PhD Studentship: Transforming Clinical Brain Imaging to Protect the Neonatal Brain

Transforming Clinical Brain Imaging to Protect the Neonatal Brain.

Primary Supervisor: Ilias Tachtsidis

Secondary Supervisor: Subhabrata Mitra

Subsidiary Supervisors: Paola Pinti

A 4 year funded PhD studentship is available in the UCL Department of Medical Physics and biomedical Engineering Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory in collaboration with University College Hospital (Neonatology) and EGA Institute for Women’s Health and the worlds first ToddlerLab at Birkbeck. Do also check out Prof. Tachtsidis Public Engagement team website metabolight for further info.

Funding will be at least the UCL minimum.

The successful candidate will join the UCL CDT in Intelligent, Integrated Imaging in Healthcare (i4health) cohort and benefit from the activities and events organised by the centre

Background:

The first 2 years of life are critical for the development of the neural connections and functions responsible for normal motor and cognitive functioning in humans. Perinatal injury to the developing brain often refers to as birth asphyxia, continues to remain a significant cause of neurodevelopmental disability.

We need objective, non-invasive, hospital and outpatient clinic friendly, easy to operate brain imaging tools to inform early detection of newborn brain injury; to support neurobehavioural interventions in young infants and toddlers, ultimately leading to the best possible brain development.

To answer this need, this PhD will build upon technological advancements in brain imaging and computational techniques; these include (i) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (or MRS) that can quantify bioproducts of metabolism; (ii) optical imaging, with broadband near-infrared spectroscopy (or bNIRS) and diffuse correlation spectroscopy (or DCS); a non-invasive brain imaging instrument that can map cortical oxygenation, haemodynamics, blood flow and metabolic changes from birth; and (iii) machine learning approaches for classification and prediction of newborn brain injury.

The ambition of this project is to innovate neuroimaging and redefine what can be investigated in the developing brain of infants at risk of neurodevelopmental disability.

Research Aims:

The objectives of this PhD project are:

1. Optimise a multimodal neuroimaging platform for neuronal functional assessment from the neonatal intensive care unit to the outpatient clinic.
2. Translate and enable the use of this platform to map localized cortical responses, in infants from birth up to 5 years old, correlating with a range of abnormalities including seizures and cerebral palsy.
3. Implement computational techniques such as machine learning methods for feature extractions and image analytics for classification of brain functional activity (oxygenation/flow and metabolism) and neurodevelopmental outcomes, towards biomarkers of brain health.

Requirements:

A first degree in physics or engineering would be preferred, however candidates from other potentially relevant backgrounds (e.g., psychology, medicine or neuroscience) will be considered if they can show the right level of commitment and interest.

A full studentship is available for Home fee applicants.

Overseas fee payers will be considered but they must have secured a separate scholarship that can cover the fee difference between Home Fee and the Overseas fee.

UCL’s fee eligibility criteria can a be found by following this link.

Deadline: 4^th of April 2023

To Apply: 

• Send an expression of interest and current CV to: Prof Ilias Tachtsidis at i.tachtsidis@ucl.ac.uk and cdtadmin@ucl.ac.uk . Please quote Project Code: 23015 in the email subject line and your UCL Application ID.
• Make a formal application via the UCL Application Portal . Please select the programme code Medical Imaging TMRMEISING01 and enter Project Code 23015 under ‘Name of Award 1’

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