The research within this function aims to improve the quantification of molecular imaging techniques and of radionuclide therapy. Several aspects of quantification in molecular imaging and therapy to be developed may include: imaging reconstruction techniques; image analysis methods (automatic tumor segmentation, radiomics); pharmacokinetic analysis to understand the kinetic behavior of new radiotracers and/or radiolabeled drugs (e.g. in antibody based imaging); standardization of imaging procedures to optimize and validate existing and new tracers for clinical applicability; imaging for treatment planning (radionuclide and proton therapy); dosimetry of radionuclide therapy; etc.
The expert to be appointed has an international and proven track record in quantification, both for diagnostics as for therapy. Furthermore, the expert will be involved in training and teaching in his/her area. We aim at a level of expertise and CV sufficient to attribute to the same person a professorship in this field. In line with UMCG policy, especially women are encouraged to apply as candidate for this vacancy.

- You are a physicist or an engineer, or you have proven relevant expertise in related disciplines in the field.
- You are an internationally recognized and leading expert in the domain requested.
- You have a vision on the field requested and able to translate this into results.
- You initiate and coordinate the research within your field. This implies output, networking and fund raising. As THE expert, you have a proven track record with this regard.
- You are able to lead, to motivate and stimulate persons. Also, you are able to operate in a multidisciplinary working environment and on an international level.
- You have expertise in helping and teaching PhD students and postdocs and you are active in teaching.
- You speak fluent English and are expected to learn Dutch within the next years. We aim for a full-time appointment, because of the asked efforts and allocated responsibilities.

The UMCG has a preventive Hepatitis B policy. The UMCG can provide you with the vaccination, should it be required for your position.

In case of specific professions a ‘Certificate of Good Conduct’ is required.

Your salary will be depending on your qualifications and relevant experience, based on a full-time appointment. In addition, the UMCG will offer you 8% holiday pay and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. Terms of employment according to the Collective Agreement (CAO) for University Medical Centers in the Netherlands

More information
For further information, please contact:
- Prof. dr. R.A.J.O. Dierckx, department head, e-mail: r.a.dierckx@umcg.nl (for inquiries only, please do not use for applications), telephone number: +31 (0)50 361 2205
- Ms. S. Evers, secretary of Prof. dr. R.A.J.O. Dierckx, e-mail: s.i.evers@umcg.nl (for inquiries only, please do not use for applications)

Medical Imaging Center

Within the “Medical Imaging Center (MIC)” -consisting of the departments of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (NMMI) and Radiology (RX)- of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Groningen, the Netherlands, we have a vacancy for an expert in the domain “Quantification in molecular diagnostics and therapy’’. We aim at a level of expertise and CV sufficient to attribute to the same person a professorship in this field.

Medical Imaging Center (MIC), UMCG
The UMCG is one of the largest hospitals of the Netherlands -with > 1300 beds and > 16000 employees- and takes care of an adherence region of > 2.5 million inhabitants in the north of the Netherlands. The UMCG is ISO-certified for patient care, teaching, training and research. The University of Groningen (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, RUG) is a top 100 university in international rankings.

Envisioning the future, the UMCG foresees a crucial role for molecular diagnostics, both for patient care and for research. One of the strategic research priorities UMCG is innovative diagnostics and therapy, with a special focus on nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. In future patient care UMCG, molecular diagnostics (and therapy) is considered to be the largest grower. This focus fits completely with the UMCG strengths (state-of-the-art infrastructure) and priorities (focus on healthy aging and on complex pathology).

Within the MIC we conduct high quality patient care, patient related and innovative research, with related high standard training and teaching facilities. The MIC consists of more than 330 professional collaborators (approximately 250 within RX and 80 within NMMI) and more than 80 PhD students.

In addition to diagnostics and therapy evaluation, molecular imaging is also used for fundamental and innovative research of metabolic processes within the human body and for drug research. In addition, the MIC performs preclinical studies and validation studies in healthy volunteers in an integral chain from “bench to bedside”. Finally, ‘’theranostics’’ (the use of molecular diagnostic methods combined with radionuclide therapy) is expected to be increasingly used, as demonstrated by its growing international implementation and hence translational research is also requested.

In nuclear medicine, a multidisciplinary team of experts, encompassing nuclear medicine physicians, radiologists, clinical physicists, radiochemists, pharmacists, biologists, technicians, analysts, etc. are collaborating together to further develop and improve molecular imaging and therapy. For imaging, the department of NMMI disposes of state-of-the-art equipment with 3 PET/CT camera systems (mCT Biopgraph 40, mCT Biograph 64, and a digital Vision PET/CT), 2 SPECT/CT camera systems and a bone densitometry camera. The department also performs radionuclide therapy, such as I131-sodiumjodide, I131-MIBG, Ra-223, 90Y-sirspheres, Lu-177 and Th-227, within the requested framework of expertise, infrastructure and regulations.

A 19 MeV IBA cyclotron and 17 hot cells provide the right conditions to answer the clinical and research questions. The GRONSAI (GRONingen Small Animal Imaging) facility consists of the following systems: 2 small animal PET (plus a PET-MR envisioned in 2020), 1 MRI and 1 CT. NMMI obtained a four star European Foundation of Quality Management (EFQM) recognition in 2015.

Within the MIC the department of Radiology also disposes of state-of-the-art equipment, including for example 3T MRI, dual-source CT, interventional suites, etc. Knowledge sharing and collaboration between the two departments and with other clinical departments within the UMCG is key to our success.

We are searching for an expert on “Quantification in molecular diagnostics and therapy”, active across the full spectrum of molecular imaging and therapy techniques, who as a full professor might put forward his/her vision and leads the development of this domain in Groningen.