The focus of the PhD project is to expand and develop deformable image registration (DIR) algorithms for (near) real-time tracking of anatomical and physiologic motion and the conceptual integration of these methods into on-fly correction methods for radiotherapeutic plan adaptation. The work performed by the candidate will focus, but not limited to: (1) Development of method-independent objective quality assurance criteria, providing an online/real-time confidence analysis of the estimated motion, contributing thus to patient safety, (2) Research and development of novel motion estimation methods, designed to take into consideration the physical and anatomical properties of the tissues under observation. This is expected to lead to a high anatomical fidelity of the estimated deformations, (3) Validation of the developed motion estimation methods for adaptive IGRT, ensuring conformity to recommended clinical guidelines.
It is anticipated that the successful completion of the project will provide a central element for effective IGRT cancer treatment of deformable anatomies.

You have a Master's degree in technical medicine, (applied) physics or biomedical engineering and you are able to work in multidisciplinary clinical research environment. You have affinity with medical image processing. Preferably, you have programming experience in Matlab and/or C++. Independent working attitude, good analytical capacities and communicative skills including fluent English are key for this project.

Starting date is to be determined with the candidate. However, preferably the starting date is as soon as possible. The appointment will be for 1 year initially, with an extension of another 3 year after successful evaluation.

The maximum salary for this position (36 - 36 hours) is € 3.196,00 gross per month based on full-time employment (work week 36 hours).

In addition, we offer an annual benefit of 8.3%, holiday allowance, travel expenses and career opportunities. The terms of employment are in accordance with the Cao University Medical Centers (UMC).

The radiotherapy department

Image-guided external beam radiotherapy (IGRT) plays next to surgery and chemotherapy an increasingly important role as one of the cornerstones in contemporary cancer care. Over the course of an IGRT treatment however, changes in the location and shape of the tumor and surrounding tissues due to anatomical motion and/or treatment response, complicate the therapeutic workflow and can lead to suboptimal therapy as well as to adverse effects. The radiotherapy department of the UMC-Utrecht is a leading partner in the Elekta MR-Linac consortium. The MR-Linac consists of a 6 MeV linear accelerator integrated within a 1.5 T Philips MR scanner, allowing the real-time 3D observation of anatomical deformations during therapy.