Elekta Oncology Systems produces state of the art equipment and software for radiation oncology. Together they collaborate in the POP-AART lab (Partnership for Online Personalized AI-driven Adaptive RadioTherapy). The lab focusses on the use of AI to improve precision radiation in oncology. We are hiring a PhD students in reinforcement learning for this Lab. 

Radiotherapy treatment plans are designed by optimizing the parameters of the treatment delivery device such as beam directions, apertures, delivery times. Typically, such plans are designed based on a single CT scan of the patient. In practice, the anatomy of the patients changes continuously and adaptive radiation therapy aims to adjust the treatment plan accordingly. The goal of this project is to use reinforcement learning to optimize radiation treatment plans and adapt them in response to anatomical changes. 

POP-AART Lab 
You are going to carry out AI research (https://icai.ai/pop-aart-lab/) as part of the POP-AART lab at both the Netherlands Cancer Institute and the University of Amsterdam. There will also be regular interactions with researchers at Elekta Oncology Systems. In the lab, you will be supervised by prof. Sonke and dr. Gavves, as well as an assistant professor we are currently hiring. The lab will be part of the Innovation Center for Artificial Intelligence, a Netherlands initiative focused on joint technology development between academia, industry and government in the area of artificial intelligence.

Your tasks will be to:

• Develop new machine learning methods within the context of adaptive radiation therapy;
• Collaborate with other researchers within the lab, NKI, UvA and Elekta;
• Perform novel academic research on the crossroads of deep machine learning and medical physics. Research will be published in the top related, conferences, including ICLR, NeurIPS, ICML, CVPR, PAMI, MICCAI, AAPM, ICCR, PMB and Medical Physics.
• Complete and defend a PhD thesis within the official appointment duration of four years;
• Regularly present intermediate research results at international conferences and workshops, and publish them in proceedings and journals;
• Assist in relevant teaching activities.

Job requirements

• A Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, or related field; 
• A strong background in computer vision and/or machine learning;
• Strong analytical skills and technical skills;
• Excellent programming skills preferably in Python; 
• Excellent mathematics foundations, especially statistics and probability theory, calculus and linear algebra;
• You are highly motivated and creative, with a proactive and independent mindset;
• An interdisciplinary mindset and an open and proactive personality in interacting with researchers from different disciplines;
• Strong communication, presentation and writing skills and excellent command of English;
• Prior publications in relevant vision and machine learning venues will be advantageous for your application.

Fixed-term contract: Your temporary employment will be for a period of 4 years.

Compensation

Your temporary employment will be for a period of 4 years. The gross salary per month for our PhD will range from € 2.882,- to a maximum of € 3.322,- according to the standard PhD scales. The terms of employment will be in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Hospitals. In addition you will receive a fixed end-of-year bonus (8,33%) and you will receive 8,33% holiday pay. For more information in regards to the secondary conditions please visit our website: https://www.nki.nl/careers-study/how-to-apply/.

The Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI)

The Netherlands Cancer Institute is among the top 10 comprehensive cancer centers, combining world-class fundamental, translational, and clinical research with dedicated patient care. Approximately 750 persons are employed in the research laboratories of NKI. Discussions, lectures and seminars are all in English and a multi-national community of postdocs, students and staff members contribute to the stimulating atmosphere of the Institute. We offer an inspiring and interactive research environment, state-of-the-art facilities, training and housing facilities in the vicinity of the Institute.
 

The Faculty of Science

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 6,500, as well as 1,600 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain. Amsterdam is a livable city with many cultural amenities.