Postdoctoral Position for Small Animal Fast Insert for MRI (SAFIR)

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80%-100%, Zurich, fixed-term

The Dissertori group at ETH Zurich has developed a strong research programme in nuclear medical imaging, in particular concerning the development of cutting edge preclinical (SAFIR) and clinical (PETITION) full scale Positron-Emission-Tomography (PET) scanners. In particular, our group is developing a PET detector for small animals, which will be used as an insert in the Bruker BioSpec 70/30 pre-clinical magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system installed in the animal imaging centre of ETH and University of Zurich.

Project background

A first version of the PET-insert (SAFIR-I) with an axial coverage of 54 mm has been built and tested. Now it is available for further testing and first pre-clinical studies with mice and rats. SAFIR-II with an extended axial field of view of ~170 mm is close to completion and will be assembled in the summer of 2022, followed by a detailed characterization of the detector and the implementation of routine pre-clinical studies. SAFIR is a worldwide unique PET insert allowing for truly simultaneous PET-MR imaging at up to ~500 MBq activity, enabling PET imaging with seconds timeframes.

Job description

For our project we are looking for a motivated postdoctoral researcher with knowledge and experience in the field of PET in general and in PET image reconstruction in particular. You will participate in the characterization studies and drive the exploitation of the SAFIR-I and SAFIR-II detectors, working together with our two PhD students and the end-users of the detector from the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology of the University of Zurich. With a strong emphasis on image reconstruction and software development, towards improving the existing data acquisition software and automatizing sequences, you will play a key role in the SAFIR project, making it a success for us and our partners at the University of Zurich.

Your tasks

• Improvement and adaptation of the data acquisition, calibration and (post-)processing software to the needs of standardized pre-clinical studies, enabling a routine usage of the PET-insert for non-expert users.
• Leading and driving the exploitation of the SAFIR PET inserts in pre-clinical studies.
• Coordination of and participation in pre-clinical studies.
• Close collaboration with the team of the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Zurich.
• Responsible for the support and maintenance of the data acquisition and image reconstruction infrastructure.

Your profile

You are an engaged personality, used to work proactively and with precision – on your own and in a team – and you are passionate about your work. You enjoy broadening your horizon in order to master new technologies and like to expand your skills continuously.

Minimum Qualifications

• Fluent in English
• PhD degree in nuclear medical physics or related fields.
• Working experience in data acquisition of nuclear medical detector systems or related detector systems.
• Working experience in PET image reconstruction.
• Scientific track record in detector software, preferred in nuclear medical imaging software.
• Strong interest in pre-clinical research and the development of user-friendly software systems.
• Knowledge of Git, C, C++, Python, practical knowledge of modern software development.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.
• Ability to troubleshoot and problem-solving skills.
• Sense of responsibility.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in pre-clinical research with detailed knowledge of image reconstruction.
• Experience in development and operation of larger software systems.
• Practical experience in PET-systems operation and image reconstruction.
• Network of scientists for possible collaboration.
• Good mastering of German.

ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in science and technology. We are renowned for our excellent education, cutting-edge fundamental research and direct transfer of new knowledge into society. Over 30,000 people from more than 120 countries find our university to be a place that promotes independent thinking and an environment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe, yet forging connections all over the world, we work together to develop solutions for the global challenges of today and tomorrow.

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