Master thesis &/or PhD position: Ultra Low Field Portable MRI Technologies and Applications- Marseille, France

Context – The MRI4All Industrial Chair

MRI4All is a 2,9M€ Industrial Chair program co-funded by A*MIDEX foundation and Multiwave Imaging SAS for 4-years (2024-2027). This industrial Chair involves two research laboratories, Institut Fresnel (Dr. Abdeddaim and Dr. Dubois) and CRMBM (Dr. Stellmann and Dr. Bendahan), and one medical imaging company, Multiwave Technologies SAS (Dr. Antonakakis). These three organizations are located in Marseille, France. The general purpose of this Chair is to develop a new generation of innovative portable MRI scanners operating at ultra-low field and to pay a more particular attention neurological and MSK applications. The main scientific objective of the project covers hardware technologies, as well as MR data acquisition and reconstruction strategies. Prototype ultra-low-field scanners are being made available on site for this purpose. Clinical research activities will also be covered in the frame of this program.

Job proposal

We are offering a 6-month Master thesis position followed by a 3-year PhD position in the frame of a CIFRE program with a permanent contract (CDI-Contrat à Durée Indéterminée with Multiwave Technologies), in partnership with the CRMBM & Institut Fresnel labs.

The low-field MRI system has the great advantage of simplifying equipment and site preparation for scanner installation. However, the MRI signal levels produced are very low since the main magnetic field is 60 to 30 times weaker than for conventional MRI scanners. Moreover, the portable MRI scanners will be installed outside of a Faraday shielded cage and will thus be exposed to RF and environmental interference.

One objective of this research project is to develop new strategies to improve the scanner reliability and immunity to these interferences. This will require: (i) determining and evaluating the main sources and paths producing noise during the MRI examination (ii) designing and implementing the most efficient solutions, combining hardware (electrodes, human body communications, auxiliary radiofrequency detection antennae…) and software tools (active noise cancelling, time-reversal, …).

Another objective concerns our ability to control the homogeneity of the main magnetic fields. The main idea is either (i) to be able to develop new tools to improve image quality with the help of additional shimming technologies (mechanical actuators, shim coils, …) or (ii) to be able to embrace inhomogeneous B0 fields, gradient non-linearity and develop new strategies to acquire the MRI data with new methods including a priori information to reach optimal image quality for scan time of a few minutes.

Candidate

We are looking for candidates with interest and basic skills in at least one of the following fields: signal processing, electronics, programming, robotics. The candidate should have a good scientific English and writing skills. The candidate will have the opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary environment in which communicative skills are crucial. Good analytical capacities and a team-working attitude will be appreciated.

Please send the supporting documents listed in the M4A Guide for applicants (table 2) to Jonathan Bartoli jonathan@multiwave.fr (Multiwave Technologies).

To download the M4A Guide for applicants: https://files.multiwave.ch/f/281fca92662e4efcbec4/?dl=1

Employer

Multiwave Technologies

Multiwave Technologies was spun-off in 2016 by the Swiss deep-tech company Multiwave Technologies AG. At Multiwave Imaging, we understand the challenges faced by physicians in MRI. While we are driven by better clinical outcomes, our devices improve the trade-off between scan time and image quality. For the past two years, the company has been developing the tools and processes needed to produce ultra-low field portable MRI scanners, with the aim of democratizing access to MRI for as many people as possible.

Center for Magnetic Resonance in Biology and Medicine - CRMBM-CEMEREM (univ-amu.fr)

Based at La Timone Hospital, the Center for Magnetic Resonance in Biology and Medicine conducts translational research by developing and applying MR methods and instruments (RM) to explore the morphology, metabolism and physiology of human diseases and associated animal models (rodents). With the support of methodological and engineering teams, our research teams aim at (i) better characterizing healthy and pathological states of the central nervous, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems, (ii) proposing new diagnostic tools and (iii) assessing therapeutic strategies.

Institut Fresnel - CNRS - Aix Marseille Univ

The research topics of the lab currently cover four axes: electromagnetic modeling and simulation, nanophotonics and optical components, information processing and random waves, and advanced imaging and life Science. The synergies between these axes are very strong and give rise to novel projects, often at the frontier between different disciplines. These projects can be fundamental or applied, with a strong potential for innovation, which the lab supports through several technological platforms.

This position is co-funded in the frame of the A*MIDEX-Multiwave Imaging Industrial Chair. Développer une nouvelle génération d'appareils d'IRM | Aix-Marseille Université (univ-amu.fr)