PhD Novel Ultrasound Transducers & Imaging Techniques for Pregnancy Monitoring

Irène Curie Fellowship

No

Department(s)

Biomedical Engineering

Reference number

V50.6222

• Are you inspired by health care challenges?
• Are you eager to work on new, cutting-edge, technological developments in the area of medical ultrasound, and bring them to the clinic?
• Are you our next PhD-candidate in novel and advanced 3-D imaging for diagnostics and monitoring?

Job Description

High-risk pregnancies are a major healthcare problem worldwide, that involves increased health risks for the mother, fetus, or both. Hence, high-risk pregnancies require special care and adequate monitoring.
Recently, the NewLife project was funded by the EU, bringing together partners from academia, industry, and clinic. The project works on solutions for pregnancy monitoring in general. Within the NewLife consortium, the TU/e will work on a fetal monitoring patch for high-risk pregnancies.
We will revolutionize pregnancy monitoring by realizing an ultrasound transducer based on so-called cMUT technology, that can be applied on the abdomen of a pregnant woman as a patch for pregnancy monitoring and fetal well-being assessment. Image formation and analysis strategies will be developed that enable 1) operator-free CTG monitoring and 2) 3D imaging of the fetus for accurate diagnosis of congenital diseases.
You will be embedded in the Photoacoustics & Ultrasound Laboratory Eindhoven (PULS/e) research group, under the supervision of dr. ir. Hans-Martin Schwab and dr. ir. Richard Lopata. The PULS/e group consists of a multi-disciplinary and international team of researchers that work on novel imaging US techniques, photoacoustics, image reconstruction, functional imaging, and model-based image analysis. Within this project you will be closely collaborating with the BM/d group (dept. of Electrical Engineering of TU/e), Philips Research, and several NewLife consortium partners.
During a period of four years, you will develop imaging prototypes, develop image acquisition and reconstruction algorithms, and test their performance. Next to simulations, you are expected to build realistic phantoms of the womb and supervise MSc / BSc students that will work on projects within the scope of your own.

• A master’s degree (or an equivalent university degree) in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Biomedical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering.
• Affinity with (medical) ultrasound, or a comparable domain, or high-frequent electronics.
• Experience with signal processing, programming (and wave physics).
• A research-oriented attitude.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team and interested in collaborating with industrial partners.
• Motivated to develop your teaching skills and coach students.
• Fluent in spoken and written English (C1 level).
• Good presentation skills, required to present your work for a scientific audience.

A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you:

• Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months. You will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale P (min. € 2.541,- and max. € 3.247,-).
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
• High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process .
• An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.
• An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates.

About us

Eindhoven University of Technology is an internationally top-ranking university in the Netherlands that combines scientific curiosity with a hands-on attitude. Our spirit of collaboration translates into an open culture and a top-five position in collaborating with advanced industries. Fundamental knowledge enables us to design solutions for the highly complex problems of today and tomorrow. 

Curious to hear more about what it’s like as a PhD candidate at TU/e?
Please view the video: https://youtu.be/J76a-oN5YW8.

Information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more?
Please contact the hiring manager Richard Lopata, Associate Professor, r.lopata[at]tue.nl or +31 40 247 4878.

Visit our website for more information about the application process or the conditions of employment. You can also contact Sascha Sanchez, HR advisor, s.j.m.g.sanchez.van.oort[at]tue.nl or +31 40 247 7310.

Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page .

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the apply button.
The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of three references.

We look forward to receiving your application and will screen it as soon as possible. The vacancy will remain open until the position is filled.