Vacancy PhD candidate 'Advanced 4DCT Imaging for Wrist Fracture Diagnosis and Treatment Planning'

Job description

We are seeking a motivated PhD candidate to join our team for a 4-year research project. You will be at the forefront of developing and optimizing novel 4DCT image acquisition methods and AI-based fully automatic post-processing image analysis, with a specific focus on enhancing 3D surgical planning and improving surgical outcomes for fractured wrists. This involves clinical trials in which kinematic parameters must be extracted of both the injured and healthy wrist pre-operatively and post-operatively. This role involves close collaboration with team members of industry and several different clinical departments specializing wrist kinematics, and artificial intelligence.

About the Project
Recent advances in acquisition hardware and computing power have revolutionized the field of medical imaging, enabling the development of four-dimensional CT (4DCT) imaging for capturing functional images of the body in motion. This breakthrough technology provides invaluable insights into the kinetics of various body parts, significantly enhancing diagnosis and treatment planning.

In this multi-center project, our goal is to develop, optimize, and validate 4DCT imaging specifically for the diagnosis, pre-operative planning, and treatment of acute wrist fractures and malunited wrists. The project focuses on improving image acquisition protocols and developing cutting-edge artificial intelligence-based image analysis algorithms. These algorithms will extract crucial quantitative information from 4DCT images, leading to better diagnosis and treatment for patients.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and Optimize 4DCT Imaging: Innovate and refine 4DCT image acquisition techniques tailored for acute and malunited wrist fracture assessment and surgical planning.
• AI-based Image Analysis: Create and validate image analysis algorithms to extract essential diagnostic information from dynamic images, utilizing both traditional and AI methods.
• Collaborative Research: Work closely with industrial partners and multidisciplinary teams across three academic centers and seven peripheral hospitals in the Netherlands.
• Data Analysis and Comparison: Analyze kinematic changes in fractured wrists compared to healthy wrists, improving patient-specific therapies and preoperative surgical planning.
• Scientific Communication: Present research findings at international scientific conferences and publish papers on newly developed methods and study results.

• Cutting-edge Research: Engage in pioneering research that combines advanced imaging technology, artificial intelligence, and clinical application.
• Collaborative Environment: Benefit from a unique opportunity to work with experts across various disciplines and institutions.
• Professional Development: Gain extensive experience in multi-center studies and multidisciplinary collaboration, enhancing your expertise and career prospects.
• Impactful Work: Contribute to advancements in medical imaging and patient care, directly influencing the diagnosis and treatment of wrist fractures.

Place of work

You will be assigned to the Radboud UMC department of Plastic Surgery and the Department of Medical Imaging and the AXTI lab. Hand and wrist surgery is one of the pillars of the department of plastic surgery. This concerns not only the clinic but also education and scientific research. An important line of research is that of dynamic imaging (4DCT) of the wrist. Several technical medicine students are doing a master's degree in this line of research and currently three PhD projects are already underway.

There is a weekly research meeting with all researchers in the department. The department particularly wants to profile itself on innovations in health care of which the current PhD track is a good example. This fits into the strategy of the Radboudumc.

Radboudumc
Welcome to Radboud university medical center (Radboudumc), where scientific breakthroughs are born through the curiosity and passion of our collaborating researchers in a vibrant environment. We believe trust and excitement are crucial elements to achieving our goals, and we approach our research as teams and with the utmost rigor to make a significant impact on health and healthcare. Our researchers are driven by their fascination with the biological, psychological, and sociological mechanisms underlying health and healthcare. They collaborate with partners from all over the world to improve health outcomes for all. Radboudumc unites patient care, research, education, and corporate learning, which allows us to approach our mission to shape the health and healthcare of the future in an innovative and person-centered way.

Our ambition is to lead the way in the pursuit of prevention, sustainability, meaningful care. We believe that through our research, we can significantly improve the health and well-being of society. Join us on our mission to make a difference in healthcare. Become a part of our community of gifted researchers, professionals or patient partners who are dedicated to making a real impact on population health and healthcare. 

Read what it is like to do a PhD at the Radboud University Medical Center.

Profile

You have a Master's degree in a relevant field such as Biomedical Engineering, Medical Imaging, Medical Physics, Physics, Computer Science, or a related discipline. Moreover you have: 

• Experience or interest in radiology and affinity with biomedical research.
• Strong background in image processing and analysis, preferably with experience in AI and machine learning techniques.
• Experience in programming in python, C/C++, matlab or similar.
• Excellent analytical skills and a keen interest in medical imaging and clinical applications.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.
• Excellent communication skills in English, both spoken and written.

Employment conditions

At Radboud university medical center, you build on your future. We are committed to providing the best care, education, and research. And we are true to our word, because we help you develop and seize opportunities and give you the room to grow. As an employer, we believe that employees should feel vital and happy at work in all stages of life. We are also committed to creating a healthy and safe working environment. Our employment conditions contribute to that. What we offer:

• The salary depends on education. Scale 10 will be offered to MSc medical graduates; a gross monthly salary between € 3.493 and € 5.504. Those holding degrees in other disciplines will be offered scale 10A: upon commencement of employment, you will start at scale 10A, step 0 (€ 3.017 based on a full-time appointment). Over a maximum period of 4 years, you will progress to scale 10A, step 3 (€3.824 based on a full-time appointment). You will also receive an 8% holiday allowance, an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a 47% to 72% bonus for working unsocial hours.
• 172 vacation hours per year based on a 36-hour working week. (As of 1 January 2025, you will receive 176 vacation hours.) 
• An Employment Conditions Selection Model, allowing you to use part of your employment conditions to your choosing. For example, you can use your gross salary to purchase additional vacation hours or hours for providing informal caregiving. Or, for example, you can use your gross end-of-year bonus to purchase a bicycle, so you pay less tax.
• Plenty of opportunities for personal development. You can take a variety of courses in our online learning environment. 
• Your well-being and vitality are a priority. For example:
  • Save time for work-life balance leave. 
  • A 40% discount on a sports membership of the Radboud Sports Center.
  • Healthy Professionals program to help you manage your energy. 
  • Company Support Team and a personal coach if you are going through a life-changing event.
  • Financially beneficial working less through a Generation Scheme as you approach state pension age.
• Support in achieving a good work-life balance at every stage of your life. Examples:
  • Advice and courses on, for example, 'Millennial dilemmas' and 'Your Career After 57'.
  • Activities at our own mindfulness center.
  • Informal caregiving consultations if you have questions about juggling work and caregiving responsibilities at home.
• In addition to statutory pregnancy and maternity leave, Radboud university medical center offers 26 weeks of parental leave, nine of which are paid. In addition, as a partner you can take a maximum of five weeks of supplementary partner leave. During supplementary partner leave and parental leave, we supplement the UWV benefit up to 100% of your salary.
• Pension accrual at the ABP Pension Fund. Radboud university medical center pays 70% of the pension premium. 
• Discounts on supplementary packages of two group health insurances and ten other types of insurance, from home insurance to legal assistance.
• As of 1 October 2024: an allowance for your commuting costs of € 0.18 per km up to a maximum of 40 km one way. If you use public transport to commute, we will fully reimburse the public transport costs (2nd class). If you regularly work from home, you will receive a working from home allowance of € 2.35 per day.

Application procedure

Are you ready to think further for our patients and our care? Join us in advancing the field of medical imaging and making a tangible difference in patient care. Apply today to be part of this exciting and impactful research project! We would like to receive your application, including a CV, cover letter, and references. Please highlight your relevant experience and motivation for pursuing this PhD project before 2 September 2024. We will then contact you shortly.

Good to know

• This position requires a Certificate of Conduct (VOG).
• You can find more information about our application procedure and frequently asked questions on our website.
• Will you be our new colleague? Then you will be given the time and space to get to know your role, your workplace, and your colleagues. An induction day for all new colleagues is an integral part of your onboarding program. 

We are recruiting for this position ourselves. Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated, but do feel free to share the vacancy in your network!

Contact

Any questions? Or wondering what it is like to work at Radboudumc? Then email to 
Brigitte van der Heijden, plastic surgeon, Stefan Hummelink, technical physician or with the 
Secretariat. Use the Apply button to submit your application.