loop system in pilot studies of individuals with post-stroke hand and wrist impairment. 

KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

Roles & responsibilities: 

The successful candidate will be a driving force behind the project’s success and will be expected to: 

• develop of a hybrid soft–hard, variable-stiffness hand and wrist robotic device;  

• implementation of AI-based EEG–EMG decoding and closed-loop multimodal assist-as-needed control;  

• pilot human feasibility and preliminary efficacy evaluation in individuals with post-stroke hand impairment. 

• mentor/assist in mentoring undergraduate and graduate students involved in the project. 

• In collaboration with the PI, complete a mentoring plan and an Individualized Development Plan (IDP). Review with mentor within one month of onboarding and at least semi-annually. 

• Participate in the regularly scheduled Works In Progress and present at least once annually. 

• Attend all professional development activities targeted to post-doctoral and early career faculty. 

• Prepare and submit at least 3 journals and 3 conference papers. 

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA: 

• The applicant will be based in VinUniversity, Hanoi, Vietnam, working on an interdisciplinary project between CECS and CHS, supervised by a team including both engineers and clinicians, leading by Professor