We are seeking a highly motivated and talented PhD candidate to join our team. You will be part of one of the 17 new ICAI labs, the HealthyAI lab, consisting of 5 PhD students who will collaborate on exploring AI solutions for prostate oncology. HealthyAI represents a unique, multidisciplinary collaboration between UMCG, Radboudumc, Technical University Twente (UTwente), and Siemens Healthineers. Our goal is to pioneer AI applications in healthcare, and venture into continuous multi-center data collection and quality-managed AI. Our focus is on creating an ever-improving learning healthcare solution with a primary focus on prostate cancer diagnosis.

This lab is part of the 10-year LTP ROBUST program “Trustworthy AI-based Systems for Sustainable Growth” consortium, which unites 17 knowledge institutions, 19 participating industry sponsors and 15 civil-social organisations from across the Netherlands. You will gain valuable experience working with an industry partner and will be able to tap into a wealth of networking, career development, and training opportunities in conjunction with ICAI, the Innovation Center for Artificial Intelligence at the University of Amsterdam.

Currently, we have an exciting opportunity available at UMCG:

Our project aims to revolutionize AI by making it more dynamic and adaptable, similar to a "living" system. We hypothesize that integrating AI into a continuous feedback loop, monitored by experts, can significantly enhance its performance and trustworthiness. Our research focuses on two key areas:

Technical Advancements:
We are leading in AI technological advancements, focusing on predicting uncertainty, probability calibration, image quality assessment, and rarity evaluation in prostate MRI. These advancements challenge our ability to detect deficiencies and validate outcomes, urging a reevaluation of what AI deficiencies entail and how AI can report to enhance trust and accuracy.

Additional focus on Legal Framework Integration:
The development of a new framework is crucial, emphasizing continuous data collection, AI predictions, and outcome data analysis. This framework shifts away from traditional CE/FDA certification processes, necessitating a novel exploration of its legal implications to ensure compliance and foster trust in AI applications.

The supervising team for this position is truly multidisciplinary, comprising radiologists, AI- experts, and legal experts. Joining this team offers a rare chance to engage in pioneering, interdisciplinary research. You will have the opportunity to gain insight into the existing legal frameworks and stay up-to-date with ongoing developments. The Faculty of Law at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, renowned for its expertise in this domain, will be your academic partner.

By joining our team, you'll be among the first to explore this emerging area of research, presenting a tremendous opportunity to be a trailblazer. However, it's important to note that this role requires the right set of skills and determination to thrive in this dynamic environment.

- MSc degree in Technical Medicine, Computer Science, Physics, Engineering, Biomedical Sciences or a related field
- Can train and develop deep-learning artificial intelligence algorithms
- Clear understanding of MRI
- Academic writing, good presentation and communication skills
- An interest in the legal aspects associated with integrating a ‘living’ AI algorithm that incorporates a continuous feedback loop within a legal framework

We offer a challenging position in an enthusiastic team of experts in a broad (to explore) field. A four years fulltime contract (36 hours per week) as a PhD. Your salary will be a minimum of € 2.901,- gross per month in the first year and a maximum of € 3.677,- gross per month (scale PRO) in the final (4th) year, based on a full-time appointment. In addition, the UMCG will offer you 8% holiday pay, and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. The conditions of employment comply with Cao universitair medische centra | NFU

Diversity and Inclusion Statement
UMCG is an international organisation, embracing a diverse student and staff population. We strongly believe that diversity is our advantage and creating an inclusive working climate in which students and staff feel a valued member of the UMCG community is therefore a top priority. UMCG values diversity within its community, therefore we encourage all qualified applicants, including minorities, women, people with disabilities, and members of other groups underrepresented in academia to apply. In case this vacancy appeals to you, but you are doubting whether you might be the right person for this position, please do apply.

Application
Will you make a difference for our patients? We invite you to submit your application before 31 March 2024. Interview dates will be scheduled in consultation with candidates. Please include a motivation letter, your CV, links to your Google Scholar profile, a list of your academic grades and courses, including online courses related to deep learning, law, and similar subjects, as well as links to any publicly accessible publications you have authored.

Radiologie

The place of employment for the appointment is UMCG Groningen. The UMCG is one of the largest hospitals in the Netherlands and the largest employer in the Northern Netherlands. In addition to providing clinical care, there is much focus on the core research, training, and education. It has well-established structural international research collaborations with academic partners. Research groups that are closely linked to this project and whom you will work within are fastMRI (UMCG), STEPS (RUG), DIAG (Radboudumc), and MIA - Mathematics of Imaging & AI group (UTwente).

At least as important as a pleasant working environment is a pleasant living environment. Groningen is a thriving university city set in quiet, spacious surroundings.