Are you interested in a PhD in Medical Physics, in Geometric Modeling and Image Analysis? Do you want to develop novel personalized adaptive radiatiotherapy strategies that can help improving patient treatment? Do you want to be part of a dynamic research group that works in a multi-disciplinary environment at a world leading university medical center?

At Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, we have developed a tailored made technique for cervical cancer patients to adapt the Radiotherapy treatment to a specific patient geometry at the day of treatment. Such strategy is part of what is known as adaptive Radiotherapy, and the technique we developed is a plan-of-the-day approach, where multiple treatment plans are created from a patient specific motion model. Since 2011, we have been using this plan-of-the-day strategy on more than 200 treated patients and their quality of life has been monitored. The proposed PhD project is intended to analyze the clinical outcome of the plan-of-the-day workflow and to further extend it, where automation and personnalization will play a pivotal role.

Your tasks as a PhD student will involve:

• analyzing the quality of life results with respect to the received dose;
• creating an automatic plan selection workflow based on geometric patient models;
• developing a decision support system to trigger individualized plan adaptation.

You will present your results during national and international conferences, and publish them in international journals. The research should lead to clinical implementation of the procedures in daily routine, and you will play an active role in this implementation.

You are a highly motivated candidate with a master degree in (Applied) Physics, Electrical Engineering, Technical Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, or related discipline. Excellent technical skill as well as academic writing and presentation skills in English are required. You are enthusiastic when solving a problem via programming, and interested in modelling. You are ambitious, result-driven and an excellent team player. Being able to present a certificate of good conduct is a condition for the appointment.

You will receive a temporary position for 4 years. The gross monthly salary is € 2.266,- in the 1st year and increases to € 2.903,- in the 4th year (scale OIO). The terms of employment are according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement for Dutch University Medical Centers (CAO UMC).

Erasmus MC

A healthy population and excellence in healthcare through research and education. This is what Erasmus MC stands for. Conducting groundbreaking work, pushing boundaries and leading the way. In research, education, and healthcare. We are practical people with a high level of expertise, working hard to improve and renew the healthcare of today and the public health of tomorrow.

Erasmus MC Cancer Institute encompasses one of the largest radiation oncology departments in Europe treating over 5500 patients per year. The department has a wide-ranged and internationally renowned research program varying from fundamental and translational radiobiology, to biological image guided, interventional and adaptive radiotherapy, and to clinical trials. By 2018, the department will have moved to a new ultramodern building at the central location of the Erasmus MC. The department will have access to 12 state-of-the-art medical linear accelerators, including 2 robotic stereotactic treatment units of which one with an in-room CT scanner on rails. All research is focused on improving clinical practice and has led to world-first implementations of e.g. fully automated treatment planning for the majority of curative patients, plan-of-the-day strategies, and novel fractionation regimes.