Within the UPLIFT Consortium, CNAO will make all its skills available to the candidate to investigate the human aspects of upright RT/PT and build tools for patient training and familiarization with this innovative type of immobilization and set-up  

Goal:  

Gain hands-on clinical experience at CNAO, working closely with colleagues hosted by SHU to implement a VR learning environment aimed at enhancing patient engagement and improving radiotherapy outcomes with upright positioning (upRT). Develop design specifications for effective patient support systems tailored to upright positions—seated, perched, and reclined. Additionally, create a training and strategy system that empowers patients and maximizes their cooperation to facilitate the upRT approach. 

 Tasks:  

• Literature research and co-design workshops with patients and RT staff to gain specifications for a VR learning intervention; 

• Implement the VR application for patients training & familiarization to increase confidence in self-positioning  

• Test the impact in a simulated therapy on patient experience and the duration and accuracy of achieved self-positioned immobilization. 

• Using the Medical Research Council framework for complex interventions a participatory co-design process will be used working with patients and treating staff in focus groups.  

• 3 months secondment @CNAO to study clinical workflow and upright immobilization procedures for PT;  

• 4 weeks of research visiting  @CLB for investigating latest upright IMRT/VMAT workflow and discuss impact of patient comfort on RT costs; 

• 3 weeks of research visiting @LU/LCC for including the latest patient immobilization equipment and conducting a workshop in the LCC device; 

• Presentation of research in the form of peer-reviewed publications, reports and oral 

• Presentations in workshops, symposiums and conferences 

• Participation in Consortium training activities and secondment projects 

Please note that, the PhD degree for CNAO candidates is awarded by the University of Heidelberg (UHEI: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg). As part of the PhD program, candidates will also spend additional time at both the University and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg. 

Your profile 

We expect you to have: 

• A degree in engineering, ideally biomedical or related fields 

• Proven experience in computer science 

• Proficiency in English 

• Strong problem-solving skills 

• Excellent writing and communication abilities 

• Capacity to work both independently and within a multidisciplinary team 

• Initiative and openness to new challenges 

Application process 

If you find this position interesting and would like to work in an exceptional, international, strongly innovative environment, please send your full application documents, including the filled application form, motivation letter, short CV, list of most important publications with explanation of your own contribution, and information of your earliest possible starting date. If you are applying for more than one UPLIFT PhD position, you may indicate your top 1-3 preferences in the application form by using the DC numbers associated with the projects. Please submit your application to [email protected] until January 15, 2025. 

We anticipate video conference interviews with candidates starting in the third week of February,
for start dates from March 2025. Applications submitted without any of the required documents will not be considered.  

Candidates can be of any nationality but must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date. Applicants should be within the first four years of their research careers and must not have been awarded a doctoral degree. Submitted applications will be evaluated in accordance with the European Code of Conduct for Recruitment.