PhD Position Heart Monitoring with Innovative Ultrasound Technology

Are you ready to tackle one of the biggest challenges in medical care? We are looking for creative minds who will develop the technology of future for wearable heart monitoring with ultrasound.     

Job description
You will be part of a project that will develop ground-breaking wearable heart-monitoring technology based on ultrasound sensors. This is a critical advancement as the aging population increasingly demands better healthcare solutions to chronic diseases. Proper monitoring has the potential to improve quality of life for patients while reducing the burden on healthcare professionals - provided that the monitoring devices deliver reliable data and autonomous interpretation. Your PhD topic at the Delft University of Technology will be the hardware development of the ultrasound-based heart monitoring device and its data processing. Together with our technicians and supervisors, you will build several prototypes of the ultrasound device, develop the electronics, and further develop the data pre-processing and data-interpretation techniques. This will require the use of wave physics, numerical simulations, experimental laboratory work, human testing, and clever reviewing and interpretation of the measurement data. Your device will not aim for high-resolution imaging, but will have the unique aspect of being able to select and continuously record good-quality data that enables novel autonomous data interpretation techniques. How to select and process the useful data is part of the intellectual challenge that you will accept with your supervisors, fellow technical-clinical PhD students, cardiologists, and industry collaborators.

The project involves technical development at Delft University of Technology, clinical implementation at Erasmus MC and close collaboration with industry. You will work within a challenging and diverse overlap area of biomedical research, acoustical and electrical engineering, cardiac routine care, and commercial exploitation. You will be based at the Medical Imaging cluster of the department of ImPhys, Delft University of Technology, which combines fundamental science (physics) and engineering to improve ultrasound imaging. Your academic training will be oriented towards both your hard and soft skills, and involves learning-on-the-job, following dedicated courses, and contributing to the group’s educational activities. The scientific aims of your job are to develop innovative technology, publish the results, and to finish your PhD studies with a thesis and successful defence in four years time.

For further information, see https://www.tudelft.nl/en/faculty-of-applied-sciences/about-faculty/departments/imphys/about-the-department/verweij-martin and https://www.erasmusmc.nl/en/research/researchers/vos-rik

Job requirements

• A master’s degree in physics or engineering, at least demonstrating an extended knowledge of wave physics, signal processing, and basic electronics
• Experience in programming (Matlab and/or Python and/or C)
• Analytical mindset
• Hands-on approach
• Good interpersonal and interdisciplinary communications skills
• Proven autonomous attitude in research
• Good knowledge of written and spoken English

Preferences:

• Affinity with medical imaging
• Affinity with both experimental work and numerical simulations
• Motivation for teaching and supervision of students

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Applied Sciences
With more than 1,100 employees, including 150 pioneering principal investigators, as well as a population of about 3,600 passionate students, the Faculty of Applied Sciences is an inspiring scientific ecosystem. Focusing on key enabling technologies, such as quantum- and nanotechnology, photonics, biotechnology, synthetic biology and materials for energy storage and conversion, our faculty aims to provide solutions to important problems of the 21st century. To that end, we educate innovative students in broad Bachelor's and specialist Master's programmes with a strong research component. Our scientists conduct ground-breaking fundamental and applied research in the fields of Life and Health Science & Technology, Nanoscience, Chemical Engineering, Radiation Science & Technology, and Engineering Physics. We are also training the next generation of high school teachers.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Applied Sciences.

Conditions of employment
Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2901 per month in the first year to € 3707 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service, offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.

Additional information
If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Martin Verweij, via M.D.Verweij@tudelft.nl or Rik Vos (H.J.Vos@tudelft.nl).    .

Application procedure
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 28 February 2025 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• CV, ncluding a list of courses and marks
• Motivational letter stating your motivation to apply

You can address your application to Martin Verweij.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• For the final candidates, a knowledge security check will be part of the application procedure. For more information on this check, please consult Chapter 8 of the National Knowledge Security Guidelines. We carry out this check on the basis of legitimate interest.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.

32 - 38 hours per week

Mekelweg 5