EngD position on smart sensors for health monitoring via breath gas analysis

Are you interested in engineering, health and building new technology? Then we are looking for you! We are seeking an amazing Engineering Doctorate (EngD) candidate to help us unravel what we can measure in breath and understand physiology.

Every breath you exhale carries information about the health of your body and its systems. Trace gases can signal the presence of chronic or acute disorders, or give insight into respiratory or metabolic status. Imagine if you could breathe into a small device a few times a day, and it would tell you this information? A smart breath sensing device like that could be highly valuable, for instance to consumers and patients wanting to monitor and optimize their health in a home setting, or to workers operating outside the reach of regular medical care and diagnostic equipment.

As an Engineering Doctorate (EngD) candidate in this project, you will design a system and develop a first feasibility prototype for such a device, based on photonic sensing technology and advanced data analysis techniques.

Your responsibilities include:

• scoping the most promising application areas for this breath sensing device and do an in-depth user journey mapping for one or multiple selected applications;
• design and develop a system architecture based on established design principles and stakeholder requirements;
• scoping out the most promising gases to target, from both a technological and (health) application perspective;
• planning and conducting benchtop spectroscopy experiments;
• data analysis, quantifying sensitivity and performance of the technology, and formulating algorithms for automated data interpretation and reporting;
• completing relevant courses (30 ECTS).

You will work here
This EngD position is jointly embedded within OnePlanet Research Center (see below) and Wageningen University. At OnePlanet, you will work within the Domain AI team, which houses expertise in advanced data analysis techniques, merging the power and flexibility of machine learning and AI with the rigor and explainability of domain knowledge. Members of OnePlanet’s gas sensing team will provide additional technical guidance and assistance with spectroscopy experiments.

Your primary supervisor will be Dr. Ruben van Bergen (Senior Data Scientist in the Domain AI group), with co-supervision from Dr. Ruud van Stiphout (Principal Data Scientist and Team Lead in Domain AI).Your employment contract and academic embedding will be at Wageningen University, within the research group of Dr. Guido Camps, who completes the supervision team. Dr. Camps contributes expertise in physiological modelling, AI-based signal interpretation and translational research.

On successfully completing the EngD program, you will receive an Engineering Doctorate diploma - see here for more information.

OnePlanet Research Center
You will be an EngD at OnePlanet Research Center, which is a multidisciplinary collaboration between Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Radboud University, Radboud UMC and nano-technology world-player imec. OnePlanet Research Center develops digital and sensor technologies that enable personalized health and sustainable food systems, translating imec's expertise in nanoelectronics, sensing and AI into real-world impact. Working at OnePlanet means you will:

• have access to a diverse team of experts with the necessary technical and domain expertise to supervise and support you;
• be working on a relevant, real-world problem where you have freedom to come up with creative ideas to solve the various technical challenges;
• be able to exchange views and knowledge with the OnePlanet and imec community of experts and scientists, widening your professional network.

At OnePlanet we embrace diversity and thus give equal opportunities to candidates with diverse backgrounds.