Postdoc / Engineer : Functional imaging of systemic effects of small vessel disease

Position: Postdoctoral Researcher or Engineer (Duration: 20 months)

Project Description:

Small vessel disease (SVD) is a complex condition that encompasses various pathological changes in the small blood vessels of the brain. Notably prevalent in the older population, numerous aspects of its origin, clinical symptoms, and long-term effects are yet to be fully understood. Beyond its impact on the brain, leading to conditions like vascular cognitive impairment, stroke, and various neurological issues. SVD also has systemic implications and can affect other organs, including the retina and kidneys, underlining the pressing need for more comprehensive research in this field.

The primary objective for the candidate is to devise a novel, ultrasound-based quantitative method to evaluate small vessel disease in preclinical models in different organs.

This project encompasses several pioneering ultrasound modalities, including , ultrasensitive Doppler, and Ultrafast Localization Microscopy and shear wave elastography[1]. We are collaborating with Leiden University, renowned for its expertise in the physiopathology and animal models of small vascular disease in brain and kidney.
The project will also assess how these markers can be used to evaluate the kidney health during artificial kidney perfusion and preservation.

Key Modalities:

– Ultrasensitive Doppler detects variations in local blood volume[1] and is sensitive to vascular alterations[2].
– Ultrafast Localization Microscopy is a microvascular imaging technique. It traces injected microbubbles within an organ’s microvascular tree at a microscopic scale [3].
– Shear wave elastography non-invasively measures tissue stiffness through acoustic radiation force and ultrafast ultrasound imaging, recently applied to cardiac grafts[4].

Project Goals:

1. Design an ultrasound-based approach for assessing small vessel disease in mice models
2. Develop robust analysis towards biomarkers on retina, brain and kidney in preclinical models.
3. Design a setup and prepare experiments to monitor porcine renal grafts health.
While based in Paris, the selected candidate will oversee prototype development, imaging, and data analysis. Regular visits to Leiden to participate in pilot experiments are expected. Most experiments will be conducted by a Ph.D. student at Leiden University.

Candidate Profile:

Seeking a postdoc or engineer with a background in ultrasound or medical imaging. Preferred expertise includes image processing, GUI programming, lab prototype setups, and some knowledge in physiology.

Key Responsibilities:

– Collect and process data from pilot experiments in Leiden across all modalities.
– Create enhanced modalities to align with project objectives and collaborators’ requirements, facilitating effective analysis of SVD biomarkers.
– Develop an adhoc prototype for in vitro porcine renal graft imaging and monitoring.
– Analyze ultrasound biomarkers under varying kidney health and perfusion conditions.

Important Skills:

– Matlab programming
– Imaging and data processing
– Acoustics
– Experimental research

Contact:

Interested candidates should forward their CV and publication list to thomas.deffieux@inserm.fr.

References:

[1] Deffieux, T., Demené, C., & Tanter, M. (2021). Functional ultrasound imaging: A new imaging modality for neuroscience. Neuroscience, 474, 110-121.
[2] Morisset C, Dizeux A, Larrat B, Selingue E, Boutin H, Picaud S, Sahel JA, Ialy-Radio N, Pezet S, Tanter M, Deffieux T. Retinal functional ultrasound imaging (rfUS) for assessing neurovascular alterations: a pilot study on a rat model of dementia. Sci Rep. 2022 Nov 14;12(1):19515.
[3] Demeulenaere O, Sandoval Z, Mateo P, Dizeux A, Villemain O, Gallet R, Ghaleh B, Deffieux T, Deméné C, Tanter M, Papadacci C, Pernot M. Coronary Flow Assessment Using 3-Dimensional Ultrafast Ultrasound Localization Microscopy. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2022 Jul;15(7):1193-1208.
[4] Pedreira O, Papadacci C, Augeul L, Loufouat J, Lo-Grasso M, Tanter M, Ferrera R, Pernot M. Quantitative stiffness assessment of cardiac grafts using ultrasound in a porcine model: A tissue biomarker for heart transplantation. EBioMedicine. 2022 Sep;83:104201