In collaboration with Philips VitalMinds, a business venture of Philips focusing on the prevention of delirium in hospitals, we are looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate to help set the next step in patient centred healthcare. Are you ready to contribute to healthcare innovation in an interdisciplinary context?

In this high-tech, human touch project, you will work at the Interaction Design group of the University of Twente and in close collaboration with the Departments of Biomechanical Engineering and Communication Science, the department of Geriatrics of the UMCG and Philips VitalMinds. You will collaborate with medical experts, designers and researchers. The project will contribute to the further development of VitalSky, a light therapy system that provides circadian-effective lighting to support the sleep-wake cycle of patients and help preventing delirium in an Intensive Care environment and has the possibility of rendering dynamic coloured lighting content. The project will investigate content for and interactions with the VitalSky. Specifically, you will study the impact of exposure to nature inspired content on patient experience and recovery as well as context aware human-device interaction.

For this PhD position, we are looking for a candidate who is open to learning and applying mixed research methods in a direct collaboration with industry. You will work on generating fundamental knowledge and improve the current VitalSky by implementing this knowledge in working prototypes at the University of Twente and at Philips VitalMinds at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven.

You are expected to contribute to and take responsibility for research and development related to:

• Development of nature inspired content for the VitalSky;
• Designing and evaluating human device interaction, using biofeedback and incorporating means for (patient) control;
• Implementing, testing and optimizing visual content for long term user experience;
• You will take the lead in writing project deliverables and research publications.

• You hold a master’s degree in Industrial Design Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Interaction Design, Human Media Interaction or similar;
• You have excellent skills and practical experience in designing medical products in general, creating digital images and in developing prototypes that use sensor technology;
• You have a passion for research and design in an industrial setting;
• You are a team player and see it as a challenge to work in a multi-disciplinary team.

We offer a very challenging fulltime PhD-position for four years in an inspiring multidisciplinary and international environment. Your research is expected to result in a promotion. The university offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues in which internationalization is an important part of the strategic agenda.

• A starting salary of € 2.266 in the first year and a salary of € 2.897 in the fourth year gross per month;
• A holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary and a year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• A solid pension scheme;
• Minimum of 29 holidays in case of full-time employment;
• Professional and personal development programs.
  

The University of Twente. We stand for life sciences and technology. High tech and human touch. Education and research that matter. New technology which leads change, innovation and progress in society. The University of Twente is the only campus university of the Netherlands; divided over five faculties we provide more than fifty educational programmes. We have a strong focus on personal development and talented researchers are given scope for carrying out groundbreaking research.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Because of our diversity values we do particularly support women to apply.

The Faculty of Engineering Technology (ET) is one of the five faculties of the University of Twente. ET combines Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Industrial Design Engineering. Our faculty has approximately 1800 bachelor and master students, 400 employees and 150 PhD candidates. The departments of the faculty cooperatively conduct the educational programmes and participate in interdisciplinary research projects, programmes and the research institutes: Mesa+ Institute, TechMed Centra and Digital Society Institute.