Student Projects
Project Descriptions
Additional projects are always available. Please consult our list of ongoing research projects and contact the involved people listed on the top right to enquire about additional projects.
Special projects/internships:
Multimodal Analysis of Brain Plasticity Following Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation
Functional neuroimaging and neurophysiological techniques provide complementary insights into human brain function and plasticity. While functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measures task-related brain activation with high spatial resolution, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) offers a portable alternative for assessing cortical hemodynamics, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) provides direct measures of corticospinal excitability. Combining these complementary modalities offers a unique opportunity to better understand how the human brain responds to non-invasive brain stimulation. An ongoing project at the Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory (RELab) investigates whether fNIRS can detect cortical modulation induced by non-invasive brain stimulation. As part of this project, multimodal data (fNIRS, fMRI, TMS, and behavioral measurements) are collected. We are looking for a motivated student to contribute to the analysis and integration of these multimodal datasets. The project will focus on identifying complementary biomarkers of brain plasticity, exploring relationships between imaging, neurophysiological and behavioural measures, and evaluating how different modalities capture short-term cortical changes.
Keywords
non-invasive brain stimulation, non-invasive brain imaging, functional near-infrared spectroscopy, functional magnetic resonance imaging, signal processing, data analysis
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Semester Project , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2026-07-10 , Earliest start: 2026-09-01 , Latest end: 2027-04-01
Organization Rehabilitation Engineering Lab
Hosts Perrin Cléo
Topics Engineering and Technology
Student Intern — Marketing Content & Visual Communication for Medical Device Startup
Support the marketing team at Skaaltec in building a content pipeline for SmartVNS, a Class IIa wearable medical device for stroke rehabilitation. You will create visual assets, short videos, illustrations, and supporting marketing material for digital channels, pitch decks, and clinical communications, while helping track the effectiveness of our marketing activities.
Keywords
Student internship; Praktikum; Marketing; Content creation; Visual communication; Graphic design; Video editing; Social media support; Marketing KPIs; Analytics; Medical device; MedTech; Healthtech; Class IIa; Stroke rehabilitation; Wearable; Branding; Illustration; Canva; Figma; Adobe; Investor materials; Startup; ETH Zurich; SmartVNS
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Semester Project , Internship , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2026-07-07 , Earliest start: 2026-08-01
Organization Rehabilitation Engineering Lab
Hosts Fornera Reda
Topics Journalism, Librarianship and Curatorial Studies , Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
Student Intern — Full Stack Web Development for VNSConnect HUB (React / Django / Automated Testing)
Work directly with our engineering team on VNSConnect HUB, the web dashboard and cloud backend for SmartVNS, a Class B wearable medical device. You will develop React/TypeScript frontend features, Django REST backend APIs, PostgreSQL/TimescaleDB data queries, and automated tests that help the HUB mature under ISO 13485 and IEC 62304 guidance.
Keywords
Student internship; Praktikum; Full stack; React; TypeScript; Django; Python; DRF; PostgreSQL; TimescaleDB; SQL; Hub; Dashboard; Web development; Frontend; Backend; REST API; Database; Automated testing; Unit tests; Integration tests; E2E tests; DevOps; CI/CD; Docker; Cloud; Medical device; ISO 13485; IEC 62304; WebSocket; JavaScript; HTML; CSS; Git; Agile; ETH Zurich
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Semester Project , Internship
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Published since: 2026-07-06 , Earliest start: 2026-08-01
Organization Rehabilitation Engineering Lab
Hosts Fornera Reda
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Mapping Statistical and Methodological Practices in Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation for Stroke Rehabilitation Research: Contribution to a Scoping Review
Understanding and predicting how and why individuals respond to non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) is one of the major challenges in current neurorehabilitation research. Although a growing number of studies propose predictors of treatment response, the statistical approaches used in this field vary widely. This makes it difficult to compare results, assess reliability, or build robust personalized rehabilitation tools. An ongoing project at the RELab aims to systematically map how statistical and methodological practices are used to define, assess, and predict NIBS response across the neuroscience and rehabilitation literature. This forms the foundation of a larger research program on biomarker-guided neurorehabilitation. The project involves conducting a scoping review of several thousand studies, examining how researchers define “responders”, what statistical models they use, and how prediction frameworks are validated. This position is ideal for a motivated master’s student interested in neuroscience, data science, and research methodology.
Keywords
non-invasive brain stimulation, statistical methods, predictors, scoping review, personalized medicine, neurorehabilitation, research methodology, bibliographic research
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Semester Project , Internship
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Published since: 2026-07-03 , Earliest start: 2026-07-15 , Latest end: 2026-12-15
Organization Rehabilitation Engineering Lab
Hosts Perrin Cléo
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Mathematical Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Student Intern — Software Requirements & Traceability (Medical Device)
Support the SmartVNS requirements team in drafting traceable software requirements, maintaining the traceability matrix, and building the IEC 62304 documentation backbone for a Class B wearable vagus nerve stimulator. Under supervision; some remote work possible.
Keywords
Student internship; Praktikum; Requirements engineering; SRS; Traceability; IEC 62304; ISO 13485; Medical device software; Software development plan; Regulatory compliance; Embedded software; Firmware requirements; Zephyr RTOS; nRF5340; BLE; Vagus nerve stimulation; Stroke rehabilitation; Wearable devices; ETH Zurich
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Internship
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Published since: 2026-06-15 , Earliest start: 2026-07-01
Organization Rehabilitation Engineering Lab
Hosts Fornera Reda
Topics Engineering and Technology
Verification Intern — Firmware, Electronics & Mechanical (Medical Device)
Support verification for SmartVNS, a Class B wearable vagus nerve stimulator. Execute and document test protocols across firmware (nRF5340/Zephyr), electronics bench characterization, and mechanical validation under ISO 13485 and IEC 62304. Coding contribution possible for the right candidate.
Keywords
Student internship; Praktikum; Verification; Test engineering; Firmware testing; Electronics testing; Mechanical testing; Medical device; ISO 13485; IEC 62304; Zephyr RTOS; nRF5340; Embedded C; Python; Oscilloscope; Lab work; ETH Zurich
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Internship
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Published since: 2026-06-15 , Earliest start: 2026-07-01
Organization Rehabilitation Engineering Lab
Hosts Fornera Reda
Topics Engineering and Technology
Multimodal EEG-fNIRS Brain Imaging
Hardware Development, Clinical Study Data Collection, Multimodal Data Analysis
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Semester Project , Internship , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2026-05-29 , Earliest start: 2026-06-01 , Latest end: 2026-12-31
Organization Rehabilitation Engineering Lab
Hosts Schönhammer Josef
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences
Development of Regulatory Documentation for a Novel Neurorehabilitation Device: Preparation for FDA and Swissmedic Compliance
Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability, affecting millions annually and necessitating innovative approaches to rehabilitation. The Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory (RELab) at ETH Zurich is developing a novel closed-loop neurorehabilitation device that integrates real-time motion tracking with non-invasive brain stimulation to enhance neural plasticity and promote motor recovery in stroke patients. To advance this technology toward clinical trials, comprehensive regulatory documentation is essential to meet the stringent requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Swissmedic. This project focuses on preparing an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) application for the FDA and supporting documentation for Swissmedic compliance, including technical descriptions, risk analyses, and clinical study protocols. The student will conduct literature reviews, draft regulatory documents, and support risk management in accordance with ISO 14971, contributing to the device’s regulatory pathway. This work offers a unique opportunity to gain expertise in medical device regulation, bridging biomedical engineering and neuroscience, and advancing a transformative solution for stroke rehabilitation.
Keywords
regulatory affairs, medical device, non-invasive brain stimulation, FDA, Swissmedic, investigational device exemption, IDE, stroke rehabilitation, compliance
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Semester Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2026-05-28 , Earliest start: 2026-01-01 , Latest end: 2026-10-01
Organization Rehabilitation Engineering Lab
Hosts Quast Max , Donegan Dane , Viskaitis Paulius
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Hardware & Software Test Setup for Medical Device Incoming Inspection and Verification
Design, build, and document multi-disciplinary test setups: electrical, embedded software, and mechanical; to support incoming component inspections and internal design verification activities for a novel wearable closed-loop vagus nerve stimulation device.
Keywords
Incoming inspection; Hardware-in-the-loop testing; Embedded systems; Test bench design; Electrical characterization; Mechanical verification; Medical device testing; IEC 62304; ISO 13485; Design verification; Test documentation; Wearable devices
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Semester Project , Internship
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Published since: 2026-05-05 , Earliest start: 2026-05-10 , Latest end: 2027-01-01
Organization Rehabilitation Engineering Lab
Hosts Quast Max , Viskaitis Paulius
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Studies on Mechatronics
If you would like to carry out a Studies on Mechatronics project in our group, please contact the assistant working on, or closest to, the research topic you are interested in.
We currently have an open studies on mechatronics project aiming to evaluate and compare mechatronic designs for sensory/mechanical stimulation and massage of the feet. If interested, please contact .
Your Own Project Ideas?
It is always possible to find a project for motivated students with innovative ideas in the fields of rehabilitation, assistive and healthcare technology as well as haptics and motor learning. Please contact us if you would like to pursue a project which is not on the list above.