The TRABIT project

The 'Translational Brain Imaging Training Network' (TRABIT) research project aims to bring innovative quantitative neuro image computing methods into the clinic, enabling improved healthcare delivery to patients with brain disease. The research in TRABIT will be performed within a network of 10 R&D institutes spread over Europe, which will host a total of 15 Early Stage Researchers (ERSs), supported by the highly prestigious and competitive Marie Curie Innovative Training Networks (ITN) fellowship program (https://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/about/innovative-training-networks_en).

The team

You will become part of the Medical Image Analysis group at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology.  The group consists of around 20 researchers, all working on the development of image analysis methodology as well as clinical applications. Collaborations with various hospitals and with industry ensure involvement of clinical experts, and hence a focus on clinically relevant topics. Through various (formal and less formal) meetings, the members of the group share ideas and work together in an enthusiastic and encouraging atmosphere. More information on the group can be found at www.tue.nl/image.

The Department of Biomedical Engineering consists of a large number of research groups, clustered around three themes: (i) Chemical Biology, (ii) Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering and (iii) Biomedical Imaging and Modeling. The department offers research driven Bachelor and Masters programmes. The department has more than 1,000 students and up to 200 tenured and non-tenured employees.

For this Marie Curie ITN project, you will also work for extended secondments (short externships) at the University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands (www.umcutrecht.nl), at Philips Healthcare, The Netherlands (www.philips.com) and the Fraunhofer MEVIS Institute, Germany (www.mevis.fraunhofer.de). You will be co-supervised by prof. dr. Marcel Breeuwer (Principal Scientist at Philips Healthcare) and dr. Alexander Leemans (UMC Utrecht).

The TRABIT project will provide high quality network-wide scientific training courses and complementary skills training.

Your role and responsibilities

The project will be executed in close cooperation with another researcher, an ESR that will be employed at Philips Healthcare, Best, (TRABIT-ESR10). The research will focus on innovative methods for accurate and robust tracking of nerve fibers in the brain around brain tumors, to improve the planning and execution of treatment of such tumours. Your research will primarily focus on the development of algorithms for tracking nerve fibers from diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images (DW-MRI) and determining the uncertainty of those. The other ESR will work on the integration of these algorithms into an easy-to-use, accurate and robust clinical software prototype application, including the clinical validation of this software application.

Your research will especially cover the following aspects:

Developing and validating accurate, efficient and robust algorithms to track brain nerve fibers in diffusion MRI from patient with pathology.

Visualizing these fibers, including their tracking uncertainty.

Validating the developed algorithms using a selected set of relevant MR image data (phantoms, healthy volunteers, patients).

Publication of results at scientific conferences and in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Applicants should have a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Physics, Applied Mathematics or Biomedical Engineering. Applicants with prior experience in MRI and medical image analysis will be given highest preference, as will candidates with ample experience in software design and implementation. Candidates should be able to work independently as well as in a team and be highly skilled in written and spoken English.

Candidates will be required to meet the Marie Curie Early Stage Researcher eligibility criteria. In particular, at the time of recruitment by the host organisation, candidates must be in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research careers and not yet have been awarded a doctoral degree. This is measured from the date when they obtained the degree which would formally entitle them to embark on a doctorate. They are required to undertake trans-national mobility (i.e. move from one country to another) when taking up their appointment. At the time of recruitment by the host organisation, researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in The Netherlands for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the start date. Short stays such as holidays and/or compulsory national service are not taken into account.

This post is available from 1st April 2018 or as soon as possible thereafter, but not later than 1 July 2018, and will be offered a full-time appointment for four years at Eindhoven University of Technology.

We offer you:

An exciting job in a dynamic work environment

The possibility to present your work at international conferences.

A full time appointment for four years at Eindhoven University of Technology (www.tue.nl/en)

The salary is in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement of the Dutch Universities, increasing  from € 2,222 per month initially, to € 2,840 in the fourth year.

An attractive package of fringe benefits, including end-of-year bonus (8,3% in December), an extra holiday allowance (8% in May), moving expenses and excellent sports facilities.