Acoustic sound is one of the main causes of discomfort patients experience during an MRI examination resulting in restlessness (movement) and thus degraded MRI images. In addition, long scan times and the high demand for MRI pose problems for the longevity of MRI in its current form. This project offers a unique opportunity to make MRI substantially faster, quantitative and quiet. The intended engineering and computational MRI innovations will be designed and developed together with four industrial partners.

In the project, a gradient coil will be designed for the spatial encoding of the MRI signals that can switch very quickly, namely at frequencies outside the human hearing limit. A prototype ultrasonic coil has already been developed for MRI of the head. In this project, the step to the whole body MRI will be made in which the application of non-linear gradient fields will be investigated. This non-linear encoding will be integrated into a revolutionary MRI acquisition and reconstruction platform (MR-STAT), previously developed at the UMC Utrecht.

Your role will be the design, development and testing of the ultrasonic coil, based on electromagnetic, mechanical and biophysical simulations. It is a very diverse project in which you will learn both technical and experimental skills. All this will take place within a diverse team where engineers, mathematicians and physicists work closely together. This project is funded by the NWO Applied and Engineering Sciences (AES) Open Technology Programme.

You have an MSc degree in electrical engineering or an affiliated field with an affinity for high-power electronics, modeling and simulations of electromagnetic, mechanical but also biophysical interactions. Because this project is multidisciplinary, you are someone who is communicative and works well with different professionals. We are looking for someone who finds it a fun challenge to pioneer in the field of the MRI of the future. The design and development of the ultrasonic coil but also the experimental test phase in volunteers (safety) will be essential parts of the project.

Practical experience with high-power electronics and electromagnetic simulations are therefore an advantage. The salary for this 100% PhD position is a maximum of 3196 gross per month based on a full-time employment (36 hours). It concerns a temporary employment contract for 4 years. Our terms of employment are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for University Medical Centres (UMC). Among other things, we offer an end-of-year allowance of 8.3%, holiday allowance, a travel allowance for commuting and various training opportunities.

Imaging division

You will work within the Imaging division. Within our division, we provide high-quality patient care and research. In addition, the divisions provide cross-curricular and cross-discipline education. In our team, we conduct internationally leading scientific research in the field of medical imaging techniques, including diagnostics, imaging, and fundamental research. These studies will eventually be implemented for patient care. You will work in a team with physicists, mathematicians and engineers (academic and industrial partners). In addition, you will work closely with other PhD students and postdocs. The research groups in our department are close-knit and there is a nice open atmosphere, where we are open to new ideas and suggestions. Several times a year there are special PhD students days and outings with the department. Finally, there is the possibility to go to leading international conferences with fellow PhD students.