PhD VASCULAID project

We are looking for a PhD-student who will help in an exciting European project. In the VASCUL-AID project we want to develop an algorithm with AI to predict cardiovascular risks and disease progression in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) and/or peripheral arterial diseases (PAD).

For both vascular diseases, aortic abdominal aneurysms (AAA) and peripheral arterial diseases (PAD), there is no effective medical therapy. The best current management of these diseases consists of aggressive modification of general cardiovascular risk factors such as targeting cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes, next to lifestyle adjustment. A major challenge in current disease management is that to date, it is unclear how progression of vascular diseases and the risk of cardiovascular events are influenced by these risk factors. We cannot predict whose symptoms in PAD patients progress from claudication to rest pain/gangrene. In AAA we cannot predict whose AAA will grow or rupture. There are no means for personalized cardiovascular risk prevention or prediction of cardiocerebrovascular events.

The aim of this project VASCUL-AID is:

• To predict the risk of cardiovascular events and progression of the vascular diseases AAA and PAD to influence the course of disease improving the patient's quality of life and care and assisting clinicians to make better-informed decisions involving the patient;
• We will collect data from existing databases, retrospectively from 6 clinical hospitals in Europe and UK. Validation will be done in prospective patient studies in these 6 clinical hospitals as well;
• To this end, we will deliver a clinically relevant and cost-effective trustworthy AI-driven platform (VASCUL-AID) that integrates multi-source parameters including imaging, proteomic and genomic data as well as life-style patient data from wearables to enable personalized vascular disease management.

But to determine which outcome sets needs to be identified as input data and what is seen as relevant data, we are looking for a PhD-student who can help in identifying key outcome sets with the Delphi-method.

For more information, visit: Amsterdam UMC leads an AI-powered hunt for high-risk vascular patients

Your tasks will be:

• Your main task will be to perform literature studies to identify key outcomes for AAA and PAD patients;
• To perform the Delphi methodology based on questionnaires sent to panel of experts and talking to patients;
• Performing cost-effectiveness studies;
• You will closely work together with other PhD candidates (with technical and medical backgrounds);
• You will perform novel academic research combining existing datasets, developing new datasets and identifying datasets relevant for AI;
• You will regularly be presenting the work at (international) conferences, and you will assist in relevant teaching activities;
• You will collaborate with your fellow PhD students and help your fellow clinical PhD students in their trials.

We are searching for candidates who want to improve healthcare with a medical background. On the one hand, the student must enjoy to work in a multidisciplinary environment, perform data analysis and learn new approaches. The candidate must function in a multidisciplinary and international team and collaborate with doctors and patients to show the clinical advantages of the technique and get it implemented in the clinical workflow.

A candidate must have:

• A medical degree or medical degree with technical background (Technical Physician). An MSc degree in Medical Physics, Mathematics or a related discipline (please state your average grade) is to be considered;
• An interest in health care and, in particular, vascular surgery;
• An interdisciplinary mindset; open and proactive in interacting with researchers from different disciplines (e.g. doctors, medical researchers and other technical researchers);
• Dutch and English communication, presentation and writing skills;
• Highly motivated and creative.

Additional skills (not obligated) we would like to see:

• Experience with literature studies;
• Experience with data analysis.

Salary Scale 8 : 3.079 to 4.095 euro gross when employed full-time (step depending on qualifications and experience).

• A contract for the duration of the project
• Besides a good basic salary, you will also receive an 8.3% year-end bonus and 8% holiday allowance.
• Free and unlimited access to our online learning environment GoodHabitz.
• Pension accrual with ABP, of which pay 70% of the premium.
• Reimbursemen tof 75% of your public transport costs. Would you rather travel by bike? Then we have a good bicycle scheme.
• An active personnel association and the Young Amsterdam UMC association, which organise fun (sports) activities and events.

Salary increase of 4% effective November 2023

You will be part of the translational vascular research group at the Amsterdam UMC (location AMC) and EU consortium. Dr. Vincent Jongkind will be the daily supervisor. Associate prof. Dr. Kak Khee Yeung will be the promotor with dr. Jongkind. The translational vascular surgery research group offers a resourceful and stimulating scientific environment. The other vascular surgeons involved in VASCUL-AID are prof. Dr. Ron Balm, Prof. Dr. Jan Blankensteijn and dr. Arjan Hoksbergen and technical physician Stefan Smorenburg. The translational vascular surgery research group research group offer a resourceful and stimulating scientific environment. We are an energetic and enthusiastic team of roughly 16-20 PhD-candidates and 1 postdoc. The VASCUL-AID project will have their own PhD-students, postdoc, data manager and project manager.

At the Amsterdam UMC, we see over 300 aortic aneurysms yearly and over 500 PAD patients, and we are equipped with a hybrid endovascular room.