PhD position on Optimizing Oncological Treatment Processes

Due to the aging population, cancer care in Europe is under strain, and challenges will continue to grow as cancer incidence is projected to increase by 20% in the coming years. For patients, longer waiting times can lead to higher mortality rates. The cancer care field is currently not only in need of medical breakthroughs, but requires effective and efficient pathways to diagnose and treat patients (Price et al., The Lancet Oncology).
In response, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute and TU Delft have initiated the SUSTAIN project, sponsored by the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF). Within this project, there are two open positions for PhD students: one at TU Delft (this position) and one at Erasmus MC.
The goal of the SUSTAIN project is to increase efficiency – and thereby sustainability – of oncological care, starting at the Erasmus MC Cancer Institute. To achieve this, we will develop and apply optimization techniques to (1) optimize the day care at the Department of Medical Oncology (MedOnc) and (2) optimize the radiotherapy treatment preparation process at the Department of Radiotherapy (RadOnc).
Although there is existing literature on optimizing logistics for oncological care, full implementation is lacking, and the uncertainty of task durations is not accounted for. A pilot study at Erasmus MC Cancer Institute resulted in a 70% reduction in patient idle time for a one-stop-shop for palliative radiotherapy. The aim of this project is to develop and apply optimization methods for the more complex settings of the MedOnc and RadOnc departments to reduce the number of hospital visits and decrease the time from intake to the start of treatment, ultimately improving patient and staff satisfaction.
You will work closely with the PhD student appointed at Erasmus MC. Your main focus will be on developing and applying optimization methods, while the other PhD student will analyze current processes and implement the developed algorithms.
Your daily supervisor will be Dr. Theresia van Essen. The daily supervisor of the other PhD student will be Dr. Mark Mulder. Dr. Steven Petit will be involved in the supervision of both PhD students (https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7240248047220248576/).

Requirements:

The successful candidate is expected to have an MSc degree in mathematics, econometrics or closely related field by the start of the appointment and should have a strong affinity or experience within the application field of health care. Fluency in English is required, fluency in Dutch is preferred.  
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.

Salary Benefits:

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 € 2872 per month in the first year to € 3670 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. 
For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

36 - 40 hours per week

Mekelweg 2