PhD Position in Medical Imaging en AI: Ultra-Low-Dose Pediatric PET/CT Imaging

Closing date: January 19

Your Role

• Develop and train deep-learning models (CNNs, Transformers, GANs) for PET and CT dose reduction
• Work with raw PET/CT data, projection data, and reconstructed images
• Perform quantitative image evaluation and clinical validation
• Collaborate with clinicians, physicists, AI researchers, and industry partners
• Publish results in high-impact journals and present at international conferences

This is a unique opportunity to work at the cutting edge of medical physics, oncology, and imaging science, contributing directly to the future of pediatric care.

About the Project

This PhD position is funded through the Hanarth Fonds Call 2025 and focuses on reducing radiation exposure in pediatric PET/CT imaging using advanced AI-based reconstruction techniques. Each year, hundreds of children undergo PET/CT scans for cancer diagnosis, therapy monitoring, and long-term follow-up. While survival rates exceed 80%, repeated exposure to ionizing radiation increases the risk of secondary malignancies, particularly brain tumors appearing in early adulthood. Despite this risk, no international consensus exists on optimized pediatric PET/CT protocols due to small patient numbers, large anatomical variability (3–90 kg), and scanner heterogeneity. This project aims to develop and clinically validate AI-driven dose-reduction strategies for both PET and CT, enabling diagnostic-quality imaging at substantially reduced radiation doses. The work will leverage UMCG’s unique total-body PET/CT raw-data repository (>500 pediatric scans) and external validation datasets from the EU4Health RHYTHM consortium.

The PhD project will focus on:

• AI-based noise reduction for low-dose and sparse-data pediatric PET
• AI enhancement of ultra-low-dose CT, primarily for attenuation correction
• Generation of pseudo-CT from X-ray previews or PET background signals
• Robust validation across scanner types, age groups, and institutions
• Quantitative and clinical evaluation of image quality, SUV accuracy, and diagnostic usability

The overarching goal is to enable safe, standardized, and widely deployable ultra-low-dose pediatric PET/CT imaging.

Why Join Us?

The Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (NGMB) at UMCG is one of the leading nuclear medicine departments in the Netherlands. With its own cyclotron, in-house radiopharmaceutical production laboratories, and state-of-the-art equipment (including three PET-CT scanners such as the Siemens Vision Quadra total-body PET-CT, and two SPECT-CT scanners), the department covers the full spectrum of nuclear diagnostics, radionuclide therapy, and research. In addition to clinical facilities, the department also has access to preclinical PET, CT, and MRI systems, supporting translational research from bench to bedside. NGMB plays a major role in the training of medical specialists, clinical physicists, and biomedical engineers, with a dedicated Medical Imaging track at the University of Groningen. Together with the Department of Radiology, NGMB forms the Medical Imaging Center (MIC) of UMCG, an international hub for high-quality patient care, education, and cutting-edge research. You will join a dynamic team of about 100 staff members, including many PhD candidates, postdocs, and clinicians. The working environment is collaborative, international, and multidisciplinary, with strong partnerships across academia and industry both in the Netherlands and abroad. This position offers you the chance to grow as a researcher while directly impacting the future of personalized cancer care.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for a motivated candidate with:

• A Master’s degree in Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Physics, AI, or a related field.
• Strong interest in medical imaging, radiation safety, and AI.
• Experience with Python, deep learning frameworks (PyTorch/TensorFlow), or image analysis (preferred).
• Good communication skills and fluency in English. For students with an MSc in a language other than English, IELTS or TOEFL certificate must be provided.
• Eligibility for admission to the Graduate School of Medical Sciences, University of Groningen.

What we offer

• A full-time contract (36 hours per week) for 4 years in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Medical Centres (CAO-UMC).
• Appointment in the PhD salary scale (min. € 3.108,- to max. € 3.939,- gross per month, depending on candidate’s experience).
• An annual personal development budget for training, courses, and international conference participation.
• Attractive career development opportunities through the Graduate School of Medical Sciences.
• A chance to work on an exciting and innovative project with strong clinical impact, contributing to the personalization of prostate cancer treatment.