PhD candidate SMARTTEST: early detection of abnormalities in children with congenital heart disease

As a PhD candidate within the SMARTTEST project, you will tackle challenges in remote detection of vital parameters and abnormalities in young children with congenital heart disease (CHD). Your research will focus on tailoring solutions to meet the specific needs of patients and families, ultimately improving outcomes. Key questions include: Can remote monitoring prevent complications and optimize child-parent interactions? How can personalized care be enhanced for this vulnerable group?

Your responsibilities will include:

• Investigating the expectations of families and healthcare providers regarding a remote health monitoring system.
• Developing a ground-truth reference system for validating contactless monitoring technology by tracking vital parameters and physical activities.
• Customizing the monitoring platform for CHD patients by creating a self-adaptive method for early detection of hypoxia, tachypnoea, growth restriction, and developmental stagnation.
• Demonstrating the documented impact of early detection on the management and outcomes of congenital heart disease.
• Establishing an early abnormality detection pipeline using minimal datasets based on biomedical insights and real-world data.

You will join the European SMARTTEST project, which offers 11 PhD positions across top institutions in Europe. Based and employed at UMC Utrecht, you will contribute to cutting-edge innovations by integrating advanced technology with a multidisciplinary approach. Everything is about people. This makes UMC Utrecht an exceptional employer with a relentless multidisciplinary approach that guarantees patients benefit from innovative technological solutions.

SMARTTEST is funded by Horizon Europe through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). The network involves leading academic and industrial partners across four countries (the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, and Germany), including institutions such as the University of Twente, KU Leuven, and Politecnico di Milano. This collaborative environment ensures a rich, interdisciplinary research experience.

Learn more about the SMARTTEST Project: https://dn-smarttest.eu/ 

We are looking for a motivated and communicative PhD candidate with a biomedical engineering background who is eager to contribute to the improvement of care for young children with CHD. Additionally, you:

• Hold a master’s degree in biomedical engineering, technical medicine, or a related field.
• Have experience in data processing and analysis of repeated measurements.
• Are willing to explore qualitative research to assess the impact of technological innovations on children and their families.
• Are proficient in English and ready to work in an international, multidisciplinary environment.
• Meet the MSCA eligibility criteria, including the requirement for transnational mobility. 

• A salary between € 3.017 and € 3.824 gross per month (salary scale OIO), based on full-time employment (36 hours). 
• Year-end bonus of 8.3% and holiday allowance of 8%. 
• Pension insurance with ABP. We take care of approximately 70% of the monthly contribution. 
• 100% public transport reimbursement. Are you coming on foot, by bike or by car? You will then receive a reimbursement of € 0.18 per km (by car up to a max. of 40 km one way). 
• Possibilities to develop yourself personally and professionally. 
• The option to select additional employment benefits in exchange for gross salary, such as purchasing a bicycle and memberships. 

SMARTTEST is a European Doctoral Network focused on resilient remote healthcare using intelligent sensing and communication technologies. Your PhD project will play a pivotal role in customizing monitoring systems to address the unique needs of children with congenital heart disease and their families.

How to apply?
Are you ready to make a difference in the healthcare of tomorrow? Find out more about this position (DC07) and apply via this link. We look forward to receiving your application!