Are you passionate about leveraging innovative technologies and computational modelling to advance the electrical treatment of heart failure? Join our translational pacing team to investigate the electromechanical properties of the heart using state-of-the-art electrocardiographic and computational modelling techniques. Your research will focus on analysing the electromechanical properties of novel pacing technologies to improve heart failure treatment outcomes. You will also play a key role in developing patient-specific computer models for in silico studies, driving advancements in personalized medicine. You will be based at Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), working in close collaboration with researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e).
Job Description As a researcher on the Dutch Heart Foundation-funded COMPUTE-HF project, you will play a key role in advancing novel techniques and computational modelling to enhance pacing therapy for heart failure patients. Your primary responsibilities will include acquiring, processing, and analyzing high-resolution cardiac electrical and imaging data from clinical cardiology patients undergoing various forms of ventricular pacing. You will also contribute to enhancing and personalizing existing electromechanical simulation platforms to conduct in-silico studies to identify electrocardiographic markers that can used in clinical practice.
You will work within a dynamic, multidisciplinary team of cardiologists, biomedical engineers, and computer scientists from MUMC+ and TU/e, collaborating closely with both national and international partners. The position also offers the opportunity for an extended research stay with one of our international collaborators.
Within the framework of the project’s objectives, you will have considerable freedom to explore your own research interests. You will also have access to relevant national and international courses, enabling you to broaden your expertise and expand your professional network.
In daily practice, you will be embedded in a small, informal, and experienced multidisciplinary pacing team composed of cardiologists, engineers, and preclinical scientists. The team meets regularly on a weekly basis, with additional two-monthly meetings in the larger pacing research group to ensure strong mentorship and collaboration. You will also be part of the Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), one of Europe’s leading institutes for cardiovascular research.
Your main responsibilities will include:
- Actively contributing to the COMPUTE-HF team while independently managing your own research tasks;
- Acquiring and analyzing high-resolution electrophysiological and imaging data, both retrospectively from existing datasets and prospectively through a clinical study;
- Developing patient-tailored computer models and conducting in silico studies to identify optimal electrocardiographic characteristics for clinical application in pacing therapy;
- Communicating with clinical patients (preferably in Dutch) to inform them about the study and related procedures;
- Demonstrating creativity and independence in managing research projects and drafting scientific manuscripts for submission to international peer-reviewed journals;
- Attending national and international conferences to present your research findings, including the annual European Heart Rhythm Association congress;
- Supporting the education of biomedical and medical students;
- Assisting in the organization of user committee meetings and workshops.
Requirements We are looking for a highly motivated and analytically strong candidate who can help us bridge the gap between engineering and clinical cardiology. You should be comfortable working with complex datasets and have excellent problem-solving skills. Strong communication abilities are essential, as you will be working with patients, clinicians and engineers, presenting your work to diverse audiences. You should be self-motivated, detail-oriented, and excited about the potential impact of this research on patient care.
The ideal candidate should have:
- An MSc degree in Clinical Technology, Biomedical Engineering, Medical Engineering or a related field. Medical Doctors (MD) are also encouraged to apply if they have a strong affiliation in technical research;
- Proficiency in programming, especially in MATLAB and/or Python, is advantageous;
- A basic understanding of cardiac electrophysiology and electrocardiography;
- A solid foundation in signal processing, particularly for biomedical signals, or the willingness to learn this;
- Excellent written and spoken English; knowledge of Dutch is beneficial but not required;
- Previous research experience, preferably in a biomedical field;
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills;
- Good organizational skills and ability to work independently and as part of a team.
What we offerAs PhD Candidate or Postdoc in Cardiac Electrophysiology and Biomedical Engineering at Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you: - Good employment conditions. The position is graded in scale P according to UFO profile PhD, with corresponding salary based on experience ranging from €2901,00 and €3707,00 gross per month (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
- An employment contract for a period of 12 months with a scope of 1,0 FTE. Upon a positive evaluation, an extension of 3 years will follow.
- At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model.
- As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students.
- Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training programs and supporting various well-established initiatives such as 'acknowledge and appreciate'.
The terms of employment at Maastricht University are largely set out in the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. In addition, local provisions specific to UM apply. For more information,
click here.
Maastricht University Why work at Maastricht University?
At Maastricht University (UM), everything revolves around the future. The future of our students, as we work to equip them with a solid, broad-based foundation for the rest of their lives. And the future of society, as we seek solutions through our research to issues from all around the world. Our six faculties combined provide a comprehensive package of study programmes and research.
In our teaching, we use the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method. Students work in small groups, looking for solutions to problems themselves. By discussing issues and working together to draw conclusions, formulate answers and present them to their peers, students develop essential skills for their future careers.
With over 22,300 students and more than 5,000 employees from all over the world, UM is home to a vibrant and inspiring international community.
Are you drawn to an international setting focused on education, science and scholarship? Are you keen to contribute however your skills and qualities allow? Our door is open to you! As a young European university, we value your talent and look forward to creating the future together.
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Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences At the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML), everything revolves around healthy living. Our research and education are not solely focused on recovery, but place a strong emphasis on prevention, health preservation, and health promotion. Our aim is to use our knowledge and expertise to genuinely contribute to the well-being of individual people as well as society in total.
In, research, and healthcare, FHML is closely collaborating with the academic hospital in Maastricht, together forming the Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+). FHML is strongly connected in education, research, and care with the Maastricht academic hospital, together with which it forms the Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC+).
FHML, which is the largest faculty of Maastricht University, is formed by an (inter)national community of employees and students. The faculty offers a wide range of
Dutch and English-taught bachelor's and master's programs in innovative educational concepts in which the emphasis is always on building bridges to practice.
The multidisciplinary research of the FHML focuses on a number of carefully chosen topical current themes. In addition to research aimed at gaining new insights, it also concerns research whose results can be directly translated into concrete applications and innovations. The implementation of the various research programs is organized in our
six graduate schools and two institutes. Department Carim CARIM is one of the eight research institutes of the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML) and is embedded in Maastricht UMC+. CARIM is one of the largest cardiovascular research institutes in Europe, producing more than 1,000 scientific articles and approximately 60 PhD dissertations per year. It has a strong track record in translational research, covering both basic and clinical studies.
Curious? Are you interested in this exciting position but still have questions? Feel free to contact Dr. Nguyen at
u.nguyen@maastrichtuniversity.nl for more information.
Applying? Or are you already convinced and ready to become our new PhD Candidate or Postdoc in Cardiac Electrophysiology and Biomedical Engineering? Apply now, no later than April 4, 2025, for this position.
An orientation day can be part of the application procedure.
The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.
Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.