Four PhD fellowships in Health Technologies

OsloMet-Oslo Metropolitan University (former HiOA) is Norway’s third largest university, with approximately 20,000 students and 2,000 employees. OsloMet has campuses in Pilestredet in Oslo and at Kjeller in Akershus. We aim at being an attractive study and working place interacting actively with the social, working and cultural life of the urban region. Our aim is to become a leading university in the Nordic region within the field of applied sciences.

The Faculty of Technology, Art and Design, Department of Mechanical, Electronics and Chemical engineering is now looking to increase the workforce. For more information about the faculty see our website at: http://www.hioa.no/eng/About-HiOA/Faculty-of-Technology-Art-and-Design.

The Faculty of Technology, Art and Design (TKD) offers higher education as well as research and Development (R&D) activities within technical subjects, arts and design. The Faculty has approximately 2800 students and 240 staff members and it is located at Pilestredet Campus in downtown Oslo and at Kjeller Campus in Akershus.

Position

The Faculty of Technology, Art and Design at OsloMet is hiring four PhD fellows (100%) at the Department of Mechanical, Electronics and Chemical engineering (MEC) institute. The appointments are for a term of three years with the possibility extension to four years, by including of 25% duties, primarily associated with education tasks such as teaching, lab, supervision, etc. 

Project description

The PACER (Patient-Centric Engineering in Rehabilitation) is a research project funded by the Norwegian Research Council (NRC). The project will develop a system aimed at motivate and assist prosthetics patients, and support medical staff in providing optimal rehabilitation. The system will be utilize artificial intelligence (AI) based on input from fNIRS (functional near infrared spectroscopy) and several other sorts of sensory data.

In this specific case, we educate the candidates in a knowledge cross-fertilization environment where both students and supervisor will have the following professional backgrounds: Health sciences, electrical engineering, computer sciences, and product and industrial design. 

We are seeking four motivated individuals that satisfy the following criteria:

PhD fellowship #1: have a background in neuroscience or physiotherapy and/or prosthetics and orthotics, and will mainly develop the protocols for testing and measurements of prosthetic mobility and functioning. The candidate will also use various sensors in conjunction with self-report instruments for evaluation of prosthetic mobility, functioning and psychosocial adjustments to prosthetic use such as PLUS-M (Prosthetic Limb Users Survey on Mobility), AMP (The Amputee Mobility Predictor) and TAPES-R (Trinity Amputation and Prosthesis Experience Scales-Revised). The candidate will be in direct contact with the prosthetic users.

PhD fellowship #2: have background in electrical engineering and will mainly develop fNIRS equipment for this particular application. The candidate will also contribute to sensor fusion with fNIRS and other physiological parameters. The student collaborates to other parts of the project concerning the design of the fNIRS probe and synchronization of data.

PhD fellowship #3: have background in computer science or statistics and will mainly work on developing, fitting, analysing, statistical and artificial intelligence models using data gathered by PhD student #1 and #2. The models will learn the relation between sensory observations and mobility performance scores. The trained models will be used to characterize the level of mobility performance from new sensory observations, e.g. in an online manner.

PhD fellowship #4: have background in product and industrial design, and will work on design of the fNIRS probes in addition to the presentation of the data to the patients.

Area of research

The PACER project is multidisciplinary and touches four different area of research topics and professional fields. In particular, the project focuses on fNIRS measurements, sensor fusion and other instrumental sensory schemes, artificial intelligence and user designs for helping persons with an lower limb amputation during their rehabilitation. More information about the PACER-project can be found at https://blogg.hioa.no/bevlab/2017/10/25/pacer-project/

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in the relevant fields of Physiotherapy, prosthetics and orthotics, clinical health sciences, electrical engineering, computer sciences and product design or relevant fields with 120ECTS. The candidates have average grades of A (best grade) or B within a scale of A-E passing grades in their master degree.
• Specifically:

• PhD-fellow #1 must have knowledge of testing protocols, and measurement methods related to rehabilitation of persons with amputations. The candidate should preferably have clinical experience with patients.
• PhD-fellow #2 should have knowledge in fNIRS and biomedical sensors. Experience in developing optical and medical instruments and sensors will be beneficial.
• PhD-fellow #3 must have knowledge in statistical and/or artificial intelligence modelling.
• PhD-fellow #4 must have relevant product design background that is transferrable to design of medical equipment.
• • High motivation for research work described above.
  • Experience in publishing academic works.
  • Must be fluent in English, both spoken and written (all candidates), specifically PhD-fellow #1 and #4 preferably will be fluent in a Scandinavian language (spoken) due to the direct user-contact.

Please indicate which of the PhD positions you are applying (numbered from 1-4).

Desired skills

• Strong analytical skills
• Ability to work independently, take initiative plan and direct work, and goal-oriented
• Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate in an interdisciplinary team
• Specifically:

• For PhD-fellow #1: Experience on fNIRS, PLUS-M, TAPES-R and other instruments for measuring mobility, prosthetic functioning and psychosocial adjustments to prosthetic use.
• For PhD-fellow #2: experience with human neuroscience techniques (fMRI, TMS, EEG) and programming skills (e.g. Matlab) are desirable.
• For PhD-fellow #3: Proficiency in programming.
• For PhD-fellow #4: proficiency with 3D printing and medical design

It is important to OsloMet to reflect the population of our region, and all qualified candidates are welcome to apply. We make active efforts to further develop as an inclusive workplace and to adapt the workplace if required.

Conditions

• All PhD positions presuppose admission to the PhD program at Faculty of Health Sciences at HiOA in collaboration with the Faculty of Technology, Art and Design and Department of Mechanical, Electronics and Chemical engineering.
• Final project plan shall be completed and approved within three months after being offered the position.
• There is a collaboration between the Faculty of Technology, Art and Design (TKD) and the Faculty of Health Sciences (HF) and the collaboration is in particular reflected at the Motion analysis lab. All candidates will be appointed under the PhD program at the Faculty of Health Sciences (HF)

We offer

• Opportunity to be a part of a dynamic professional environment and unique academic and research collaboration.
• A unique academic and research collaborative project within four different professional fields.
• Working with the most available state-of-the-art equipment at motion analysis lab (bevlab (https://blogg.hioa.no/bevlab), optical lab (https://blogg.hioa.no/optisklab/) and makerspace (http://mekke.makeri.no/), digital and material production processes in product design laboratories.

Benefits such as flexible hours and welfare arrangements. More information on working on OsloMet can be found at http://www.hioa.no/eng/About-HiOA/International-Careers

Expert committee

Applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. You must upload the following documents together with your application by the final date for applications:

Application, CV and copies of diplomas/certificates and a project proposal which indicates that the project will realistically lead to a doctoral degree within the three-year period. The proposal should include: research questions, theory and method, relevant knowledge within the research area, schedule for the educational and research plan, and it should not exceed five pages. Any publications you wish to be considered (maximum three), as well as a full list of publications names and contact details of at least two References. Applicants from non-European countries where English is not the official language must present an official language test report. The following tests can be used as such documentation: TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE). Minimum scores are: TOEFL: 600 (paper-based test), 92 (Internet-based test) IELTS: 6.5, with no section lower than 5.5 (only Academic IELTS test accepted)

You must upload all of these documents. The documents must be in either English or a Scandinavian language. Translations must be government authorised. Originals must be presented if you are invited for an interview. OsloMet performs document inspections in order to give you as a candidate a proper evaluation and ensure fair competition.

Contact information

• Peyman Mirtaheri, Associate Professor, tlf.: 004767238710, e-mail: Peyman.Mirtaheri@hioa.no
• Ralph W. Bernstein, Head of Department, tlf.: 004767238508, e-mail: Ralph.Bernstein@hioa.no

Remuneration Salary is set in accordance with the Norwegian State Salary Scale, position code 1017 NOK 432 700-466 100. By law 2% of the salary is deducted as to the Norwegian State Pension Fund.

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) your name may be published on the public applicant list even if you have requested non-disclosure. You will in this case be contacted before your name is published.

Please apply electronically to this position by clicking on the button Apply here . All application documents submitted should be in English.

Final date of application: 08.04.18

Ref. No: 18/01442