Title : Special Scientist  (Research Αssistant)
No. of Positions : One (1)
Category : Employment contract
Location : University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus

We seek to fill the vacancy for one (1) Special Scientist (Research Αssistant) position, for full-time employment. The successful candidate will conduct fundamental and/or applied research as part of an R&D-funded project from the Cyprus Cancer Research Institute.

This work will be carried out jointly between the Optical Diagnostics Lab (http://www.eng.ucy.ac.cy/biaolab/) and the In Silico Modelling Group at the University of Cyprus (UCY), who also form part of the larger KIOS Research and Innovation Center of Excellence (www.kios.ucy.ac.cy) at UCY, and the UCY Computational Sciences Lab (https://ucy-compsci.org/) with expertise in mathematical modelling, medical image processing

• analysis, bioengineering, and high-performance computing technologies. The post-graduate student will be under the supervision of Prof Constantinos Pitris and Dr Vasileios Vavourakis

The Project

Treatment of brain cancer metastasis is often surgery, radiation therapy or both – clinical evidence suggests that stereotactic radiosurgery or in combination with whole brain radiotherapy have shown improved cancer patient survival. However, prediction of response to treatment on a patient-specific basis remains elusive. Thus, our project aims to develop novel digital tools for clinical decision making in patients with brain metastases. Specifically, we will develop a digital platform for predicting and assessing the efficacy of external beam radiation treatments in individual patients with brain metastases.

We are looking for a highly motivated post-graduate researcher with a background in computer science, modelling and medical imaging to work towards (a) quantitative analysis of advanced magnetic resonance imaging data, and (b) multimodal brain image data radiomics and feature selection/reduction.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The successful candidate is expected to:

• Develop novel medical imaging algorithms to analyze MR imaging sequences, microcirculation and tissue microenvironment data.
• Develop novel radiomics and feature analysis techniques (and software) to multimodal image data analysis.
• Collaborate closely with post-graduate and post-doctoral group members working in this project.
• Disseminate project results (internally and externally):
• write research articles in high-impact factor journals,
• write proceedings and give talks in prominent international conferences / congresses, and o compile technical reports for the project.

Profile and Experience

• Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree in either Computer Science, Medical Physics, Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or any other relevant field from an accredited institution.
• Experience in computer programming – good knowledge in C++ and Python is considered a great plus.
• Previous relevant research work experience is a great advantage.
• Strong motivation is a must.
• Willingness to work at interdisciplinary boundaries!
• Be reliable and a trustworthy team member, with good communication and organizational skills, and with a strong eager to learn.
• Adequate English (written and verbal communication) is required.

Employment Terms

The position is on a contract basis. Initially, a 24-month contract will be offered that could be extended based on academic performance. The gross monthly salary based on experience will range between €2,083—€2,187. 13^th salary bonus is incorporated in the monthly salary. Employee contributions shall be deducted from the gross salary. Maternity leave will be granted based on Social Insurance Laws from 1980 until 2012.

Application

Interested candidates should submit the following documentation online through UCY’s recruitment website: https://applications.ucy.ac.cy/recruitment

• Cover letter explaining the interest of the applicant for this post, their employment availability date, as well as a short summary of prior work experiences, activities, and accomplishments (2 pages max.; in English).
• Curriculum Vitae of the candidate (in English).
• Provide details of two academy- or industry-based referees that can provide reference letters.

At least the best three candidates that satisfy the required qualifications, will be interviewed by a 3-member Committee.

Candidates shall be informed of the result of their application by the relevant entity.

The University of Cyprus shall collect and process your personal data according to the provisions of the General Regulation on Personal Data 2016/679 (EU).

The applications should be submitted by 19 February 2022, 23:59 CET. The evaluation of the applications will begin immediately with expected dates for interviews planned between 22—25 February 2022. Candidates will be informed about the result of their application by the Departmental Secretariat. For more information, interested candidates can contact Dr Vasileios Vavourakis (vasvav@ucy.ac.cy) and Prof Constantinos Pitris (cpitris@ucy.ac.cy).