PhD student for MRI for heart and lung physiology in pulmonary hypertension

PhD student for MRI for heart and lung physiology in pulmonary hypertension

Are you eager to use your clinical and technical skills to improve healthcare? In this role, you'll dive into MRI technology and data processing to develop algorithms that model energy transfer in the right ventricle. Programming experience (e.g., Matlab, Python) is essential.

The project

To better understand right ventricular (RV) failure in pulmonary hypertension (PH), accurate assessment of RV function through work, energy, and power is crucial. Current methods rely on invasive pressure-volume loops, which lack spatial resolution and are often inaccurate due to RV dyssynchrony and tricuspid regurgitation.

This project aims to develop a more precise functional description of the RV using 4D flow MRI, which captures blood flow velocity in three directions over time. Combined with anatomical imaging, it can provide biomarkers like kinetic energy, energy loss, pressure gradients, and hemodynamic forces, offering a more comprehensive view of RV function than pressure-volume loops.

We will apply this method in PH patients before and after treatment with the new drug sotatercept. The study also investigates lung gas exchange limits using advanced MRI techniques, such as 3D Perfusion, bSSFP, dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging, and potentially gas exchange with ¹²⁹Xenon MRI.

About your role

You will work in a multidisciplinary team, collaborating with healthcare professionals and MRI physicists to develop and clinically validate advanced imaging techniques.

• Use 4D flow MRI data acquired in a clinical setting to design segmentations, with AI and/or manually. Workflows are available but need to be tailored to the application, as well as quantification protocols for the calculations;
• Design these algorithms to calculate energetics in terms of kinetic energy and viscous energy dissipation in the RV and heart;
• Calculate other hemodynamic properties as well such as wall shear stress, vorticity/vortex detection, and flow components in the RV and other heart compartments;
• You will collect lung MRI sequences (such as 3D Preful) to test in volunteers and later in patients;
• Participate, if granted, in a project to measure Xenon gas effects on red blood cells to measure pulmonary oxygenation in health and disease;
• Supervise bachelor and master students that help you with the project and start ...

About you

We are looking for a PhD student with:

• A MSc degree in Technical Medicine, Biomedical Engineering or a similar study (please state your average grade and most relevant courses);
• An interdisciplinary mindset; open and proactive in interacting with researchers from different disciplines (e.g. health care providers, medical researchers and other technical researchers);
• Programming experience (Programming skills in Matlab, Python and/or C++ are a bonus);
• English communication, presentation, and writing skills.

Our offer

• A flying start to your career in scientific research.
• Plenty of room for your drive to shape tomorrow's healthcare.
• Working on large-scale and in-house research, with motivated colleagues from all over the world.
• You will be employed by Amsterdam UMC Research BV.
• A contract for 4 years. The Guideline PhD contract applies to this vacancy.
• Salary scale OIO: € 3.017 to € 3.824 gross based on full-time employment (depending on education and experience) and a year-end bonus of 8.3%. From July 1st, 2025, there will be a salary increase of 3%.
• Holiday hours: 190,4 per year for fulltime and a possibility to save additional hours.
• Pension accrual with BeFrank, a modern, comprehensible and fairly priced pension.
• For >7 km each way, 100% reimbursement for public transport travel costs and, for private transport, €0.18 per km up to a maximum of 40 km each way.
• Do you prefer walking or cycling? Take advantage of our good bike scheme. Moreover, you will receive a reimbursement of €0.18 per km.

About your workplace

You will be part of the MRI-physics group at Amsterdam UMC (location AMC) and the Pulmonary Medicine department. MR Physicist Dr. Eric Schrauben and associate professor Dr. ir. Pim van Ooij (Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, location AMC) will be daily supervisors whereas prof. dr. Anton Vonk Noordegraaf, Dept of Pulmonary Medicine and Lillian Meijboom, Dept of Radiology (location VUmc) will supervise the clinical and physiological part. MRI acquisitions will be performed together with MR physicist Dr. Tim Marcus (location VUmc). The MRI-physics research group offers a resourceful and stimulating scientific environment.

We are an energetic and enthusiastic team of roughly 15 PhD candidates, 3 postdocs, 5 assistant professors and two professors. The MRI-physics group is part of the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine. The Pulmonary Medicine research group is equally energetic and enthusiastic with roughly similar numbers.

Amsterdam UMC Research BV supports non-profit scientific research. In doing so, we provide researchers with everything they need to excel. Our principal investigators (PIs) and project leaders offer support in the field of project management, finance and human resources. In medical scientific research projects, legal support is also provided.

Amsterdam UMC has an open culture. This means that we hope that everyone feels welcome in our organization and that we strive to offer equal opportunities to everyone. We therefore cordially invite all interested parties to respond to this vacancy.

Let’s meet! During the publication period, applications will be handled continuously. If the vacancy is filled, it will be closed prematurely.

If you have any questions about this position, please feel free to contact Dr. ir. Pim van Ooij via p.vanooij@amsterdamumc.nl.