Job Information
- Organisation/Company
- KU Leuven
- Research Field
- Medical sciences
- Researcher Profile
- First Stage Researcher (R1)
- Country
- Belgium
- Application Deadline
- Type of Contract
- Temporary
- Job Status
- Full-time
- Hours Per Week
- 38 hours/week
- Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?
- Not funded by an EU programme
- Reference Number
- BAP-2024-1
- Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?
- No
Offer Description
Developments of fast ultrasound imaging methodologies (i.e. >1000Hz) have enabled to monitor the propagation of shear waves in soft tissues. Interestingly, in bulk media, the shear wave speed can directly be coupled to the elastic modulus implying that non-invasive, quantitative measurements of tissue stiffness can be made. Although this methodology has been introduced about 2 decades ago and although it has been successfully applied to diagnose and stage e.g. liver disease, translation of this methodology to the heart has been slow. The main reasons for this are both technical and biomechanical in nature as inducing shear waves in the heart is not straight forward nor is fast imaging of these waves. In addition, the myocardial wall is bounded which complicates wave physics significantly and therefore data interpretation. Nevertheless, the clinical potential of assessing myocardial stiffness non-invasively is tremendous and would revolutionize the assessment of systolic and diastolic cardiac function both of which are cornerstones in clinical decision-making. The aim of this project is therefore to further develop and validate cardiac shear wave imaging.
The PhD candidate will be responsible for the optimization of a cardiac shear wave scan sequence on our experimental ultrasound platform; to test its acoustics safety in an acoustic measurement bench and to validate the sequence experimentally in(dynamic) mock models of the heart. The candidate will work in close collaboration with medical specialists in order to validate the technology in experimental models and to support its translation into the clinical setting.
Medical aspects of the project will supervised by prof. Voigt from the division of Cardiology of the University Hospital Leuven (www.uzleuven.be) while the technical aspects will be followed-up by prof. D’hooge of the Lab on Cardiovascular Imaging & Dynamics of the department of Cardiovascular Sciences of the University of Leuven (www.kuleuven.be). Daily activities will take place in the Medical Imaging Research Center (MIRC; https://mirc.uzleuven.be/MedicalImagingCenter), a multi-disciplinary research institute where around 100 researchers work on fundamental and translational research in the area of medical imaging and image processing. You will be interacting with clinician researchers, familiar with the conditions and clinical imaging of the heart.
Requirements
- Research Field
- Physics
- Education Level
- Master Degree or equivalent
- Languages
- ENGLISH
- Level
- Good
Additional Information
We offer a 4-year PhD position with market conform wages in a large, multidisciplinary research center in the heart of Europe. The position is immediately available.
You have a MSc degree in physics or engineeringYou are familiar with ultrasound imaging and its applicationsYou have good programming skills in Matlab and are familiar with LabViewYou have experience with building experimental setups You are fluent in oral and written EnglishYou are enthusiastic and result orientedYou are a team player and communicate well
For more information please contact Prof. dr. Jan D'hooge, tel.: +32 16 32 29 40, mail: jan.dhooge@kuleuven.be or Mrs. Annette Caenen, tel.: +32 16 32 09 38, mail: annette.caenen@kuleuven.be.
You can apply for this job no later than 15/02/2024 via the online application tool
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available
- 1
- Company/Institute
- KU Leuven
- Country
- Belgium
- State/Province
- Vlaams Brabant
- City
- Leuven
- Postal Code
- 3000
- Street
- Leuven
- Geofield
Where to apply
- Website
Contact
- State/Province
- Leuven
- City
- Vlaams Brabant
- Street
- Leuven
- Postal Code
- 3000