PhD position MRI in Time Domain: Data acquisition University Medical Center Utrecht, Netherlands

PhD position MRI in Time Domain: Data acquisition

Vacancy number
2015/0475

Department
Radiology

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Profile
Degree in Physics, Electrical Engineering or Biomedical engineering. Strongly motivated to acquire deep knowledge of MRI physics and have preferentially an affinity in numerical methods.
Position
You will be working at the internationally renewned Center for Image Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht. In this project you will collaborate with image scientists (image processing and analysis) and radiologists. In this project you will collaborate with a team of physicists and mathematicians specially formed for this project.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the diagnostic method of choice for age-related diseases such as stroke, Parkinson and cancer and far less harmful than a CT-scan. Due to an aging population, demand for this technique is rapidly rising. A typical MRI exam, however, requires approximately 30 minutes, which is about 3-5 times longer than a CT scan. To meet the future demands of society, MRI must become more efficient. MRI is so slow because the acquisition process has to be calibrated to the patient and is based on the very strict Nyquist-sampling requirements. Subsequent reconstruction is done using the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). When MRI was invented in the mid-seventies, the FFT was a necessary choice, given the limited computational resources. Four decades later, advances in (nonlinear) numerical optimization and the availability of high performance computing is paving the way towards more flexible and efficient designs of exam protocols. Project description Stepping away from FFT-based techniques avoids the need to sample the object at the Nyquist rate and thus allows for faster acquisition times. New type of sequences have to be designed and employed to collect the necessary data. The total length of the MRI can be drastically reduced. The proof of principle results can be found in Sbrizzi A et al, Proceedings of ISMRM 2015, number 3712. Recently this research has been granted a prestigious VIDI subsidy by the Dutch Government. You will be responsible for the experimental validation of the project. In close collaboration with a team of physicists and mathematicians specially formed for this project, you will implement new, ultra-fast, MRI protocols and analyze the obtained images. You will implement the sequences designed for the new MRI framework on clinical 1.5 and 3T MR scanners. During the project you will acquire profound experience on sequence programming (Philips Pulse programming environment) and image reconstruction.
The salary for this position(100%) is € 2.846,00 gross per month based on full-time employment (working week 36 hours).
This job is based on a temperary position for 4 years.
Apply and learn more about this job.
The contact person for this job is Mr.Dr.Ir. C.A.T. van den Berg, Associate professor, phone 088 7553136 .
Apply before Wednesday, November 11, 2015
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Acquisition based on this vacancy is not appreciated.