PhD student Advanced Diffusion MRI of the Human Brain Cortex

Are you passionate about brain research, with a background in neuroanatomy, neuroscience or a related field, and enjoy analysing neuroimaging data, scripting and data analysis? And are you passionate about medical imaging and its potential to improve our understanding of the brain and of its damage in dementia?

The cortex is the outermost layer of the brain, which contains the vast majority of neurons organized in a layered structure. Mapping the organization of fibers in the cortex would allow us to understand how the brain processes information within its local circuits, and to understand their role in neurological disorders such as dementia.

This project is part of an ERC project where we will develop a next-generation diffusion MRI acquisition to map the organization and properties of fibers in the human brain cortex, both post-mortem and in-vivo. You will:

• Evaluate the sensitivity of our new measurements to pathology (e.g., neurodegeneration, vascular injury) in post-mortem human brain samples.
• Acquire MRI data of healthy volunteers and study the distribution of cortical fibers in ageing.
• Perform a proof-of-concept study in patients visiting the memory clinic.
• Evaluate the relation between structural and functional properties of cortical fibers.

The maximum salary for this position (36 - 36 hours) is € 3.108,00 gross per month based on full-time employment.

In addition, we offer an annual benefit of 8.3%, holiday allowance, travel expenses and career opportunities. The terms of employment are in accordance with the Cao University Medical Centers (UMC).

This research will be conducted at the Image Sciences Institute, housed within the Imaging and Oncology Division of the University Medical Center Utrecht, in collaboration with the Departments of Anatomy and Neurology. The division is internationally recognized for its research on image acquisition, image analysis, artificial intelligence, and image-guided interventions, and has one of the largest concentrations of medical imaging researchers in Europe.

For more information, visit www.isi.uu.nl and www.imago.uu.nl.

Contact our colleague:
Dr. Alberto De Luca
06 33 36 34 49
a.deluca-2@umcutrecht.nl