In this role, you will be at the forefront of developing a sensor patch for respiratory monitoring in COPD patients. Imagine having the ability to remotely monitor and manage your respiratory health. This is the future we're creating.

Become a part of the DACIL team, a dynamic consortium dedicated to improving the lives of people with COPD through cutting-edge home-based technologies. Our collaboration extends beyond academia, including partnerships with private entities such as Monitair®.

Responsibilities

1. Sensor Validation: You will validate the sensor patch to measure breathing frequency, pattern, and variability, both in rest and during activities, for both healthy subjects and COPD patients.
2. AI Development: You will develop machine learning software to automatically recognize breathing patterns, a key component in our project.
3. Clinical Trials: You will test and evaluate the sensor patch's accuracy in detecting changes in health status in clinical trials.
4. Multi-Disciplinary Collaboration: You'll work closely with a multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional team within the DACIL consortium, alongside Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen and the University of Twente.
5. Synergy: This project is closely linked to the SPEAK study, exploring speech analysis as a biomarker for disease deterioration. We aim to synergize both projects for optimal diagnostic results.

As a PhD candidate, your impact will extend to:

• Supporting COPD Patients: Helping people with COPD in their daily lives through technology.
• Translating Innovation: Transforming cutting-edge sensor technology into clinical practice.
• Data-Driven Insights: Using AI to detect changes in health status.
• Clinical Validation: Conducting clinical trials to validate our innovations.
• Field Studies: Exploring how these technologies are used in the home environment.
• Sharing Knowledge: Disseminating insights at national and international congresses and through peer-reviewed publications.

Job Requirements

• Has a true passion for advancing sensor technology into clinical care.
• Can effectively collaborate with multiple stakeholders.
• Is driven by a sense of purpose to reduce health inequalities.
• Excels in data organization and analysis.
• Possesses excellent networking and relationship-building skills and maintain a strong connection with the people around you.
• Is open to exploring new perspectives and sharing them with enthusiasm.
• Can keep work organized and communicate effectively.
• Thrives on positive interactions
• is proactive and uses creativity to overcome obstacles
• turns to research and collaboration when faced with uncertainty

Academic Background

• MSc degree in technical medicine, biomedical technology, artificial intelligence, or similar (biomedical) degree.
• Experience in biomedical signal analysis and machine learning models.
• Familiarity with the healthcare system, especially related to respiratory diseases.
• Experience in human subject research is a plus.
• Fluency in English and Dutch is preferred, or the willingness to learn Dutch.

Don't miss the opportunity to be part of this transformative project. Apply now and help shape the future of respiratory health. Your passion, skills, and dedication will make a real difference!

What we offer

As PhD candidate | Department of Respiratory Medicine | 1.0 FTE at Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you:

• Good employment conditions. The position is graded in scale P according to UFO profile Promovendus, with corresponding salary based on experience ranging from €2770,00 and €3539,00 gross per month (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
• An employment contract for a period of 12 months with a scope of 1,0 FTE. Upon a positive evaluation, an extension of 3 years will follow.
• At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model.
• As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students.
• Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'.

The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information, click here.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.

Maastricht University

Why work at Maastricht University?
At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.

In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.

With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.

Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.

Click here for more information about UM.

Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences

At the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML), everything revolves around healthy living. Our research and education are not solely focused on recovery, but place a strong emphasis on prevention, health preservation, and health promotion. Our aim is to use our knowledge and expertise to genuinely contribute to the well-being of individual people as well as society in total.

In, research, and healthcare, FHML is closely collaborating with the academic hospital in Maastricht, together forming the Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+). FHML is strongly connected in education, research, and care with the Maastricht academic hospital, together with which it forms the Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC+).

FHML, which is the largest faculty of Maastricht University, is formed by an (inter)national community of employees and students. The faculty offers a wide range of Dutch and English-taught bachelor's and master's programs in innovative educational concepts in which the emphasis is always on building bridges to practice.

The multidisciplinary research of the FHML focuses on a number of carefully chosen topical current themes. In addition to research aimed at gaining new insights, it also concerns research whose results can be directly translated into concrete applications and innovations. The implementation of the various research programs is organized in our six graduate schools and two institutes.

Department of Respiratory Medicine
The department of Respiratory Medicine is part of the NUTRIM Research institute at the Maastricht University Medical Center+. The MUMC+ is a partnership of the Maastricht University Hospital and the Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences of Maastricht University. At our department, we focus on translational research and support a culture in which clinicians and researchers work together to improve the well-being of patients with respiratory diseases. The department of Respiratory Medicine is (inter)national distinctive in the research into mechanisms and interventions on metabolic consequences of lung diseases with a specific focus on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and lung cancer. Our department has recently joined forces with clinicians and researchers from various scientific disciplines to connect research and digital innovations within healthcare with the daily practice of citizens, patients and healthcare organisations.