Automated medical image analysis has the potential to truly innovate clinical practice by offering solutions to routine, yet key tasks, such as segmentation (i.e., delineating organs). Especially with recent advances in machine learning, in particular in deep neural networks that have led to an explosive growth of successful medical image analysis studies reported in academic literature, the time appears right for such innovations to find widespread real-world uptake. Yet, labor-intensive manual performance of these tasks is still often daily clinical practice.

CWI already closely collaborates with the Academic Medical Center (AMC) in Amsterdam through various projects on innovations along the entire spectrum from algorithmic foundations to clinical integration. In the context of medical image analysis, CWI and AMC have a new joint project for which we seek a talented PhD student. The project is funded by the science domain of NWO, the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research. The research will be a collaborative effort of the Life Sciences and Health group of CWI, the Radiation Oncology department of the AMC, and the eScience Center, also located in Amsterdam, who will provide one eScience engineer that will actively and intensively work together with the PhD student.

The main task of the PhD student in this project is to design, implement, and validate novel combinations of evolutionary algorithms and deep learning to capture and reproduce the variance of medical experts when they make segmentations of organs on medical images, and to combine learned networks without pooling the data into one place, thereby preventing the need to share patient data, e.g., between different academic hospitals. The intended focus is thereby first and foremost on the design of novel, and project-specific evolutionary algorithms, with deep learning techniques intended to be utilized more as is.

The appointment of the PhD position is at CWI. The PhD student is expected to spend at least one day per week at AMC, joining the growing team of PhD and postdoc researchers who are working on existing collaborative projects between CWI and AMC, and regularly visit the eScience Center as well.

Candidates are required to have an M.Sc. degree in computer science, artificial intelligence, mathematics, physics, or similar areas with relevant experience. If you are obtaining your M.Sc. degree before July 1, 2018, you are also invited to respond.

Applicants are required to have substantial programming skills, including excellent knowledge of C, C++, or Java (with strong C/C++ experience highly desired). Applicants are further expected to have an excellent command of English.

It is essential that you have a clear interest in working both on fundamental research as well as on applying this research, in collaboration with academic partners. We expect a flexible, can-do mentality and attitude with a willingness to cooperate with experts across different disciplines (including computer science, physics, and medicine).

The terms of employment are in accordance with the Dutch Collective Labour Agreement for Research Centres ("CAO-onderzoeksinstellingen"). The initial labour agreement will be for a period of 18 months. After a positive evaluation, the agreement will be extended by 30 months. The gross monthly salary for a PhD student on a full time basis is €2,246 during the first year and increases to €2,879 over the four years period.

Employees are also entitled to a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary and a year-end bonus of 8.33%. CWI offers attractive working conditions, including flexible scheduling and help with housing for expat employees.

Please visit our website for more information about our terms of employment: www.cwi.nl/terms-of-employment

Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI)

Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) is the Dutch national research institute for mathematics and computer science and linked to the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). The mission of CWI is to conduct pioneering research in mathematics and computer science, generating new knowledge in these fields and conveying it to trade, industry, and society at large.

CWI is an internationally oriented institute, with 160 scientists from approximately 27 countries. The facilities are first-rate and include excellent IT support, career planning, training, and courses.

CWI is located at Science Park Amsterdam that is presently developing into a major location of research in the natural sciences in The Netherlands, housing the sciences of the University of Amsterdam and of the Vrije Universiteit as well as several other national research institutes next to CWI.

http://www.cwi.nl

Life Sciences and Health group

Research group

For more information about the research of the Life Sciences and Health group at CWI, please visit our website www.cwi.nl/research/groups/life-sciences-and-health

http://www.cwi.nl/research/groups/life-sciences-and-health