Neuroimaging in Neonates using Functional Ultrasound (fUS)

Project description :

Context

How does premature birth affect functional brain organisation? The CONEXUS project addresses this question via a prospective cohort study building a multimodal database of neonates imaged with functional ultrasound (fUS) across early neurodevelopment. The goal is to establish normative references for brain activity and functional connectivity in the developing brain using fUS, and to assess how these are altered in premature infants.

Objectives/Missions

A key methodological challenge in this context is the absence of a dedicated fUS brain atlas. The intern will investigate whether an MRI-based neonatal atlas – age-matched to each participant – can be registered to fUS brain volumes, and evaluate the compatibility between atlas-defined regions and those delineated directly on fUS data. This cross-modality validation is an open question and a central contribution of the internship.

• Data acquisition at Hôpital Robert Debré: the intern will be trained in fUS acquisition protocols and progressively operate with autonomy. Clinicians will be present throughout all sessions.
• 3D atlas registration: the intern will develop image registration pipelines to align individual 3D fUS brain volumes to age-matched MRI-based neonatal atlases, bringing all data into a common brain space.
• ROI segmentation and atlas validation: the intern will manually delineate functional regions of interest on ultrasound B-mode scans, then compare these with the MRI atlas-defined regions to evaluate cross-modality compatibility – directly addressing a key scientific question of the project.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for a motivated Master student with the following profile:

• Strong interest in the interface between physics, neuroscience, and medicine.
• Willing to work in a clinical environment.
• Coding experience (Python or MATLAB).
• Background or experience in medical imaging is a plus but not mandatory (any modality).

How to Apply

Please send your CV and a brief cover letter to Charlie Demené at charlie.demene@espci.fr.