Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a rare cancer that affects the mouth and throat, with outcomes largely dependent on whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. Your goal will be to create a fully automated decision support system that utilizes MRI and clinical data to predict subtle signs of disease in the lymph nodes without invasive procedures. This system will provide doctors and patients with the best treatment strategy while minimizing severe side effects. Advanced Artificial Intelligence techniques will be applied to integrate MRI and clinical features, with Explainable Artificial Intelligence techniques to provide insight into the reasoning of the system.

The project is funded by the Hanarth Foundation and is a collaboration between the Image Sciences Institute, the Head-and-neck surgical oncology, Radiology, and Radiotherapy departments of the UMC Utrecht, as well as seven other Head-and-neck oncology treatment centers in the Netherlands.

If you are a creative problem solver with a multidisciplinary mindset and enjoy working outside the box, we want you! Successful completion of your tasks will result in obtaining your PhD degree.

You hold an MSc degree in biomedical image sciences, physics, or other exact sciences, with experience in (medical) image processing and computer programming, preferably Python. Knowledge of pattern recognition, machine learning, and multivariable statistics is an asset.

The maximum salary for this position (36 - 36 hours) is € 3.536,00 gross per month based on full-time employment.

In addition, we offer an annual benefit of 8.3%, holiday allowance, travel expenses and career opportunities. The terms of employment are in accordance with the Cao University Medical Centers (UMC).

This research will be conducted at the Image Sciences Institute within the Imaging and Oncology Division of the University Medical Center Utrecht. The division is internationally recognized for its research on image acquisition, image analysis, artificial intelligence, and image-guided interventions, and has one of the largest concentrations of medical imaging researchers in Europe. You will work alongside a team of PhD students and staff from medical-image analysis, radiologists, and surgeons. For more information, visit www.isi.uu.nl and www.imago.uu.nl.