POSITION DESCRIPTION

-Research Project / Research Group Description:

Foetal surgery is a very promising, yet extremely challenging discipline. Early intervention is associated to positive outcomes in adult life, and in some cases it is the only viable option to ensure survival of the baby. In this project, we focus on fetoscopic interventions, based on the insertion of an endoscope equipped with a laser at the tip. Current procedures are hampered by the limited field of view of the endoscope, the lack of appropriate pre-operative surgical models for surgery simulation and training, and the complex environment related to the patient-in-a-patient set-up.
The candidate will develop algorithms to analyse and combine pre-operative information from magnetic resonance and ultrasound images, generate simulation models for virtual-reality training, and develop and validate surgical guidance and navigation systems based on advanced tracking technologies and robotics.
Image analysis techniques based on deep learning, as well as decision support systems based on convolutional neural networks will be explored, in addition to more traditional machine learning approaches.
The system will be developed, deployed and validated in close collaboration with our clinical partners at the Foetal and Maternal Medicine unit of Hospital Clinic and Hospital Sant Joan de Deu of Barcelona. Collaboration with research partners in Europe, USA and Japan is also envisaged.

-Job position description:

The candidate will develop the PhD project at the Department of Information and Communication Technologies of Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Our university is ranked 1st in Spain (135 worldwide) by the Times Higher Education ranking, and our department has obtained numerous mentions of excellence, including the Maria de Maeztu distinction by the Spanish Government, as well as 17 grants by the European Research Council.
The research unit BCN Medtech is composed of 70 researchers working on medical image and signal analysis, machine learning, biomedical devices, computational simulation and computer-assisted surgery. The PhD project will be supervised by ICREA Professor Miguel A. Gonzalez Ballester, director of BCN Medtech.
The candidate should have a strong background in engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics or related disciplines. Good programming skills, experience in medical applications or computer vision will also be valued. Fluency in English is required. We offer a very interesting project in a dynamic, very international environment, in collaboration with top researchers worldwide, in modern and very well located premises in Barcelona.

-Contact person: [email protected]