Key Skills

Job Description

We are seeking a postdoc for 12 months to develop an AI pipeline predicting antidepressant response from mid-field MRI perfusion and digital mood and symptom data. You will test the approach in a pilot MRI study, working towards making precision psychiatry accessible in clinical care. About The Project Depression affects many people, but antidepressant treatment does not work equally well for everyone. Predicting treatment outcomes early could help clinicians make more informed decisions and tailor treatment to individual patients. In this postdoc project, you will investigate how adaptive, AI-informed mid-field MRI, guided by questionnaire data, can provide clinically useful biomarkers for predicting antidepressant treatment outcomes. By combining artificial intelligence, brain imaging and digital mood and symptom data, you will work towards a more affordable and widely accessible approach to precision psychiatry. You Will Focus On Three Main Areas Exploring how adaptive mid-field MRI can reduce scan time and improve prediction performance compared with fixed scanning protocols, while remaining feasible in outpatient clinics and settings with limited resources. Designing an MRI-based prediction pipeline using perfusion measurements from relevant brain regions, acquired with arterial spin labelling (ASL). Developing adaptive MRI acquisition methods in which AI models, including reinforcement learning, determine what to scan next based on the information already collected. About The Role You will build on data from a large randomized clinical trial on treatment outcomes in major depressive disorder. Using these data, you will adapt existing prediction models and investigate whether mid-field perfusion MRI can support the early prediction of antidepressant treatment outcomes. You will develop an end-to-end prediction pipeline and translate your methods into an adaptive MRI strategy that can run directly on the scanner. You will also design and conduct a pilot MRI study in healthy volunteers, testing a prototype model deployed on the scanner. Responsibilities In addition, you will share your findings with the scientific community and contribute to the further development of the PRESS platform in collaboration with consortium partners from academia and industry. Your responsibilities include: Adapting existing predictive models to explore the feasibility of mid-field perfusion MRI for predicting antidepressant treatment outcomes. Developing an AI-based prediction pipeline that combines MRI perfusion measurements with relevant clinical and digital data. Implementing and testing adaptive mid-field MRI acquisition strategies, including a prototype model deployed on the scanner. Designing and conducting a pilot MRI study in healthy volunteers. Writing scientific papers, presenting your findings at international conferences and contributing to the integration of your methods into the PRESS platform. Profile You have a PhD in artificial intelligence, computer science, (biomedical) engineering, physics, computational neuroscience, technical medicine or a closely related field. You enjoy developing new technical approaches and applying them to clinically relevant challenges. In Addition, You Bring Strong programming skills, for example in Python, PyTorch or TensorFlow, and experience with modern machine learning workflows. An affinity with, and preferably experience in, one or more of the following areas: MRI or other medical imaging, reinforcement learning or sequential decision-making algorithms, and clinical prediction modelling or health data science. Experience with perfusion imaging or ASL is an advantage. A clear interest in mental health, neuroimaging and translational research at the intersection of AI and medicine. Excellent written and spoken English, good communication skills and the ability to work independently and proactively in a multidisciplinary research environment. Our offer You will be employed by Amsterdam UMC Research BV. A contract for 12 months. Classification in salary scale 10: € 3.724 to € 5.867 gross for full-time employment (depending on experience). In addition to a good basic salary, we offer 8.3% end-of-year bonus. Calculate your net salary here (https://www.vismaraet.nl/bruto-netto-salaris-berekenen/). Holiday hours: 194.4 per year for full time and a possibility to save additional hours. 100% reimbursement for public transport travel costs. If you travel by foot, bicycle, or car, a mileage allowance of €0.21 per km applies (up to a maximum of 40 km one way by car). Do you prefer walking or cycling? Take advantage of our good bike scheme. Pension accrual with BeFrank, a modern, comprehensible and fairly priced pension. Watch this video (https://youtu.be/QO6mgb9R-sI) with more information about joining Amsterdam UMC Research BV. About The Workplace You will work at Amsterdam UMC in a multidisciplinary research environment involving the departments of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering & Physics. You will collaborate with clinical experts, imaging physics scientists and AI researchers to develop innovative MRI methods and translate them into meaningful outcomes for patients with depression. You will also work closely with industry partners in the PRESS consortium. These partners develop the digital platform and mid-field MRI enhancement technology that support the implementation of your methods. Together, you will explore how adaptive MRI and AI can contribute to more accessible healthcare, including in community-based and resource-limited settings. This position offers the opportunity to bring AI research from technical development to practical application in precision psychiatry. You will work at the interface of engineering, clinical research and industry, contributing to methods that could help make personalized depression treatment more widely accessible. Amsterdam UMC Research BV Amsterdam UMC Research BV supports non-profit scientific research. In doing so, we provide researchers with everything they need to excel. Our principal investigators (PIs) and project leaders offer support in the field of project management, finance and human resources. In medical scientific research projects, legal support is also provided. Watch the video to find out more. Let's meet The first round of interviews is expected to take place during the first two weeks of December. Please keep this in mind when planning your availability. The second round will follow shortly after the first. During the publication period, applications will be handled continuously. If the vacancy is filled, it will be closed prematurely. Do you have any questions? For further information about this position, please contact Prof. Liesbeth Reneman, at [email protected] or Matthan Caan, PhD, at [email protected]. A reference check, screening and hiring assessment may be part of the procedure. Read here (https://werkenbij.amsterdamumc.org/nl/algemeen/medewerkerscreening) whether that applies to you. If you join us, we ask you for a VOG (Certificate of Good Conduct). Internal candidates will be given priority over external candidates in case of equal suitability. Acquisition in response to this vacancy will not be considered.

Core Responsibilities

Develop and test an AI prediction pipeline combining mid-field MRI perfusion measurements with clinical and digital mood data to predict antidepressant treatment outcomes. Implement adaptive MRI acquisition methods, conduct a pilot study in healthy volunteers, and share findings through publications, conferences, and contributions to the PRESS platform.

Requirements

A PhD in artificial intelligence, computer science, engineering, physics, computational neuroscience, technical medicine, or a closely related field is required, along with strong programming skills and experience with modern machine-learning workflows. Relevant experience or affinity in MRI or medical imaging, reinforcement learning, clinical prediction modeling, or health data science is sought; ASL or perfusion imaging experience is an advantage, as are strong English communication skills and the ability to work independently in a multidisciplinary team.

Benefits

• End-Of-Year Bonus
• Paid Holiday Leave
• Public Transport Reimbursement
• Mileage Allowance
• Bicycle Scheme
• Pension