Postdoc | Brain barriers in neurodegenerative diseases (36,0 hrs)

The central nervous system (CNS) is protected from the outside by different barriers such as the blood-brain barrier, the choroid plexus and the meninges. These barriers play a crucial role in maintaining brain homeostasis, protecting the neural tissue and regulating immune responses. 

Recent discoveries identified these barriers as immunological hubs that, due to their proximity to brain injury sites, likely play a critical role in neurodegenerative disease. Dysregulation of these CNS barriers has been implicated in a variety of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and brain tumors. Hence, understanding CNS barriers at a deeper level is key to developing therapeutic strategies for these diseases

You will develop innovative deep learning methods to identify patients with coronary artery disease. CT is the primary technique for detecting this condition in patients with stable chest pain. Current CT procedures are complex and require significant expertise in image acquisition and interpretation. This limits the use of cardiac CT outside hospitals, especially where affordable scanners with suboptimal image quality are used. You will create AI algorithms for accurate and robust analysis, expanding the applicability of affordable scanners and reducing the need for specialized expert analysis.

Additionally, you will:

• Publish and present your research in journals and at international conferences;
• Contribute to educational activities and supervise bachelor and master students.

You hold a PhD in biomedical engineering, artificial intelligence, computer science, or a related field. You have proven experience in machine learning, deep learning, and medical image analysis, for example through academic publications. You are skilled in programming, especially in Python and ML-related libraries. You are highly motivated to pursue academic research and fluent in English, both written and spoken.

• a PhD in a relevant field;
• experience with machine learning, deep learning, and medical image analysis;
• strong programming skills, especially in Python;
• motivation for academic research;
• excellent command of English.