A 2-year post-doctoral position is open at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, in the department of Imaging Physics. Unlike common belief, we recently demonstrated that ultrasound can image the cortex of long bones and can measure pulsatile blood flow inside cortical bone tissue (https://doi.org/10.1002/jbm4.10543). This international project also involves the Laboratoire d’Imagerie Biomédicale at Sorbonne Université in Paris, France and Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

7% of the world population suffers from osteoarthritis, the most common joint disease. No cure exists, largely due to our poor understanding of the disease. The development of biomarkers for progression and patient classification is a very active field. Intraosseous vascular alterations were demonstrated during the progression of osteoarthritis, therefore they are a potential biomarker. Unfortunately these intraosseous vascular changes are difficult to study with existing noninvasive technologies. The project aims to:

1. Develop intraosseous ultrasound to detect intraosseous blood flow abnormalities in the knee
2. Validate the approach in vivo with MRI on patients with knee osteoarthritis

The postdoctoral researcher will be in charge of:

• The development of an algorithm for intra-osseous image reconstruction in the knee that accounts for wave refraction and wave speed anisotropy with a matrix array transducer
• The development of an optimal pulse sequence to enable imaging of intraosseous blood flow inside the knee and its implementation on a fully programmable ultrasound scanner equipped with a matrix array transducer
• The ultrasound measurements on patients with knee osteoarthritis, their analysis and comparison with MRI

Applicants with a PhD in medical ultrasound and/or ultrasound imaging will be considered. Taste for lab and in vivo experimental work and programming skills (Matlab, C, Cuda) are required.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, a discount on health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

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Faculty Applied Sciences

With more than 1,100 employees, including 150 pioneering principal investigators, as well as a population of about 3,600 passionate students, the Faculty of Applied Sciences is an inspiring scientific ecosystem. Focusing on key enabling technologies, such as quantum- and nanotechnology, photonics, biotechnology, synthetic biology and materials for energy storage and conversion, our faculty aims to provide solutions to important problems of the 21st century. To that end, we educate innovative students in broad Bachelor's and specialist Master's programmes with a strong research component. Our scientists conduct ground-breaking fundamental and applied research in the fields of Life and Health Science & Technology, Nanoscience, Chemical Engineering, Radiation Science & Technology, and Engineering Physics. We are also training the next generation of high school teachers.

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