PhD Candidate in Artificial Intelligence for Uterine Cancer Diagnostics

9 Feb 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC)

Research Field

Medical sciences

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Netherlands

Application Deadline

28 Feb 2024 - 22:59 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Not Applicable

Hours Per Week

36.0

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Uterine cancer is the most common gynecological cancer in the Western world, with over 100,000 new patients annually in Europe alone. Fortunately, the majority of these patients can be cured through surgical removal of the uterus. However, a significant challenge in treatment is the difficulty in predicting which patients would benefit from additional treatments such as radio-, chemo and/or immunotherapy.

A promising new avenue in cancer research involves the use of artificial intelligence for enhanced diagnostics. Recent work, by our team, showed the first demonstration that AI can support and even enhance current diagnostics and risk assessment in endometrial carcinomas. These initial finding warrant follow-up, refinement and extensions into new questions.

We have the unique opportunity to utilize the world's largest tumor tissue bank, comprising endometrial tumors from participants in the PORTEC studies. In this project you may also work on another uterine malignancy called uterine leiomyosarcoma, for which the team has secured a large dataset. The LUMC is equipped with the necessary computers, servers, and storage space to realize the plans of this project.

As a PhD candidate, you will be the linchpin of the AIRMEC project team, receiving support from a software engineer specifically hired for this project. You will develop AI models based on microscopic images to predict molecular changes present in the tumor, anticipate the tumor's response to treatment, and forecast the patient's prognosis.

AIRMEC goes beyond this. You will also assess based on which image properties your developed AI models make predictions. These potentially unknown but significant tumor properties will be further molecularly investigated, contributing to a better understanding of uterine cancer.

The AIRMEC team comprises global experts in the diagnosis and treatment of uterine cancer, providing support for the correct clinical interpretation and eventual implementation of the developed models.

Requirements
Specific Requirements

·         A master's degree in (technical) medicine, mathematics, artificial intelligence, computer science, data science, or a related field.

·         Experience in programming and affinity with machine learning and AI-driven computer models.

·         Experience or affinity with oncology, gynecology, pathology, or molecular biology is an advantage.

·         Ability to comprehend clinical issues.

·         Enthusiasm and dedication.

·         Good communication skills.

·         Proactive and inventive mindset.

·         Willingness to contribute to improvements in the diagnostics and treatment of uterine cancer patients over the next four years

Additional Information
Benefits

You will be given an employment contract for the production of a PhD thesis for the duration of the program with a maximum of four years. The salary amounts to € 2,901 gross per month in the first year, up to a maximum of € 3,677 in the last year with fulltime employment (scale Pro, CLA UMC).

Additional comments

Your career at the LUMC

Getting better by breaking new ground; that's our mission. This applies not only to healthcare, but also to our employees. In order to be able to continue to learn and develop, we offer internal and external training. You are also entitled to an end-of-year bonus (8,3%), holiday allowance, sports budget and bicycle scheme. Furthermore, as an employee of LUMC, you are also affiliated with the ABP pension fund. This means that 70% of your pension premium is paid by LUMC, leaving you with a higher net salary. Nice, right?

More information

·         For these AIR-MEC studies, we receive a subsidy from the Hanarth Fund. This fund aims to promote and improve the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of cancer patients.

·         AIRMEC is conducted in collaboration with pathologist Viktor Koelzer from the University of Zurich and radiotherapist Carien Creutzberg from the Department of Radiotherapy.

·         References may be requested for this vacancy.

·         A presentation may be part of the application process.

·         Applications from employment/recruitment agencies will not be considered.

Contact

Dr. Tjalling Bosse, medical specialist, department of Pathology
telnr. +31 (0)71 526 66 21
[email protected]

Website for additional job details

https://www.academictransfer.com/337545/

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

LUMC

Country

Netherlands

City

Leiden

Postal Code

2333 ZA

Street

Albinusdreef 2

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.academictransfer.com/en/337545/phd-candidate-in-artificial-intellig…

Contact

City

Leiden

Website

http://www.lumc.nl/

Street

Albinusdreef 2

Postal Code

2333 ZA

STATUS: EXPIRED