Background and Working Environment
Gait and balance deficits caused by vestibular disorders reduce the quality of life of millions of individuals. These disorders are poorly understood, difficult to diagnose and manage, and receive little attention despite their enormous personal and economic costs. To address the global burden imposed by vestibular disorders, the PROVIDE doctoral network will train 10 PhD students (doctoral candidates). These PhD students will conduct individual research projects to address key research challenges and develop new knowledge, tools, and approaches to advance care for individuals with vestibular disorders. PhD students will work collaboratively within an interdisciplinary and international consortium of experts in vestibular research, patient care, and medical device development. PhD students will gain diverse specialist, cross-sectoral, and transferable skills, empowering them to innovate solutions for these and other healthcare challenges.
Are you interested?
Recruitment for Doctoral Candidate 8 reopened!
The application deadline is Thursday, December 12, 2024. Interviews for shortlisted applicants will take place on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. The PhD student will be appointed in accordance with the conditions specified by the respective host organisation.
Starting date of the PhD position is 01/02/2025.
PhD (Doctoral Candidate) Qualifications
To apply, you should have
- A completed master’s degree in biomedical-related sciences (Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience, Biology, Pharmacy, Rehabilitation Sciences, or other related disciplines).
- Commitment to advance the understanding and treatment of vestibular disorders through innovative research in biology, neuroscience, neurology, otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat), and engineering.
- Excellent English presentation and writing skills.
- Good organisational and communication skills.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as well as within an interdisciplinary and international environment.
- Additional qualifications/skills specific to a particular position are outlined at in the descriptions of the corresponding position.
EU Mobility Criteria
Successful candidates must fulfil the mobility criteria defined by the European Commission. Specifically:
- At the time of recruitment by the host organisation, researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of their host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the reference date.
- Applicants should not already be in possession of a PhD title
Additional Information
For more information about a specific position, or for general information about the PROVIDE doctoral network, please contact provide@umcg.nl.
Applying for the Position
We welcome your application if you are interested in and qualified for one or more of the PhD positions. To apply, send your CV, motivation letter and additional supporting materials (e.g., letters of reference) to the PROVIDE management (provide@umcg.nl). The application deadline is 12 December 2024. Interviews for shortlisted applicants will take place on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.
Starting date of the PhD position is 01/02/2025.
Project Description
Challenge 3: Expand Treatment to Restore Vestibular Function Based on Need
Clinically available treatments cannot restore vestibular function and instead aim to promote compensation by other mechanisms, minimize symptom severity, and/or reduce anxiety and depression. PROVIDE advances existing haptic biofeedback technology, neuromodulation, and vestibular implant stimulation to bring these technologies to the real-world (home) setting to restore vestibular function.
PhD Student 8: Haptic biofeedback to restore balance cues and treat severe vestibular loss
Host organisation: BalanceBelt, the Netherlands
The doctoral candidate will utilize international patient cohorts assembled by PROVIDE to conduct a multi-center safety and efficacy study of the BalanceBelt, a wearable device providing haptic feedback for individuals with severe vestibular loss.
Clinically available treatments cannot restore vestibular function but instead aim to promote compensation through alternative mechanisms, reduce symptom severity, and/or alleviate anxiety and depression. PROVIDE is advancing existing haptic biofeedback technology, neuromodulation, and vestibular implant stimulation to bring these innovations into real-world, home-based settings to restore vestibular function.
This inovative project focuses on enhancing and optimizing somatosensory substitution to compensate for severe bilateral vestibular loss (BVL) or dysfunction. This feat is achieved through the use of a “balance belt” worn around the waist. The belt delivers specific vibration patterns to the skin to encode the orientation of the trunk relative to gravity. The project emphasizes optimizing this coding in close collaboration with engineers designing the BalanceBelt. The optimized coding is developed and evaluated through multiple clinical studies conducted at the participating university hospitals, involving both children and adults, as part of multi-center research.
The primary site for the DC project is the Maastricht University Medical Centre in the Netherlands. However, evaluations are also conducted at the University Medical Center Groningen, Aalborg University Hospital in Denmark, and other collaborating institutions. The DC is responsible for designing and monitoring research protocols, conducting patient-focused research in collaboration with medical specialists and technicians, and working closely with researchers and PhD students worldwide. Additionally, the project analyzes the patient care pathway for BVL (from diagnostics to treatment) and reimbursement systems across various European countries to ensure optimal care delivery for BVL patients throughout Europe.
The DC will be contracted by the BalanceBelt company, the related industrial partner of the PROVIDE project designing the haptic stimulation devices, directed by Erland Fuglsbjerg. The primary base for the PhD position will be at the ENT department of the Maastricht University Medical Center+ in the Netherlands with supervision by Professor Dr. Herman Kingma. The DC will also be supervised by Asociate Professor Dr. Sonja Pyott of the University Medical Centre Groningen, which is the PhD-awarding entity within PROVIDE.
Estimated Gross salary (per month) €4326.40*
* The estimated gross salary is calculated based on European Union requirements and adjusted according to specific country factors. Final salary adjustments are subject to the policies of the local institution.