Have you completed a PhD in the physical sciences? Do you want to play a key part in an international and interdisciplinary team, working to unlock the full potential of TUS for brain stimulation in neuroscience, neurology and psychiatry? Then you are the MR physicist the Donders Institute is looking for!

We are looking for an MR physicist to work on combining transcranial ultrasound (TUS) with MRI. The position is part of a prestigious European Innovation Council Pathfinder Project named CITRUS (Closed-loop Individualised image-guided Transcranial Ultrasonic Stimulation). You will be a key part of an international and interdisciplinary team working to unlock the full potential of TUS for brain stimulation in neuroscience, neurology and psychiatry.

You will be responsible for the implementation and, where necessary, development of acoustic force radiation imaging (ARFI) to determine the spatial distribution of the applied ultrasound beam, and proton resonance frequency shift (PRFS) imaging to monitor temperature changes during the application of TUS. This will first be developed in phantoms and subsequently in humans. You will also be responsible for interacting with other members of the team and you will work with them on iterative procedures to ensure that the focus of the TUS beam is at the target location. You will report on progress within the project and are expected to publish your findings in scientific journals and conference proceedings. 

• You should hold a PhD, preferably with MRI content, and have a background in the physical sciences.
• You are a meticulous and skilled scientist willing to take responsibility for your share of the project within a multidisciplinary team.
• You have good communication skills and feel comfortable presenting your work to a range of audiences.
• Your track record should include scientific publications and experience of presenting at international conferences.
• The ability to program in C++, Matlab or IDEA (Siemens' development environment) would be an asset.

You do not need to 'tick all the boxes' to be considered for this position as we consider quality and motivation just as important as experience.

Fixed-term contract: It concerns a temporary employment for 2 years.

• It concerns an employment for 0.8 - 1.0 FTE.
• The gross monthly salary amounts to a minimum of €3,974 and a maximum of €5,439 based on a 38-hour working week, depending on previous education and number of years of relevant work experience (salary scale 11).
• You will receive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• It concerns a temporary employment for 2 years.
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Care Services. Our Dual Career and Family Care Officer can assist you with family-related support, help your partner or spouse prepare for the local labour market, provide customized support in their search for employment and help your family settle in Nijmegen.
• Working for us means getting extra days off. In case of full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the legally allotted 20.

Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour is a world-class interfaculty research centre that houses more than 700 researchers devoted to understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of the human mind. The Donders Institute has been assessed by an international evaluation committee as excellent and recognised as a 'very stimulating environment for top researchers, as well as for young talent'. The Donders Institute fosters a collaborative, multidisciplinary, supportive research environment with a diverse international staff. English is the lingua franca at the Institute. Postdoctoral researchers will formulate a development plan with their supervisors.

The mission of the Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging (DCCN) is to conduct cutting-edge fundamental research in cognitive neuroscience. Much of the rapid progress in this field is being driven by the development of complex neuroimaging techniques for measuring activity in the human brain - an area in which the Centre plays a leading role. Our internationally renowned centre currently hosts more than 100 PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers from more than 25 countries, offering a stimulating and multidisciplinary research environment. The Centre is equipped with four MRI scanners (7T, 3x 3T), a 275-channel MEG system, a brain stimulation laboratory including state-of-the-art TUS equipment, several (MR-compatible) EEG systems, and high-performance computational facilities. Radboud University has an interfaculty initiative in focused ultrasound in place for which the above-mentioned CITRUS project will provide support and collaboration opportunities. 

The CITRUS project is a collaboration of 8 European institutions. At the Donders Institute,  the groups of Lennart Verhagen and David Norris will contribute to the project. You will work under the supervision of David Norris.

Radboud University
We want to get the best out of science, others and ourselves. Why? Because this is what the world around us desperately needs. Leading research and education make an indispensable contribution to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. This is what unites the more than 24,000 students and 5,600 employees at Radboud University. And this requires even more talent, collaboration and lifelong learning. You have a part to play!