Doctoral student in Medical Radiation Physics with specialization in nuclear medicine physics - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Description

Treatments with radiopharmaceuticals, so called radionuclide therapy (RNT), are a growing part of clinical nuclear medicine. However, the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the treatments is incomplete and there are significant possibilities to optimise the treatments both at the group level and for the individual patient. A prerequisite for such optimisation is reliable measurement methods for activity and absorbed dose to tumours and organs-at-risk.

The Nuclear Medicine Physics research group at the Department of Medical Radiation Physics works among other topics with the developing image-based methods for determination of the absorbed doses to organs and tumours in RNT. The measurement process is relatively complex and includes, for example, calibration of camera systems, collection of projection data, reconstruction of quantitative tomographic images and subsequent calculation of the radiation transport and energy deposition. 

Through the advertised position, the group wants to increase its understanding of the uncertainty of estimated absorbed doses and the limitations of different measurement methods. The idea is that this should be done through a combination of phantom measurements, Monte Carlo simulations and statistical analysis of patient data collected within the framework of the collaboration group has with the clinical organization at Skåne University Hospital.

Job description

The main task is to pursue the applicant’s own doctoral studies, which includes participation in research projects as well as attending postgraduate courses. The duties also include participation in teaching and supervision at the medical physics program and other work at the department (maximally equivalent to 20 % of full-time employment). The research task will mainly focus on: A) optimisation and comparison of methods for the estimation of activity and activity concentration in vivo using clinical imaging systems, B) group-based statistical analysis of time-activity data for normal organs in patients in order to simplify the estimation of the absorbed dose, and C) development of methods to investigate and characterize heterogeneity in the distribution of activity and absorbed dose in tumours and normal organs as determined from SPECT and PET images.

The project is within the sub-topic of nuclear medicine and the work is located to Department of Medical Radiation Physics in Lund. The experimental part of the project will primarily be performed using the SPECT and PET systems installed at Skåne University Hospital.

Requirements

Basic requirements for admittance to doctoral education is to have completed a degree at advanced level, fulfilled course requirements of at least 240 ECTS credits, of which at least 60 ECTS credits at advanced level, or in any other way within or outside the country acquired essentially equivalent knowledge. Special requirements for admittance to  postgraduate studies in medical radiation physics is a degree in medical radiation physics (or equivalent foreign degree) or another degree for basic qualifications (240 ECTS credits) with courses of at least 60 ECTS credits that have direct relevance for the  postgraduate education and completed a  thesis of at least 30 ECTS credits.

Requirements for the announced position is that the applicant has:

• Basic and specific eligibility for doctoral studies in medical radiation physics,
• Basic knowledge of therapeutic nuclear medicine, nuclear medicine imaging systems and internal dosimetry,
• Documented skills in experimental work in nuclear medicine, including work with unsealed radioactive sources.

It is a merit if the applicant has:

• Conducted a master project focused on nuclear medicine physics,
• Good knowledge of activity quantification with clinical imaging systems,
• Basic skills in programming and computer-based data management,
• Good knowledge of English, both in speech and in writing,
• Certification as a medical physicist, as a large part of the research project will be conducted using clinical equipment in a hospital environment.

Great emphasis is placed on good teamwork skills and the ability to assimilate the education.

Eligibility
Students with basic eligibility for third-cycle studies are those who- have completed a second-cycle degree- have completed courses of at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits are from second-cycle courses, or- have acquired largely equivalent knowledge in some other way, in Sweden or abroad.

The employment of doctoral students is regulated in the Swedish Code of Statues 1998: 80. Only those who are or have been admitted to PhD-studies may be appointed to doctoral studentships. When an appointment to a doctoral studentship is made, the ability of the student to benefit from PhD-studies shall primarily be taken into account. In addition to devoting themselves to their studies, those appointed to doctoral studentships may be required to work with educational tasks, research and administration, in accordance with specific regulations in the ordinance.

Type of employment
Limit of tenure, four years according to HF 5 kap 7§.