PhD position – AI-powered prediction and control of ultrasound-mediated cancer therapy.

• Hours40 hr.

• Salary indication€ 2,541 - € 3,247

• Deadline10 Feb 2023

This position is part of a collaborative project between the technical universities of Twente and Delft, and the university medical center of Utrecht. The strategy of this SOUND-CHECK project is to make use of the potential of microbubbles to induce therapy on the microscale level to treat head and neck cancer, including metastases. We will use new hardware (novel transducer technology), new biofabrication methods (3D printed phantoms) and new software algorithms (deep learning predictors) to detect the unique nonlinear signatures of the microbubbles, to quantify the location and amount of drugs delivered, and to control the therapy.

Therefore, while located in the University of Twente, you will be expected to closely collaborate with your colleagues in the two other centers, which entails collaborative experiments, regular exchanges, and the writing of joint articles. Your colleagues in Utrecht will specialize in the fabrication of next-generation biological phantoms to allow quantitative measurements. Your colleagues in Delft will provide research-grade ultrasound transducers for 2D and 3D imaging and therapy.

Your first task will be to develop an ultrasound setup, including a realistic flow system, to apply the treatment to the phantoms developed in Utrecht, and to quantify the therapeutic effect. You will then use deep learning to combine the relevant and complementary information available to predict this therapeutic action. Ultimately, the project team will apply this new treatment in veterinary patients (that is, in domestic animals suffering from head and neck cancer).

In short, the team of the SOUND-CHECK project aims at developing an integrated ultrasound system with innovative hardware and artificial-intelligence (AI) based software to take the key technological steps that will make ultrasound-mediated drug delivery predictable and effective.

Your reaction should include an application/motivation letter, emphasizing your specific interest and motivation, a detailed CV, and an academic transcript of B.Sc. and M.Sc. education. An interview and a scientific presentation will be part of the selection procedure. Please apply via the provided button below. 

For more information about the position, you are encouraged to contact Guillaume Lajoinie ( g.p.r.lajoinie@utwente.nl )

Please apply via the button below.

You will be embedded in the Physics of Fluids group of the University of Twente, and part of the TechMed Center. Beyond your direct collaborators of the project, you will also interact with direct colleagues in the group on a scientific level, with the technical staff that will support you in designing efficient experimental setups, and with the applied mathematics group for additional support in computer science and deep learning. You will therefore have all the guidance you may require in your local environment, as well as the freedom to apply your own ideas and intuitions.

The Faculty of Science & Technology (Technische Natuurwetenschappen, TNW) engages some 700 staff members and 2000 students in education and research on the cutting edge of chemical technology, applied physics and biomedical technology. Our fields of application include sustainable energy, process technology and materials science, nanotechnology and technical medicine. As part of a people-first tech university that aims to shape society, individuals and connections, our faculty works together intensively with industrial partners and researchers in the Netherlands and abroad, and conducts extensive research for external commissioning parties and funders. Our research has a high profile both in the Netherlands and internationally and is strengthened by the many young researchers working on innovative projects with as doctoral candidates and post-docs. It has been accommodated in three multidisciplinary UT research institutes: Mesa+ Institute, TechMed Centre and Digital Society Institute.