ESR1 position: Advanced computer simulation for creating virtual cardiac patient populations

We are looking for an excellent candidate to fill the role of a 3-year ESR position (PhD candidate) at MU to work on advanced computer simulation for creating virtual cardiac patient populations. The main objective is to develop methods to automatically simulate signals of cardiac function, such as valvular blood flow velocities and regional deformation (strain) of the cardiac muscle, representative for patients with various cardiac diseases. The well-established multi-scale CircAdapt model of the human heart and circulation (www.circadapt.org) will be used for generating virtual heart failure patient cohorts. These virtual patient data will be used to supplement real clinical data. Ultimately, the combined data will be used for training of machine learning algorithms that improve and facilitate diagnosis of cardiac diseases. You will work in close collaboration with colleagues at the University of Leuven (KU Leuven; Belgium) and will spend several months at the R&D offices of GE Vingmed (Oslo, Norway) and Intelligent Ultrasound (https://www.intelligentultrasound.com/; Cardiff, UK) to get acquainted with state-of-the-art intelligent ultrasound technologies.

Maastricht University (www.maastrichtuniversity.nl) is the most international university in the Netherlands and, with 18,000 students and 4,400 employees, is still growing. It stands out for its innovative education model (problem-based learning), international character and multidisciplinary approach to research and education. Thanks to its high-quality research and study programmes as well as a strong focus on social engagement, UM has quickly built up a solid reputation. Today it is considered one of the best young universities in the world.

The research will take place in Dr. Joost Lumens’ lab at the Department of Biomedical Engineering (https://www.carimmaastricht.nl/research/divisions/division_heart/complex_arrhythmias/people/joost_lumens?pi_program=pi_group_tammo_delhaas). The project will be embedded in the CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases (www.carimmaastricht.nl), which is one of the largest top institutes for translational cardiovascular research in Europe, producing more than 500 scientific articles and approximately 40 PhD dissertations per year. This unique environment will enable the ESR to operate at the intersection of the different, but complementary disciplines of biomedical engineering, physiology, clinical cardiology and medical device industry. This will be a highly valuable experience to the ESR in their future employment in academia or health industry.

Offer Requirements

• REQUIRED LANGUAGES
ENGLISH: Excellent

Skills/Qualifications

Qualifications
• Must have a Master of Science degree in one of the following fields: mechanical, electrical, or biomedical engineering, biophysics, physics, or mathematics. Candidates from related scientific disciplines are welcome to apply.
• Knowledge about cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology is required.
• Good programming skills are required. Knowledge of Matlab and/or C/C++ is a plus.
• Knowledge about and experience with biological signal processing and analysis, in particular related to cardiovascular (patho)physiology; experience with computational cardiovascular modeling is advantageous.
• Strong academic record with a weighted average grade of master’s or equivalent education with a grade of B or higher.
• Advantageous to have a special interest and competence within medical technology, practical experience with research methods, and R&D work at research institutes, universities and/or the health sector.
• Emphasis on teamwork, innovation, being dynamic and enthusiastic as well as collaborating well with other members of a team.
Relevant certificates, including all grades, credits and marks and recommendation letters must be submitted along with the application. Certified copies of study credits with grades will be needed from those called to an interview.

Special rules for eligibility of ESR candidates:
ESRs shall, at the time of recruitment by the host organization, be in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research careers and have not been awarded a doctoral degree.

Mobility Rule: at the time of recruitment by the host organization, researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in The Netherlands for more than 12 months in the last 3 years. Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not taken into account.

Maastricht University is committed to nurturing an inclusive culture and a welcoming atmosphere. This inclusiveness strategy has resulted in a very diverse representation of nationalities and cultures. We strongly believe that diversity (including, but not limited to nationality, age and gender) of the staff and student population will increase the quality of UM education & research. Fostering diversity and inclusivity creates an academic community where individual talents thrive, and values and differences are cherished. We strongly encourage you to apply if you are qualified for this position.

How to apply?

In case you are interested, please send your motivation letter, CV and relevant documents to [Email Address Removed] latest May 17, 2020.