[General] PhD position: Uncertainty Visualization for Digital Radiation Therapy (TUe)

PhD position: Uncertainty Visualization for Digital Radiation Therapy Biomedical Image analysis group at the Technical University of Eindhoven Please follow this link to apply for this position: <http://jobs.tue.nl/en/job/phd-student-uncertainty-visualization-for-digital -radiation-therapy-158481.html> http://jobs.tue.nl/en/job/phd-student-uncertainty-visualization-for-digital- radiation-therapy-158481.html. Project description This PhD position is part of the FP7 EU-STREP project "DR THERAPAT"- Digital Radiation Therapy Patient". This project is based on the past decade advances in radiation therapy technology, offering exceptional flexibility in dose delivery. Image guidance during treatment ensures a reliable targeting of the dose to the tumor. This has created the possibility to irradiate the tumor with a high dose with minimal exposure of surrounding tissue. Thus an improvement in tumor control is no longer invariably associated with an increase in radiation-induced toxicity. Now, the capacity exists to create treatment plans that are tailored to the specific characteristics of the patient. However, an individualized representational model that informs on radiation therapy planning and outcome prediction is still lacking. There are several modeling approaches available that have the potential to fill this gap, among them empirical, but established radiobiological models and more sophisticated multi-scale models. DR THERAPAT aim is to create the Digital Radiation Therapy Patient, integrating the available knowledge on tumor imaging, image analysis and interpretation, radiobiological models and radiation therapy planning into a reusable, multi-scale digital representation. The PhD appointed to this position will work in the visualization of the multimodal and multi-value data that plays a role throughout the complete model-based radiotherapy planning pipeline. Prior to the radiotherapy modeling, different imaging modalities will be combined by means of image registration, relevant anatomical structures will be segmented, multiple parameters will be quantified and different tissues will be classified. The resulting multitude of information is the input for the patient-specific radiotherapy modeling. We aim at methods for the visualization and exploration of all relevant information in the radiotherapy planning pipeline; we especially focus on methods that incorporate the uncertainty that is introduced in each step in the pipeline. The goal is to achieve an easy-to-use and easy-to-understand visualization and exploration of the multimodal, multi-value data involved in cancer radiotherapy planning - including the uncertainty in these data - in each step of the radiotherapy planning pipeline and in the final planning outcome. Research group The "DR THERAPAT" project comprises multiple and diverse scientific and technical challenges. Therefore, the project will be developed by a multidisciplinary team from leading academic and research institutions worldwide. The PhD student will be embedded in this team formed by Philips Research (Hamburg) and Healthcare (The Netherlands), Stichting Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Ziekenhuis (The Netherlands), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium), Aarhus Universitet (Denmark), The Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (Greece) and Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e - The Netherlands) where the PhD student will be located. The PhD student will also be embedded in the Multivalued Image Analysis & Visualization group ( <http://bmia.bmt.tue.nl/research/MVIAV/> http://bmia.bmt.tue.nl/research/MVIAV/) led by dr. Anna Vilanova. This group is part of the recently TU/e established Imaging Science and Technology Eindhoven (IST/e, cf. www.iste.nl) High Potential Research Program which has the ambition to become a leading research institute on the crossroads of image acquisition, mathematical modeling, algorithmic, visualization and biomedical applications on the basis of advanced imaging techniques. This ambitious goal is feasible through synergy of perfectly complementary research groups within TU/e and their collaborative partners, such as Philips Healthcare, and regional and academic medical centers. Tasks . Study of data visualization and exploration methods currently used in radiotherapy . Study and modeling using probability theory of the uncertainty (e.g. noise) in the image data acquired with the multimodal imaging modalities involved in radiotherapy planning. . Study and modeling of the propagation and accumulation of uncertainty in the multimodal image registration, segmentation & quantification steps. . Analysis and implementation of methodology for the comprehensive visualization and interactive exploration of the multimodal, multi-value information and its uncertainty: data mining, visual analysis and real-time user interaction will be combined to optimally facilitate the visual representation and exploration of this multidimensional information and its uncertainty. . Analysis, development and implementation of methods for the visualization of the effect of uncertainty in the tissue modeling and therapy planning results. . Evaluation of the effectiveness of the developed visualization and exploration methods. Requirements We are looking for a candidate who meets the following requirements: * You are a talented and enthusiastic researcher. * You have experience with or a strong background in visualization, computer graphics, mathematics, and image processing. Preferably you finished a master in Computer Science, (Applied) Mathematics, (Applied) Physics or Electrical Engineering. * You have excellent programming skills and experience. * You have good communicative skills, and the attitude to partake successfully in the work of a multidisciplinary research team. * You are creative, ambitious, hard working and persistent. * You have good command of the English language (knowledge of Dutch is not required). cid:image005.jpg@01CDBD01.C5CE48E0 Anna Vilanova, PhD Department of Biomedical Engineering BIOMIM - Biomedical Image Analysis Den Dolech 2, 5612 AZ Postbus 513, Gemini-Zuid 2.103 5600 MB Eindhoven Tel: +31 40 247 5416 Fax: +31 40 247 2740 Email: A.Vilanova(a)tue.nl