The Graduate School for Computing in Medicine and Life Sciences at the University of Luebeck (Germany), publishes 16 Ph.D. scholarships for 16 individual projects in the fields of bioinformatics and robotics.
PhD scholarship amounts to 1250 € per month. Students with a master's degree (or its equivalent) in computer science, mathematics or engineering are invited to apply for admission. The application deadline is January 15, 2009. In certain cases, students must submit, as part of their application, the results of one of the acknowledged language tests to prove their English proficiency.
For further information, please visit our website at www.gradschool.uni-luebeck.de. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions via email: management@gradschool.uni-luebeck.de before sending your application.
1. Correction of Susceptibility caused Distortions in Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Recently a research group at the host university has discovered a method for computing the distortions of the static field in MRI. This method is based on multi-grid methods, and has been successfully applied to the correction of the geometric distortions in T1-weighted images.
Based on new registration methods, it was shown that the statistic measure of similarity between CT images and T1-MR images of the same anatomy increased after applying this new method. The goal of this project is to apply the techniques developed to fMRI images, in order to allow for the use of fMRI in navigation.
2. Endoscopic Optical Coherence Tomography in the Deep Brain
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a new high-resolution, real-time imaging modality. Institutes of Lübeck University have been instrumental in developing this emerging technology, which is now beginning to gain recognition in laboratories world-wide. We have shown that OCT is able to capture the difference between white and grey brain matter.
The goal of the project is to investigate Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) as a minimal-invasive imaging modality for deep brain navigation and diagnosis in neurological disorders. The goals of the project are:
1. Development of endoscopic OCT, thus OCT that can be placed inside a thin endoscopic needle.
2. Development of signal processing methods for tissue identification and classification.
3. Integration of OCT in a stereotactic environment.
4. Integration of OCT into neuronavigation systems.
3. Transcranial sonography (TCS) in monogenic forms of Parkinsonism
The project: There are several open questions regarding ultrasound technology in genetic and nongenetic forms of parkinsonism:
1. Is there information other than aSN or LN hyperechogenicity in the ultrasound signal from the mesencephalic and diencephalic ultrasound images to characterise distinct forms of parkinsonism/PD?
2. Is the ultrasound investigation useful to screen a large population for genetic and other forms of PD?
3. Can SN hyperechogenicity serve as a preclinical marker?
Computer methods for automated investigator-independent detection of the SN and LN will be developed. After development of this tool for the detection of aSN and LN hyperechogenicity, a statistical image processing tool will be created to detect specific characteristics of the images.
4. Stroke Rehabilitation Robot
The robots under investigation must have novel sensory capabilities to adapt to the patient's individual needs. Interdisciplinary tracks of developments would aim at cheap, yet precise sensor-actuator combinations, high acceptability by ergonomic and psychologically optimised appearance, interactivity by smart sensors and signal analysis as well as therapeutically optimised movement paradigms.
5. Parallel mode of action control: from human studies to intelligent robotic interfaces
The goal of the project is to transfer knowledge about the function of the motor system into haptic interface systems and stroke rehabilitation robotics. We will first consider the well established task of reaching for / grasping an object. This complex action consists of two main components, which are processed in parallel channels. The phylogenetically "older" reaching component is processed in the fast dorso-dorsal channel and the "younger" component of grasping requires more programming of the hand-object interaction and is processed in the slower ventro-dorsal channel. Neuroimaging studies with fMRI, MEG and DTI will be used to validate models.
6. Cardiac pacemaker localisation
The Graduate School of Computing in Medicine and Life Sciences (funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG, and the German Government within the German university excellence program) at the University of Luebeck is now offering a PhD scholarship for the project "Cardiac pacemaker localisation “ in the research field of Robotics and Neuro-Rehabilitation.
7. Brain Modelling
The Graduate School of Computing in Medicine and Life Sciences (funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG, and the German Government within the German university excellence program) at the University of Luebeck is now offering a PhD scholarship for the project "Brain Modelling “ in the research field of Navigation Methods in the Deep Brain.
8. Robot assisted navigation guided OCT operating microscope
We have recently demonstrated that optical coherence tomography (OCT) of human brain in vivo can be done and that this optical tissue imaging delineates adjacent brain, tumour invaded brain and the highly cellular part of the tumour. In such a scenario, a robot-assisted and navigated microscope would be able to obtain consecutive images of a tumour resection cavity. These imaging data could be scored for residual tumour.
The goals of this project are: (1) Robotic microscope, (2) Integration of optical coherence tomography into the optical pathway of a neurosurgical operating microscope (3) 3D mapping data of the OCT tissue analysis and imaging data for navigation.
9. Definition of cortical networks for the control of eye and hand movements
One of our topics will be to define the possible modulation of these cerebro-cerebellar activation patterns depending on a variable context of the movement. This will be investigated by using different levels of complex tasks, or, as in "normal" life situations, different levels of attention to the tasks especially due to different levels of external distraction. This definition of certain cerebro-cerebellar networks allows a possibly more precise interaction with technical devices such as EEG or ECoG, for instance to control a computer or an external technical device in a more natural way.
10. 3-dimensional kinematic principles of eye, head and limb movements
The project addresses two hypotheses:
The central processing of convergent semicircular canal information in the human brain as assessed by head impulse tests is consistent with its prediction obtained from the alignment of 3D rotation vectors of the spontaneous nystagmus in patients with brain stem lesions and the vectors resulting from individual semicircular canal stimulation.
Eye-centred rather than body-centred mechanisms are governing the integration of target and hand position in programming reaching movements in patients with a vestibular lesion with the head unrestrained vs. restrained.
11. Interfaces based on EEG, ECoG and DBS
The goal of this project is to develop stationary medical grade signal processing hard- and software to record from 256 wideband channels while ignoring synchronous magnetic disturbances (TMS). The second step will deal with the improvement of the stationary system to a mobile platform, based on embedded signal processing. The goal is to develop optimal classifiers to interpret brain activity and utilise this analysis to provide a scarce command set for output devices.
12. Inhibitor Design
Three-dimensional models for the homologous Mip proteins from Chlamydia spp. will be constructed by homology-model building. Along with the X-ray structure of Legionella Mip, these will be used in virtual screening for and docking of potential new inhibitors. Hits found in this procedure will be synthesised in-house and tested for PPIase inhibition in vitro and for antibacterial effects in vivo.
13. Efficient Methods of Exact Solutions of Complex Problems in Molecular Biology
Finding an optimal alignment is a very difficult and time consuming task due to the inherent algorithmic complexity. Therefore, most software systems provide only approximate solutions. We have developed new exact sequential algorithms that give better performance. A current PhD project tries to parallelise our new methods in a suitable way such that further significant speedups by parallel processing can be achieved. The algorithms are tested on our high performance shared-memory parallel machine SunFire 15K. An important innovation for our solution is the reduction of the tasks to specific graph theoretical problems that can be solved efficiently also in parallel, for example to distance problems in specific regular graphs.
14. Synaptic Plasticity: Regulatory Mechanisms in Receptor Trafficking
The project deals with the modelling and the simulation of the molecular mechanisms of LTP and LTD in the synaptic transmissions. The proposed project aims in the explanation of fundamental mechanisms of multistable reactions both in synaptic plasticity and in more general context. An essential part of such reactions is a positive-feedback loop, which has been found in various biochemical and medical investigations.
15. Computational analysis of RNA structure
We propose to develop computer-based tools for the automated theoretical design of gene interruption and to implement suitable algorithms. The development will be based on novel machine learning methods for motif detection and classification.
16. Analysis of adult stem cells by computer vision
In this project, time-lapse imaging of living cells is combined with computer vision and machine learning technologies to discover patterns in the in vitro behaviour of the cells. This non-invasive approach has the advantage that the cells are left undisturbed, since already small perturbations may alter the growth and differentiation characteristics of the cells. Moreover, the method allows for the investigation of large cell numbers, thus ensuring the statistical relevance of the obtained data.
