[visionlist] Fully-funded PhD student position – Computer-aided screening of longitudinal series of fundus photo's for diabetic retinopathy

[Koen Vermeer]

Fully-funded PhD student position – Computer-aided screening of longitudinal series of fundus photo's for diabetic retinopathy.

Project description

Diabetes patients need to be regularly checked for diabetic retinopathy, an ocular complication of diabetes that threatens vision. As the number of diabetes patients increases significantly, the burden on the health care system increases as well. To continue screening of all diabetes patients for diabetic retinopathy in the future, automated screening of retinal photographs is needed.

In this project, a novel method for screening of these fundus photo's will be developed. Our focus is on detecting changes within a series of fundus photo's of the same eye for better accuracy and earlier detection of diabetic retinopathy.

This project is an initiative of the Rotterdam Ophthalmic Institute (R.O.I.). The R.O.I. is the scientific institute of the Rotterdam Eye Hospital (REH) which was founded in 1874. With 13.500 operating room visits, 140.000 out-patient visits and a staff of 350 employees the hospital is devoted to providing patients with high quality care. It is the only independent Eye Hospital in the Netherlands and research is the driving force for innovation of the REH. At the R.O.I (see: http://www.eyeresearch-rotterdam.nl), we have a vacancy for a research position. In collaboration with the Quantitative Imaging group (headed by prof. dr. ir. L.J. van Vliet; see http://www.ist.tudelft.nl/qi) of Delft University of Technology, algorithms for detecting changes within a patient's series of fundus photo's will be developed and evaluated in a prototype screening application.

Candidate

For this position we are looking for an enthusiastic candidate with a masters or equivalent degree in physics, mathematics, electronics or a related field, with a strong interest in medical image analysis. Candidates should have good programming skills (Matlab / C++) and be able to communicate in English both verbally and in writing. The project’s (preliminary) results will be presented on national and international medical and technical conferences and in relevant journals. The successful candidate is expected to write a dissertation leading to a PhD degree towards the end of the project.

Conditions of employment

The project lasts for four years. The successful applicant will be appointed at the R.O.I. for one year initially, which will be extended by another three years subject to a positive evaluation. You will be appointed by the Rotterdam Eye Hospital for 36 hours per week. The salary will be € 2089 in the first year, increasing to € 2692 in the last year, in accordance with the CAO Nederlandse Universiteiten and CAO Ziekenhuizen.

Locations

The research will be conducted both at the Rotterdam Ophthalmic Institute and at Delft University of Technology, which are situated within just 15 km. In Rotterdam, the candidate will work as part of the Imaging group under supervision of dr. ir. K.A. Vermeer and interact with technical and medical specialists from the institute and from the Rotterdam Eye Hospital. In Delft, the candidate will be part of the PhD program of the Quantitative Imaging group. Being based at these two locations provides access to medical and technical expertise and experience and guarantees a work environment that is both challenging and motivating. This interdisciplinary research environment provides a unique opportunity to work with both medical and technical specialists on a highly clinically relevant topics.

Applications and additional information

This position is available immediately and is open until filled. Applications, including a letter of motivation, a detailed CV with two or three references (including full address, phone number and email address), a list of grades, TOEFL and/or IETLS scores (if available) and a sample of a written report in English, should be sent to Koen Vermeer (k.vermeer at eyehospital.nl). For more information about this position, please contact Koen Vermeer by e-mail or by phone (+31-650503833).


-- 
Koen Vermeer, PhD
Senior Scientist
Rotterdam Ophthalmic Institute
Tel.nr.: +31 (0)10 402 3433
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