Emmanuel Vander Poorten

PhD opportunity at KU Leuven in robotic catheterization for emergency intervention. The Robot Assisted Surgery (RAS) group in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KU Leuven is recruiting a PhD candidate to work on Development of Advanced Techniques for Emergency Robotic Catheterization . The project sits at the intersection of surgical robotics, medical devices, haptics, control, sensing, and clinical translation, with close links to micro-precision manufacturing, mechanical design, smart instrumentation, and biomedical research. The research focus is on developing advanced robotic catheterization technologies for time-critical and highly complex procedures such as mechanical thrombectomy in acute stroke. Current catheter-based interventions often require fluoroscopic X-ray guidance, which exposes clinicians to radiation and can create ergonomic strain from lead aprons. This project aims to reduce operator burden and improve safety by enabling clinicians to operate from a distance, using a new generation of robotic systems designed for fast, safe, and reliable navigation of multiple instruments through challenging vascular anatomy. The successful candidate will contribute to novel sensing, control, and instrument coordination strategies for emergency robotic catheterization. The work is highly interdisciplinary and benefits from KU Leuven's strong research infrastructure and the RAS group's collaborations with UZ Leuven, Belgium's largest university hospital. The environment is international, collaborative, and oriented toward valorization and clinical validation. Eligibility highlights: applicants should be fluent in English and hold a Master’s degree in engineering or computer science with excellent results, preferably in mechatronics, robotics, control engineering, mechanical engineering, deep learning, medical imaging, or a related field. Candidates should be motivated, independent, critical thinkers, and strong team players with practical problem-solving skills. Funding: this is a fully funded PhD position, typically lasting 4 years, with teaching assistant duties capped at 10% of working hours. The PhD salary in Belgium is noted to be similar to or higher than that of a starting engineer in industry. Application deadline: 2026-10-30 23:59 (Europe/Brussels). Contact: Dr. Mirza Awais Ahmad ([email protected]) and Prof. dr. ir. Emmanuel Vander Poorten ([email protected]).