项目介绍

2026年7月6日

In the Department of Biology, Division of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology and the Department of Chemistry, Division of Biochemistry, Molecular, and Structural Biology, a FLOF-PhD position is available in the Laboratory of Prof. Wim Vandenberg.

Project

Optical imaging is a cornerstone of modern biological research, yet current methods face a fundamental problem: techniques that offer rich molecular-level information, such as fluorescence microscopy, require chemical labelling and struggle with long-term or non-invasive imaging, while label-free approaches like optical coherence tomography can image living tissue freely but yield signals that are difficult to interpret biologically. As a result, no existing method can simultaneously deliver non-invasive, and molecularly informative imaging of complex 3D samples such as organoids or tissue slices.In this Ph.D., the focus is set on developing a correlative imaging platform that combines fluorescence and light-scattering modalities within a single instrument, bridging this gap. The project is multifaceted, ranging from optical and optomechanical designing and instrument construction, to software development, electronics and the development of data analysis pipelines incorporating machine learning. In collaboration with biological partner groups, the developed system will be benchmarked and applied to e.g. organoid models, demonstrating its potential to accelerate both fundamental research and pre-clinical drug screening.

Profile

You have a Master of Science degree and experience with (advanced) optical microscopy. Experience with optical modeling and microscope construction is required. An interest in pursuing the biological applications of this project is required.

Offer

FLOF funding is available for the first part of the Ph.D. Initially, a 1-year contract will be provided which will be extended in case of a good evaluation.

Interested?

For more information please contact Prof. dr. Wim Vandenberg, mail: wim.vandenberg@kuleuven.be.You can apply for this job no later than July 14, 2026 via the online application tool