Postdoctoral Researcher on MR imaging in proton radiotherapy at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf
Position: Postdoctoral Researcher
Institution: Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf
Location: Dresden, Germany
Application closes at: Jan 19th, 2021 00:00
URL: https://www.hzdr.de/db/Cms?pNid=490&pOid=62509
As a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) employs about 1,200 people. The Center's focus is on interdisciplinary research in the areas energy, health and matter.
The OncoRay team at the Institute of Radiooncology is world-leading in the development of an MR-integrated proton radiotherapy system. Following the successful development of a first
research prototype-demonstrator in 2018, a first-in-human study with a first clinical prototype is planned in the coming years.
This project aims at developing and optimizing the necessary MR pulse sequences on the low-field in-beam MR system to be used and to quantify and correct for geometric distortions in MR images. Furthermore, low-field MR images need to be incorporated into the radiation treatment planning system to enable treatment adaptation workflows. For this, data from the MR-LINAC of the Faculty of Medicine of the Technische Universität Dresden system will also be available.
The post-doctoral researcher searched for is expected to drive the project within a multi-disciplinary team of (medical) physicists, engineers and clinicians at OncoRay.
The position will be available from March,1st 2021. The employment contract is limited to two years.
Tasks:
- Development and optimization of the necessary MR pulse sequences and imaging protocols for our low-field in-beam MR system to allow for MR-guided proton therapy
- Quantification and correction of geometric distortions in MR images (both lowand high-field)
- Assess the sensitivity of image registration techniques to the presence of geometric distortions in MR images
- Incorporation of low-field MR images into radiation treatment planning software
- Development of thresholds and workflows for radiation treatment adaptation based on in-beam MR imaging
- Supervision of students (PhD, MSc, BSc)
Requirements:
- (Almost) completed PhD-thesis in physics, engineering or other relevant field
- Profound knowledge of and expertise in MR pulse sequence development, MR image reconstruction and analysis
- Profound knowledge of and expertise in analysis of medical imaging (i.e., CT, PET, MRI)
- Excellent programming skills
- Experience in writing scientific publications for high-impact journals
- Grant writing experience is of value
- Strong commitment, motivation and discipline to work independently and efficiently
- Strong team player with the ability to succeed in a dynamic international environment
- Excellent ability to communicate and write in English