Background

Finding a relevant brain lesion in a patient with chronic epilepsy may improve his/her options for treatment and chances for cure completely. Unfortunately, for many individuals with chronic epilepsy still no lesion becomes visible on the clinical MRI (3-Tesla). With the current study we want to make use of higher field strength MR scanners and advanced analysis methods to investigate whether this improves the detection of (small) brain lesions in patients with focal epilepsy. This will potentially result in better treatment chances and a better seizure outcome after epilepsy surgery.

Setting

This 4-year project is a multidisciplinary collaboration between the Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+) and Kempenhaeghe epilepsy center in Heeze (ACE). Scanning will take place at the ultra-high-field MRI center (Scannexus) in Maastricht.  The research requires an intense collaboration between multiple medical disciplines, for instance neurosurgery, neurophysiology and radiology, as well as imaging scientists and medical physicists. For the academic career the PhD trajectory will be conducted /imbedded in the setting of the research school Mental Health & Neuroscience (MHeNs) of the University Maastricht UMC+.

Tasks

• Literature study on UHF-MRI in epilepsy
• Study on epilepsy and epilepsy surgery and attending meetings of the multidisciplinary epilepsy surgery working group (Heeze and Maastricht)
• Data collection including images and medical records
• Application and development of novel medical image analysis techniques
• Presentation of findings in a thesis, scientific publications and at (inter)national conferences
• Teaching and supervision of Master students

For this project, advanced image analysis will be used. Therefore, we are looking for a candidate with a MSc, affinity for medical imaging and a background in biomedical or electrical engineering, physics, data science, computational neuroscience, or other related fields. Good programming skills (for instance MATLAB) are important for successful completion of this project, and also some knowledge of and interest in machine learning can be beneficial. In addition, the candidate should have a keen interest in (learning) clinical examination methods on patients, preferably speak the Dutch language, be flexible, open-minded and curious with strong analytical and conceptual skills.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

The terms of employment of Maastricht University are set out in the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO). Furthermore, local UM provisions also apply. For more information look at the website http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl > Support > UM employees.

Maastricht University

Maastricht University is renowned for its unique, innovative, problem-based learning system, which is characterized by a small-scale and student-oriented approach. Research at UM is characterized by a multidisciplinary and thematic approach, and is concentrated in research institutes and schools. Maastricht University has around 18,000 students and 4,300 employees. Reflecting the university's strong international profile, a fair amount of both students and staff are from abroad. The university hosts 6 faculties: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Faculty of Law, School of Business and Economics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience.