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Cerebral blood flow (CBF) uses about 15% of the cardiac output to deliver nutrients to the brain (oxygen and glucose) and remove metabolic by-products. Therefore, any deviations in the CBF can hamper the brain metabolism and cause significant brain damage or disease, including traumatic brain injury, ischemic stroke, or Alzheimer’s disease. Hence, noninvasive monitoring of cerebral blood flow and brain function is invaluable in clinics to treat brain dysfunctions.

In this project, we intend to solve those problems by investigating parallel, multi-channel detection to measure cerebral blood flow in the human brain in vivo.

This research project will enable rapid, noninvasive cerebral blood monitoring systems in humans in vivo. Continuous and noninvasive blood flow monitoring could help to treat major brain diseases. Moreover, rapid cerebral blood flow sensing will take us closer to developing the noninvasive brain-computer interface (BCI), which could help people with disabilities.

Our research will complement the development of time-resolved diffuse optics in Poland.

The PostDoc will be mainly responsible for the parallel interferometric NIRS (πNIRS). He or she, with the support from PI, will:

• Design, build and optimise the experimental πNIRS system,
• Perform measurements in fluid phantoms and optimise the system,
• Perform validations in healthy volunteers in vivo at IPC PAS,
• Will closely work with PI and other team members,
• Write manuscripts about achieved results,
• Present progress on international conferences, internal group meetings, and seminars.

The person will need to be well-motivated to perform a risky scientific project. He or she will need to handle fiber optics, work with fast cameras, be able to perform liquid phantoms, and have high signal and image processing skills. Additionally, he or she will need to prove the ability to quickly learn about the theoretical foundations of diffusive optics.

• a full contract (supported by Sonata Bis “Interferometria z równoległą detekcją w dziedzinie fourierowskiej w spektroskopii w bliskiej poczerwieni do nieinwazyjnego monitorowania przepływów krwi w ludzkiej korze mózgowej” nr 2022/46/E/ST7/00291 with prolongation option depending on project regulations and funds);
• competitive salary;
• opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary research department with strong support from chemistry and physics groups within the Institute;
• collaboration with industrial and research partners.

• PhD degree in physics/engineering (optics, automatics, informatics, electronics) obtained not earlier than seven years before starting working on the project.
• Computer programming advanced skills (Python, Matlab, C++),
• Prior experience in implementing and using deep learning algorithms with TensorFlow, Keras API or any other equivalent library
• Creativity and enthusiasm measured by the quality and number of projects, study record, internships
• authorship in peer-reviewed publications and patents in which the Candidate participated and contributed.
• Analytical thinking and critical problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication, organisation and time management skills
• Experimental experience in optical physics
• Fluent in spoken and written English
• Flexibility and ability to work in a multidisciplinary and multicultural research team
• Direct experience with optical imaging is an asset
• experience in customisation and commercialisation of optical setups
• experience in the medical application of devices based on optical solutions

The Commission will take into account the following criteria:

• Competence in specific tasks in a research project
• Previous scientific achievements (publication record, H-index etc.)
• Candidate’s participation in research projects