PhD candidate 'Development of an integrated system for breast cancer imaging | focus point ultrasound'

Job description

Job description
Ultrasound and tomosynthesis are the most prevalent modalities used for breast imaging, and each has its specific advantages and disadvantages. Ultrasound uses sound waves to create a cross-sectional image of the tissue and has excellent depth resolution, but limited resolution in directions perpendicular to the transmitted ultrasound lines. Tomosynthesis uses x rays to create a pseudo-3D representation of the breast with high in-plane spatial resolution, but low out-of-plane (depth) resolution. Therefore, both techniques are complementary to each other.
We plan to develop a joint system that will use the information from each modality to improve the image quality of the other, yielding not only a multi-modality imaging system, but a joint imaging system. The combination of tomosynthesis and ultrasound into a single joint imaging system will yield improved images from two independent and complementary sources, with inherent spatial correlation, allowing for improved lesion detection, even in dense breasts, and the direct multi-modal assessment of suspicious lesions. For this multi-disciplinary project, we will be working in collaboration with the Advanced X-ray Tomography Imaging (AXTI) lab of our Department, who will be developing the X-ray aspects of this system (see accompanying vacancy).
In this project, you will focus on 3D ultrasound by using an ultra-wide ultrasound transducer that is mounted in a paddle required for acquisition of tomosynthesis data. In this way, a 3D ultrasound dataset can be acquired that can be used to improve the x-ray data by using the high-axial resolution US data. Additionally, the ultrasound data can be improved by using the high-resolution x-ray data. You will develop and validate these methods using both digital and physical phantoms, working towards first patient images at the end of the project. All of this will be in collaboration with a PhD student focusing on the x-ray aspects of the project, and industry partners to facilitate the translation of these methods into clinical evaluation. Tasks will also include presenting at international scientific conferences and writing papers on the newly developed methods and study results.
PhD candidate 'Development of an integrated system for breast cancer imaging | focus point X-ray'

Requirements
Profile

Requirements
You should be a creative and enthusiastic researcher with a MSc degree in physics, mathematics, engineering, Technical medicine, or similar.
Experience or interest in physics modeling, inverse problems, and/or image processing, and affinity with biomedical research.
Experience in programming in python, C/C++, Matlab, or similar.
Excellent communication skills in English, both written and spoken.

Conditions of employment
Fixed-term
contract
: 4 years.
Well arranged
With us, you receive 8% holiday allowance, an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and – depending on your role – an irregular hours allowance ranging from 47% to 72%. In addition, you are entitled to 176 vacation hours per year (based on a 36-hour work week).
Compensation
You will receive a €0.18 per kilometer travel allowance. Public transport costs (2nd class) are fully reimbursed. If you work partly or entirely from home, you will receive €2.40 per home-working day. This way, everything is well arranged—wherever you work.
Flexible benefits scheme
With our flexible benefits scheme, you decide how to use part of your employment benefits. Purchase extra leave days or use your year-end bonus to buy a bicycle with tax benefits. You choose what suits you best.
Warm welcome
We believe a good start is important. Thanks to our onboarding app, you’ll be well prepared even before your first working day. During the introduction day, you’ll get to know your colleagues and our organization.
Changing allowance
If you are required to wear Radboudumc work clothing and change outside working hours, you will receive a changing allowance of €80 gross per month for a full-time position, provided this applies to your role.
Salary increase
At our organization, your work is valued. Your salary will increase in line with the collective labor agreement in two steps: by 3.5% as of July 1, 2026, and an additional 3.5% as of May 1, 2027. This means you’ll see a solid increase in your salary within a short period of time.
Work–life balance
We consider a healthy work–life balance essential. Through inspiring training sessions, mindfulness activities, and caregiver consultation hours, we support you in every phase of your life.
Growth and development
Our online learning environment offers a wide range of training courses, e-learnings, and educational programs—from professional specialization to personal development. This allows you to keep growing and make the most of your talents.

Employer
Radboudumc
Welcome to Radboud university medical center (Radboudumc), where our research groups strive for innovative solutions that make impact on health and healthcare. We challenge the status quo to overcome current and future health challenges. Our goal is to shape the future of healthcare for generations to come. Our focus is on prevention, sustainability, and meaningful care, which we achieve through our in-depth understanding of disease mechanisms, clinical science, public health research, medical technology and data science. Our approach is centered on breakthroughs that can truly enhance personalized healthcare and public health.
At Radboudumc, a comprehensive range of research programs provide the compass for our research efforts. Each program has a clear goal, where collaboration within and outside our organization is highly valued. We integrate care, education and research in partnership with our patients to ensure that our research programs have significant impact on health and healthcare. We invite you to join us in our mission to create a healthy future for all.

Department
Beeldvorming
Place of work
Nijmegen and the Radboudumc
Nijmegen is the oldest Dutch city with a rich history and one of the liveliest city centers in the Netherlands. Radboud University has over 17,000 students. Radboud University Medical Center is a leading academic center for medical science, education, and health care with over 10,000 staff and 3,000 students.
Department of Medical Imaging
The Department of Medical Imaging is one of the most active research departments of the Radboudumc. More than 200 researchers are continuously striving to optimize healthcare. Close cooperation between preclinical researchers, radiologists, and clnicians gives a fantastic opportunity to implement new imaging techniques in clinical practice, and you will be working directly in this field.
Medical Ultrasound Imaging Center: MUSIC
The
MUSIC laboratory
works on the development, optimization, and clinical evaluation of new ultrasound imaging methods. For that, MUSIC collaborates with major vendors of ultrasound equipment. The focus of MUSIC is on development of high end ultrasound solutions for improved diagnosis of breast cancer, carotid diseases, and liver steatosis. Additionally, AI-driven handheld ultrasound solutions are developed for improving diagnosis in low resource settings, and by general practitioners and doctors in child consultation centers. For this, the group has researchers with various backgrounds, from engineering to medical doctors, providing wide-ranging expertise in image reconstruction and processing, deep learning and other AI methods, and analysis, along with the design and performance of patient trials. The laboratory works closely with radiologists and industry.