PhD position on a Virtual Bone Morphology Processing Platform for Orthopedic Applications
The Department of Biomechanical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering Technology (ET) at the human-tech oriented University of Twente is seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to join us for a full-time, fully funded, 4-year project on the development of an open-access virtual medical image platform to extract, enrich, and provide bone morphology data for orthopedic researchers and applications.
Do you want to make a substantial and lasting contribution to the orthopedic and biomedical device research community? Then we have something for you!
The Department of Biomechanical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering Technology (ET) at the human-tech oriented University of Twente is seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to join us for a full-time, fully funded, 4-year project on the development of an open-access virtual medical image platform to extract, enrich, and provide bone morphology data for orthopedic researchers and applications. You will be supervised by the energetic and ambitious Biomedical Device Design & Production team.
The Challenge
Knowledge about the individual bone morphology plays a key role in the new generation of innovative personalized biomedical products and treatments. Bone morphology can be used to answer research questions, such as quantifying the progression of degenerative diseases; analyzing gender, age, and ethnic differences within a population; or building a digital twin model to aid in anatomic reconstruction, and direct design applications of implants and prostheses. Despite the need, such data are rarely available. The reasons are manifold: the access to large numbers of medical image data is limited, implementation of image processing strategies is challenging, data are collected only for isolated questions or applications, and legal uncertainties play a role with respect to privacy and conflicting economic interests. In addition, knowledge from a variety of disciplines is required.
Objective
The PhD’s objective is to develop the contours and pilot work of an open-access virtual processing platform for uploading, processing, enriching, and storing medical image data in order to provide a large number of fully processed bone morphology data to various research communities. Thereto, an overview is made of running initiatives; and pros and cons are evaluated. Optionally, we will team up with these initiatives. The PhD develops robust (semi-) automatic segmentation and processing methods applicable to different bony structures. We demonstrate the benefit and potential of such a virtual platform by selected use cases in the orthopaedic domain, e.g. joint replacement. Our ambition is to evolve the PhD candidate’s work into an open-access and sustainable platform, which can be operated and used in the long term to provide and enable for future research.
Information and application
You are welcome to contact Dr.-Ing. Malte Asseln (m.asseln@utwente.nl) or Prof.dr.ir. Gabrielle Tuijthof (g.j.m.tuijthof@utwente.nl) for any questions you might have.
Please submit your application before October 13th 2023 by using the “Apply now” button and include the following documents:
- A motivation letter, emphasizing your specific interest and motivation to apply for this PhD position in our group.
- A full Curriculum Vitae including your education, publications, awards, and working experience. Your CV should demonstrate the scope of your work and education and indicate a good fit with the stated requirements for the position.
- An academic transcript of BSc and MSc education, including grades.
- A short description of your most recent accomplishment (master’s thesis, final project report, etc.).
- References (contact information) of two scientific staff members (such as the supervisor of your master thesis/final project) who are willing to provide a recommendation letter at our request.
Interviews will take place in two phases. If selected, there will be a first online interview in late October/ early November. A subset of the candidates will be invited for a second in-person interview shortly thereafter.
About the organisation
The Faculty of Engineering Technology (ET) engages in education and research of Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Industrial Design Engineering. We enable society and industry to innovate and create value using efficient, solid and sustainable technology. We are part of a ‘people-first' university of technology, taking our place as an internationally leading center for smart production, processes and devices in five domains: Health Technology, Maintenance, Smart Regions, Smart Industry and Sustainable Resources. Our faculty is home to about 2,900 Bachelor's and Master's students, 550 employees and 150 PhD candidates. Our educational and research programmes are closely connected with UT research institutes Mesa+ Institute, TechMed Center and Digital Society Institute.
