15 PhD Fellowships in Cerebellar Research

Cerebellar Cortical Control: Cells, Circuits, Computation, and Clinic (C7)

University College London - Marie Curie Initial Training Network (FP7)

To start 1st November 2009
C7 (Cerebellar Cortical Control: Cells, Circuits, Computation, and Clinic) is a multi-national doctoral training network for the interdisciplinary study of the cerebellum. It is supported by the European Commission, 7th Framework Programme, through Marie Curie Initial Training Networks.
The C7 network brings together 9 research groups to form a European Institute that will enable a truly interdisciplinary study of the cerebellum. C7 provides a unique training experience for young researchers in systems neuroscience spanning traditional departmental boundaries. Recognizing the importance of technological innovation and it’s commercial potential, the C7 network is joined by 5 industrial partners, each developing cutting-edge technology for research and clinical applications. The PhD students (ESR: Early Stage Researchers) and postdocs (ER: Experienced Researchers – to be appointed in the forthcoming months) will develop advanced expertise in electrophysiology, behavioural and clinical research, computational modeling and neuroimaging to answer important questions of functioning of the cerebellum. C7 includes two clinical research centres and two patient organizations, promoting the transfer of insights from basic science to clinical practice. In sum, C7 will provide a unique interdisciplinary training environment necessary for a new understanding of the cerebellum.
In general, the appointed Research Fellows should have a degree and/or further research experience in biology/physiology, psychology, mathematics, physics, computer science, engineering or related disciplines. We are looking for enthusiastic and motivated individuals who will be able to thrive in a highly interdisciplinary and challenging environment and who will feel at ease interacting with scientists in different disciplines.
Person specification:
Essential

• Researchers must be nationals of a State other than that of the host organisation. At the start of their fellowship/activity, researchers may not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc) in the country of their host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the start date.
• Early Stage researchers

Are expected to register for a PhD

Should have less than 4 years of research experience after their undergraduate degree

Should not hold a PhD

• There will be specific requirements depending upon the positions available.  More details of the projects/posts will be advertised in the C7 website (http://www.cerebellumc7.eu/)

Salary:
The EC contribution towards a Marie Curie Fellow’s living allowance is as follows: €34 500 per year. This contribution varies in different countries, according to the correction coefficient used for EC civil servants in the country where appointed.
Please note that the EC contribution is a gross amount and that institutional on costs and taxes will have to be deducted from this fixed contribution.
Mobility, travel and exploratory career allowances are also paid in addition to the above salary.
For further information see our website (http://www.cerebellumc7.eu/), and contact directly the partners at the specific institution you intend to apply to.  We are not able to consider general applications to the network. For general questions concerning the network, please contact the ITN coordination (j.diedrichsen@ucl.ac.uk).
Partner institutions and positions available:
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON, United Kingdom: 1 PhD studentship and 1 postdoc (contact Dr. Jörn Diedrichsen j.diedrichsen@ucl.ac.uk)
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON, United Kingdom: 1 PhD studentship (contact Prof. Michael Hausser m.hausser@ucl.ac.uk)
BEN GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV, Israel: 1 PhD studentship and 1 postdoc (in collaboration with Alpha-Omega Engineering, contact Dr. Opher Donchin donchin@bgu.ac.il)ERASMUS MC ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands: 2 PhD studentships (contact Prof. Maarten Frens m.frens@erasmusmc.nl)
EBERHARD-KARLS UNIVERSITY TÜBINGEN, Germany: 2 PhD studentships (contact Prof. Peter Their thier@uni-tuebingen.de)
UNIVERSITY OF DUISBURG-ESSEN, Germany: 2 PhD studentships (contact Prof. Dagmar Timmann dagmar.timmann-braun@uni-duisburg-essen.de)
UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERP, Belgium: 2 PhD studentships (contact Prof. Erik De Schutter erik.deschutter@ua.ac.be)
UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom: 2 PhD studentships (contact Prof. Chris Miall r.c.miall@bham.ac.uk)
KONINKLIJKE NEDERLANDSE AKADEMIE VAN WETENSCHAPPEN AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands: 2 PhD studentships (contact Prof. Chris de Zeeuw c.dezeeuw@erasmusmc.nl)
ALPHA OMEGA ENGINEERING, Israel: 1 postdoc (in collaboration with Ben-Gurion University, contact Imad Younis i.younis@alphaomega-eng.com)
Start date:
Position start between December 2009 and October 2010.
Closing date:
Application deadlines vary between institutions, and you are advised to contact each partner as soon as possible. Please check our website http://www.cerebellumc7.eu for up-to-date information.

Image Acquisition and Processing using MATLAB - WEBINAR

MathWorks India invites you to a free webinar;

Image Acquisition and Processing using MATLAB

24 Nov 2009
3:00 PM IST

Challenging image acquisition and processing problems are rarely solved with standard procedures. More often, you require flexible software that enables you to experiment with ideas, analyze results, and design real-world solutions.

View this webinar and discover how MATLAB®, Image Processing Toolbox, and Image Acquisition Toolbox provide a complete environment for image acquisition, analysis, processing, visualization, and algorithm development. You can benefit from this webinar even without prior knowledge of MATLAB.

Through product demonstrations, you will learn how to:
• Connect to and configure image acquisition hardware from MATLAB
• Organize and manipulate image data for exploration and visualization
• Execute standard algorithms for enhancement, segmentation, morphology, and feature measurement
• Develop algorithms using the MATLAB environment

A Q&A session will follow the presentation and demos.

Register for this webinar.

PhD positions Bayesian Biometrics for Forensics

Research project description

With various forms of biometric technologies becoming available, there is a growing need for scientists who are able to assess the merits of these technologies when applied to forensics. The Marie Curie Initial Training Network Bayesian Biometrics for Forensics (BBfor2) will provide a training infrastructure that will educate Early Stage Researchers in the core biometric technologies of speaker, face and fingerprint recognition, as well as the forensic aspects of these technologies. In this context two PhD students will conduct research at the University of Twente in the area of face recognition in the forensic domain.

Position 1 – Face recognition for forensics:

This research will focus on the development of face recognition methods that are specific for the forensic domain on the one hand and on illumination and pose correction as preprocessing stages for forensic face recognition on the other.

Position 2 – ROC calibration based on image quality:

It is known that the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) of a biometric recognition system degrades under unfavorable conditions, e.g. due to noise or variations of illumination or pose. This research will focus on quantifying the quality aspects of the images and on finding the relation between the degradation of the ROC and the quality scores.

The University of Twente

The University of Twente (UT; http://www.utwente.nl) is an entrepreneurial research university, located in Enschede, the Netherlands. Most of the faculty’s research, including the present project, is part of the multidisciplinary research institute Centre for Telematics and Information Technology (http://www.ctit.utwente.nl).

What we ask

We are looking for highly motivated researchers with an MSc degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics or a related topic, with adequate experimental and theoretical skills. You have knowledge of image processing, pattern recognition, and probability theory.

Knowledge in more specific areas such as biometrics is an advantage but not necessary. Fluency in English is a requirement. An interview will be part of the selection procedure. This position is only open to non-Dutch nationals who have not resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in The Netherlands for more than 12 months in the past 3 years.

What we offer

We offer a contract for four years. The extent of this position is a maximum of 38 hours per week (1 fte) according to the Dutch university rules. The monthly salary of a PhD student, in accordance with the collective labor agreement for Dutch universities (CAO-NU), ranges from EURO 2042 gross in the first year to EURO 2612 gross in the fourth year. Additionally, the University of Twente provides excellent facilities for professional and personal development, a holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus, and a number of additional benefits. Your main responsibility will be to carry out research, but you will be given the opportunity to acquire some teaching experience as well.

Information and application 
Candidates are invited to send their application together with curriculum vitae, marks transcripts, and the names and addresses of three referees before November 15, 2009 by e-mail to Raymond Veldhuis,(r.n.j.veldhuis@utwente.nl), who can also be contacted for more information.

BIOENGINEER JOB IN LOS ANGELES

Position: Bioengineer
Organization: LG Professionals, Inc.
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Deadline: 11/01/20

Description:
We are looking for a bioengineer with 3 to 5 years in Fourier optics, fluorescence, phosphorescence, and Raman emissions. Experience in optical properties of biological tissues and the changes in these properties during cancer progression, burn injury, etc. is required. Knowledge of specific optical technologies employed for biomedical research and clinical applications, such as optical coherence tomography, Raman spectroscopy, photon migration, acousto-optics (and opto-acoustics) imaging, two photon fluorescence microscopy, and second- and third-harmonic microscopy is essential.

Qualifications:
A Ph.D. in Bioengineering or a closely related area is required with 3-5 years of post-doctoral experience in Bioengineering. Successful experiences in grant-writing is necessary.

Contact: Mark Judkins
LG Professionals, Inc.
Diamond Bar, CA

Phone: 909-843-6565
Email: markjudkins@lgprofessionals.com

PhD position, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands

Position: PhD position
Organization: University of Twente
Location: Enschede, Netherlands
Deadline: 04 November  09

Description:
The objective of the FUSION project is to develop and trial a next generation ambulant 3D motion monitoring and feedback system that is easy to deploy for therapists, ergonomist and sport professionals. Remote FUSION applications are to be developed for accurate visualization of position, motion and coordination patterns. This motion monitoring and feedback system includes a wireless body area sensor network for distributed motion sensing and analysis. The wireless motion sensing body area network will operate autonomously supporting self-calibration, self-optimization and self-protection. The PhD student position in the FUSION project will collaborate with other researchers in the project team. His/her research will focus on the following challenges: intelligent motion sensor nodes design and support protocol, ambulant 3D motion sensor position estimation on the human body, integration and fusion of motion sensor data with additional ambulant measurement data obtained from other sensors such as: electromyography and force sensors.

Qualifications:
An MSc or comparable degree in electrical engineering, biomedical engineering or computer science with demonstrated abilities in the fields of (short range) wireless networks, signal analysis and measurement technology; affinity with biomedical engineering and human motion assessment; Good control of the English language in written and spoken form; Ability to perform research work in a team.


Contact: 
Bert-Jan van Beijnum
University of Twente
P.O. Box 217

Phone: + 31 53 4892834
Email: beijnum@ewi.utwente.nl

MEDICAL IMAGE FILE FORMATS

ACR-NEMA 2.0 :Standard from NEMA, predating DICOM
AFNI : AFNI Native Format
Analyze: Image file format from Mayo Foundation
BMP : Windows BMP File Format
Bruker : Bruker Paravision
DICOM : The DICOM 3 standard
ECAT 6 : CTI CT Format
ECAT 7 : CTI CT/PET Format
GE ADVANCE : GE ADVANCE PET
GE MRI Genesis 5 : GE MRI format
GE MRI LX
GE MRI Signa 3, 4 : GE format for MRI
GE Scanditronix : GE 4096 PET Format
Gif : Graphic Image Format
GIPL : Guys Image Processing Lab
Interfile 3.3 : Nuclear medicine file format
JPEG
LONI
Matlab
Minc : Multimodality format from MNI
NetCDF : Array-oriented format from NCAR
NIFTI : Analyze-derived FMRI format
Own/Unique : File format unique to one program.
Papyrus : DICOM compatible file format
PGM : Portable Greymap Format
Picker : CT Old CT/MRI format
PICT : Apple graphic file format
PNG : Portable Network Graphics
PPM : Portable Pixmap File Format
QuickTime : QuickTime
Raw : Image file with no header
Siemens Somatom : Siemens CT format
SPM : SPM (Analyze 7.5 variant)
TIFF : Tag Image File Format
VTK : Visualization Toolkit format
XIF

Free medical imaging softwares, applications and resources

If you work with medical imaging files, the site "I DO IMAGING" can help you. Looking for a free DICOM viewer, DICOM converter, or PACS client? You'll find them there.It tracks free medical imaging applications and resources: conversion programs, image display and analysis, surface and volume rendering, PACS clients and servers. Many programs are classified by a speciality to allow you to find similar programs by imaging modality, medical specialization, or similar. Half of all the programs listed there work with DICOM files, but there are over 25 file formats covered.

All the programs included are free and intended for distribution; there are no "demo" versions of commercial applications. If you are involved in programming, many of the programs are open-source, and provide APIs and SDKs for radiology programmers.

Medical Imaging : DICOM Standard

DICOM which stands for " Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine " is a document which defines a method of communication for the various equipment of digital medical imaging devices/softwares. This standard is now in use by the majority of medical imagering hardware manufacturers. It represents a progress in that it makes it possible to predict the interconnection of various imaging modalities, through a Document of Conformity emitted for each machine/software following this standard. Thus, the standard makes it possible for the equipment to communicate remotely through a network or a media (disk or tapes ). By ensuring the compatibility of the equipment and by eliminating proprietary formats.

The goal is to obtain the images of the patient and all epidemiological information associated with, in an identical format allowing the interconnection and the interaction of the equipments and the transfer of the data.

WHY DICOM FORMAT FOR MEDICAL IMAGES?

1.) Single Identification Of the Produced Images:

A Department of Radiology produces several thousands of images every day, thus, a CT Scanner, working at the rate of 3 examinations per hour produces approximately 150 images per hour, and it is not possible to classify these images in a JPEG or GIF format because it would have a risk of losses of the demographic data of the images, (name of the patient, type of examination, hospital, date of examination, type of acquisition etc...). The DICOM Standard allows to make each produced image single and to associate specific information to them. Thus each image is autonomous, if it is lost, reproduced or re-elected, it is always possible to identify formally its origin, the patient, the date, the series from where it comes, parameters of acquisition etc..

The format is not rigid, it contains obligatory informations and other optional ones. Several single identification numbers UID (" Unique IDentifiers " ) are automatically generated by DICOM modalities and mandatory in each DICOM file or transfer. It cannot exist two identical UID that indicates different information, for example the machine and its localization, the UID of a series of images which is specific to a date, a patient, a study, a hospital and a given machine. This identification is necessary not only for medical and medico-legal reasons, but also to allow the devices for the formation and the management of hospital or imaging databases.

4 mandatory UID's for each DICOM image:

i.) Sop Class Uid  
Identify the type of Service for which the image is intended .
Storage Class Service
Query/Retrieve Class Service.

ii.)Study Authority Uid 
Identify a whole examination, in time and place.

iii.)Series Authority Uid 
Identify a series of images within the examination.

iv.)SOP Authority UID or Image UID 
Identify the image associated with the file

2.) The format is independent of the machines and the communications protocols:

Standard DICOM is used at the applicatif " level " i.e. it allows the communication of a programe another, this imply that connect them of low level, cablages and protocols networks are drawn up.

3.) the format uses a controlled vocabulary:

It is significant that from one machine to another the vocabulary either identical thus, one identifies the data in a universal way the some or machine. DICOM uses standard SNOMED developed by the anatomo-pathologists (Systemized Nomenclature for Medicine).

4.) the standard can be easily revised and modified thanks to the multiplicity of the Reference documents.

Currently standard DICOM 3 is composed of 12 parts to which are added supplements. The drafting of this standard follows strict directives established by the ISO committee.

5.) Format DICOM is adaptable to the different medical specialities :

Thus this format is already adopted by the cardiologists, the dentists, the anatomopathologists and the gastro-enterologists.

UNIVERSALITY OF DICOM

The old equipment often not to standard DICOM. Currently the numerical systems should be completely conforming DICOM, actually the majority of the equipment are it only partially and it is the responsibility for the user to buy open Dicom systems i.e.
i.)connectables by a network TCP/IP Ethernet
ii.)and/or being able to leave information in the form a media numerical (CD Rom, Zip discs, optical discs erasable...).

Indeed two conforming machines DICOM can not be very well connectables for reasons of physical wiring or protocols different networks.

ORGANIZATIONS RESPONSIBLE FOR DICOM

Standard DICOM was emitted by the ACR (American College of Radiology) in partnership with the NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association), it is currently updated by these 2 committees to which joined different committees of international experts the such JRIA Japan, the ANSI in the USA, the CENTC251 in Europe.

The ACR is responsible for the technical and medical instructions, the NEMA is responsible for the publications and the legal problems, to avoid conflicts of interests or a possible infringement with the antitrust loies.

These committees do not have economic interests, one will note that this standard is defined out of France, in English language with the difficulties of translation of a precise technical language.

4 Day course on IDL & Medical Imaging

Benefits:
Learn how to use IDL's image analysis and visualization power.
Use the DICOM capabilities of the IDL DICOM Toolkit and the DICOM Network Services add-on modules efficiently.

Topics:
Medical Image Processing, Image Segmentation,
Image Fusion
Create Graphical User Interfaces for your applications
Profit from IDL iTools
Read and write Dicom files
Communicate within a DICOM Network

Pre-requisites: Programming experience in IDL.

Duration: 4 Days

Location:
CREASO Training Center in Gilching, Germany,
or customer’s site (worldwide).

Contact Details :
Klaus Löschinger +49-8105-378-123
Doris Lutzeier +49-8105-378-122
E-Mail: k.loeschinger@creaso.com

IDL (Interactive Data Language) in Medical Imaging

IDL is the software platform chosen by medical imaging professionals who need to analyze, display, process, interpret and share medical imaging data. IDL's powerful visualization and analysis capabilities help you understand medical images from virtually any modality and integrate custom tools across the health care enterprise.

Clinical Medical Imaging Applications

Getting accurate and useful information from your images in a clinical setting is a priority. In both diagnostic and treatment applications IDL gives you the flexible data analysis and visualization tools you need get answers from your images. IDL offers interoperability with all types of data and a variety of leading medical imaging workstations, as well as a compliment of DICOM options to make IDL a contiguous and integral part of the clinical medical imaging workflow.

Research Medical Imaging Applications 
 
Medical imaging researchers worldwide depend on IDL to analyze medical imaging data and to develop new algorithms to aid in their research. IDL is an intrinsic part of the discovery process, piloting numerous projects from prototype to clinical application. IDL users can leverage the experience of a vast global user community, sharing an extensive library of IDL algorithms and expertise. IDL's cross-platform functionality, distribution options and DICOM functionality enable medical imaging application collaboration with colleagues across the hall or even across the globe.

Commercial Application Development 
 
IDL is the development platform of choice for many of the leading medical imaging toolkit providers. IDL gives application developers the tools to create customized applications, for both standalone environments and medical imaging workstations. The use of IDL for commercial applications continues to grow with the expansion of IDL's DICOM options, multiple distribution options and the ongoing advances in IDL bridging technologies such as Java, and ActiveX bridges.

About IDL 

IDL is the ideal, timesaving solution for data analysis, data visualization, and software application development. From “quick-look” analysis and display to commercial programming projects, IDL combines the technology and tools you need with a modern, extensible environment.

IDL requires less code and programming expertise to produce dynamic visualizations and analyses, or to develop powerful software applications with user-friendly interfaces. And, since the IDL software development environment, the IDL Workbench is based on the popular, open-source Eclipse framework, it is truly a cross-platform solution.

Professionals like you across industries rely on IDL to access, analyze, visualize, develop, integrate, and share information from data.

Click here to download IDL .