UTFacultiesTNWResearchDept BISMD&INewsPost-doc position for 2 years

Post-doc position for 2 years

Post Doc position in medical applications for magnetic nano-particles

Bennie ten Haken, University of Twente 21-3-2017

For the research program on medical applications for magnetic nanoparticles we are searching for a candidate on a

Post-Doc position for 2 Years.

In the group on Magnetic Detection & Imaging (MD&I), in the faculty of science and technology (TNW) of the University of Twente (https://www.utwente.nl/tnw/nim/).

Detection of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) in cancer patients can overrule the requirement for resection of all regional lymph nodes, which leads to decreased morbidity. However, SLN biopsies are currently only clinical practice in breast cancer and melanoma. In other cancer types such as colon and Head & Neck cancer, SLNs the resection procedure is more complicated. A trend that is observed in the medical world is the increased use of minimal invasive interventions. This will in many situations overrule open surgery, which leads to decreased risks to the patient. The use of magnetic nanoparticles has many advantages over nuclear tracers, which are the current standard to detect SLNs. The principle that we use to achieve SLN detection is differential magnetometery (DiffMag). In DiffMag the nonlinear magnetization characteristics of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are exploited. Our technique uses a magnetic tracer and intraoperative detection with a handheld magnetometer. Potentially the DiffMag technique can accommodate the high demands for SLN detection.

The technique is a second-generation magnetic technique that is superior, in particular in its selectivity against regular human tissue. An important limitation of the first-generation magnetic technique is that it presently cannot be used in surgery with metal instruments. We recently were granted several new projects to develop this novel technology line, for new application in the clinic. In the laparoscopy application the magnetic system will be split in two elements. One thin (=pen shaped) coil-element in the hand of the surgeon and a second flat and much broader coil element placed under the patient. With this novel technology the detection probe can be made much smaller (for laparoscopy) or with a more precisely tunable detection depth.

In the MD&I group we collaborate with students from two main education lines: Technical Medicine (TM) and Bio-Medical Engineering (BME). We offer a dynamic research and education environment for a new Post. Doc. with a recent PhD in the field of Magnetic Particles in MRI or MPI. The UT offers a dynamic research environment with a clear ambition to prepare our students to work in a multi-disciplinary field on the interface between technology and clinical developments. An important challenge for the future is the further co-development of the education lines in TM & BME to help our students to start their individual career matching their specific needs, talents and ambition. The UT will offer you a dedicated training in research and academic teaching. For this position the UT offers a temporary position as a post doc for 2 years, with the ambition to extend this to a longer lasting position at the end of this period.

For information please contact: Bennie ten Haken – b.tenHaken@utwente.nl

Applications can be send to the secretariat: secretariat-mdi-tnw@utwente.nl