Jan D'hooge

This PhD position at KU Leuven is based in the Cardiovascular Imaging & Dynamics laboratory within the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, located at the Medical Image Research Center (MIRC) at university hospital Gasthuisberg, Belgium. The project is embedded in the COMPASS consortium, which brings together 67 partners to advance cardio-oncology care through biomarker extraction, AI-powered risk stratification, and sustainable patient-centered pathways. The main focus of the PhD is to automate the analysis pipeline for high-frame-rate echocardiography, particularly shear wave elastography. This technique is crucial for early detection of cardiac disease, as myocardial stiffness changes precede functional and morphological alterations and clinical symptoms. KU Leuven’s lab has developed a tool for non-invasive assessment of myocardial stiffness by measuring the speed of naturally generated shear waves in the myocardial wall. While promising in clinical studies, the current post-processing pipeline requires user input at several stages, affecting variability, specificity, sensitivity, and workflow speed. The project aims to fully automate this pipeline, preparing it for validation in large patient cohorts and integration into clinical workflows. The student will also contribute to developing an AI-based clinical decision support system, collaborating with the Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging at NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim) and GE Healthcare (Oslo, Norway). The research environment is multidisciplinary, involving engineers, physicists, clinicians, and medical scientists, and offers access to state-of-the-art infrastructure. Applicants should have a MSc degree in engineering or data science, familiarity with machine learning, and strong programming skills in Matlab and Python. English proficiency at B2 level is required. The position is for four years, with market conform wages and immediate availability. The start date is flexible but must be before summer 2026. KU Leuven is committed to diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity, and offers support for accessibility and other needs. To apply, submit a motivation letter, CV, transcripts of BSc and MSc diplomas, and (optional) recommendation letters. For more information, contact Prof. Jan D'hooge or Mrs. Annette Caenen by email. The application deadline is February 27, 2026.

Post-doctoral position in automated analysis of high-frame-rate echocardiography at KU Leuven, Belgium. This postdoctoral project is based at the Cardiovascular Imaging & Dynamics laboratory within the Medical Image Research Center (MIRC) at university hospital Gasthuisberg, KU Leuven. The work sits at the intersection of cardiac imaging, AI, and clinical translation, and is embedded in a multidisciplinary environment with engineers, physicists, clinicians, and medical scientists. The project aims to advance cardiac shear wave elastography as a non-invasive technique to quantify myocardial stiffness, an important determinant of diastolic function in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Using high-frame-rate ultrasound echocardiography, the team will develop automated analysis workflows that reduce operator dependence, improve reproducibility, and support future validation in larger patient cohorts. The project builds on a long-standing research effort and a unique dataset of around 1,600 subjects acquired since 2018. The appointed researcher will lead the design and development of AI-driven medical image processing algorithms for clinical workflow automation. The role also includes collaboration on clinical validation and on ensuring that the resulting pipeline is aligned with Medical Device Regulation (MDR) requirements, supporting future technology transfer to medical device companies. Applicants should have a PhD in medical image processing and practical experience in AI-based analysis. Strong skills in classical image and signal processing, machine learning/deep learning, Matlab, Python, and software development are expected. Familiarity with echocardiography and MDR is advantageous. English proficiency at B2 level or above is required. The position offers a 1-year postdoc appointment with the possibility of extension and market-conform wages in a large, well-equipped research center in the heart of Europe. The project is expected to start no later than 1 October 2026, with the exact start date arranged mutually. To apply, candidates should submit a motivation letter, CV, optional recommendation letters, and transcripts of BSc, MSc, and PhD diplomas including program and evaluation details. Contact persons for further information are Prof. Jan D'hooge and Dr. Annette Caenen at KU Leuven.