CRPH welcomes students with a biomedical engineering, or technical medicine background. We are eager to supervise a wide range of assignments within the scientific, clinical and translational scope of our staff members. In order to assure a perfect match with the individual expertise and interest of members of our group scientific topics should be chosen accordingly, so that all students can maximally benefit from the supervision of CRPH staff members.
For Technical Medicine students it is important that they are in the Medical Sensing & Stimulation track.
For Biomedical Engineering students it is important that they are in the Physiological Signals and Systems track.
Regarding the course list (https://www.utwente.nl/en/bme/education/vakkenlijsten-2022-2023.pdf) there are some courses from the elective options that are relevant for our group. Biological Control Systems (#7) is compulsory to do a project within CPRH. Depending on your interests, this can be supplemented by a choice of the following courses:
#14 Mathematical methods
#15 Nonlinear Dynamics
#17 System Identif. Parameter Estim. and ML
#18 Machine Learning I
#19 Biophysical Fluid Dynamics: The Respiratory System
If you are interested in a specific assignment or wonder whether we could act as a supervisor, we invite you to learn more about our team and publication list and eventually schedule an appointment with a CRPH team member via our office manager (c.j.holkenbrink@utwente.nl) to discuss all possibilities.
Current Students
Stijn Geraats
Technical Medicine, Medical Sensing & Stimulation, University of Twente
Biomedical Engineering, Physiological Signals & Systems, University of Twente
Contact: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stijn-geraats-b51b05220/
Duration: May 2024- October 2025
Assignment
Currently, it is not yet possible to continuously obtain values such as compliance or pressure generated by the diaphragm in ventilated patients without invasive monitoring modalities. These values could provide better insights to physicians about the condition of the lungs and how patients can be ventilated more effectively. By utilizing the non-invasive electrical signal of the diaphragm and auxiliary respiratory muscles, these values may potentially be derived. During this thesis, I will focus on obtaining such parameters non-invasively and continuously to give the clinician a better idea about the ventilated patients using computational physiological models.
Collaborating partner
Medisch Spectrum Twente – Intensive Care Unit
Committee
Prof. Dr. D.W. Donker (Chair)
A.D. Cornet, MD PhD (Medical supervisor)
R.S.P. Warnaar, MSc. (Technical-medical supervisor)
Dr. E. Mos-Oppersma (Technical supervisor)
R.G.K.M. Aarts, PhD (Technical supervisor/ external member)
E.M. Walter, MSc. (Process supervisor)
Kim van der Tak, BSc
Technical Medicine, Medical Imaging & Intervention, University of Twente
Contact: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-van-der-tak/
Duration: July 2024 – June 2025
Assignment
Managing hemodynamically unstable patients in intensive care involves complex challenges, as it requires balancing fluctuating blood pressure and impaired tissue perfusion. Despite available guidelines, physicians often resort to treatments like fluid administration, vasopressor therapy, and inotropes without strong justification. This study aims to develop a personalized approach for hemodynamically unstable intensive care patients by analysing treatment effects to create a decision support algorithm that optimizes patient care.
Collaborating partner
University Medical Centre Utrecht – Intensive Care Unit
Committee
Prof. Dr. D.W. Donker (Chair & Medical supervisor)
Dr. L.M. van Loon (Technical & Medical supervisor)
Drs. N.S. Cramer Bornemann (Process supervisor)
Daan Imholz
Technical Medicine, Medical Sensing & Stimulation, University of Twente
Biomedical Engineering, Physiological Signals & Systems, University of Twente
Contact: https://nl.linkedin.com/in/daan-imholz-0479a11b9
Duration: December 2024 - May 2026
Assignment
Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) has the potential to enable advanced diagnostic and therapeutic interventions on donor lungs, expanding the donor pool and improving the outcome following transplantation. My research focuses on the optimization of EVLP ventilation-perfusion interactions using computational modeling to increase donor lung preservation and quality.
Collaborating partner
University Medical Centre Utrecht – Anesthesiology & Intensive Care Unit
Committee
Prof. Dr. D.W. Donker (Chair)
Drs. S.A. Braithwaite (Medical supervisor)
Dr. L.M. van Loon (Technical-medical supervisor)
Dr. Ir. F.H.C. de Jongh (Technical supervisor)
Drs. B.J.C.C. Sweep (Process supervisor)
Prof. Dr. Ing. J. Arens (External member)
Jitka Burger
Technical Medicine, Medical Sensing & Stimulation, University of Twente
Contact: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jitka-burger-ba08a6185/
Duration: January 2025 – December 2025
Assignment
Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is a crucial setting in mechanical ventilation, helping to prevent atelectasis and improve lung mechanics. However, (excessively) high PEEP levels can reduce cardiac output by decreasing cardiac preload and increasing pulmonary vessel resistance. As a result, patients receiving mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery are typically managed with relatively low PEEP settings. While this approach minimizes hemodynamic compromise, it increases the risk of atelectasis. To date, the optimal PEEP setting in this patient population remains unclear. This study aims to investigate
the hemodynamic effects of different PEEP levels in patients following surgical correction of congenital heart disease (CHD), using Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) to assess lung perfusion.
Collaborating partner
Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen – Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Committee
Prof. Dr. D.W. Donker (Chair)
Dr. E. Mos-Oppersma (Technical supervisor)
Prof. Dr. M.C.J. Kneyber (Medical Supervisor)
A.A. Koopman, MSc (Technical-medical supervisor)
B.J.C.C. Sweep, MSc (Process supervisor)
Charlotte Hofma
Technical Medicine, Medical Sensing & Stimulation, University of Twente
Contact: https://nl.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-hofma-196375236
Duration: November 2024 – October 2025
Assignment
Weaning from mechanical ventilation is a crucial step in the recovery of patients who have required respiratory support. A spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) is used to assess a patient’s readiness for weaning by evaluating their capacity to breathe independently. While the majority of patients successfully perform an SBT, some experience weaning failure, defined as the inability to breathe spontaneously while maintaining adequate gas exchange. This failure can result from a variety of factors, including airway disease, neurological impairment, cardiac dysfunction, and respiratory muscle weakness. My research focuses on the use of non-invasive measurements during an SBT to improve understanding of the underlying (patho)physiological mechanisms contributing to weaning failure.
Collaborating partner
Radboudumc – Intensive Care Unit
Committee
Prof. Dr. D.W. Donker (Chair)
Prof. Dr. L.M.A. Heunks (Medical supervisor).
Dr. E. Mos-Oppersma (Technical supervisor)
Dr. L.H. Roesthuis (Technical-medical supervisor)
E.M. Walter, MSc. (Process supervisor)
For our former master student assignments look at this page.