Position

Medical Doctoral Thesis (Dr. med.) / CSC Scholarship Fellow

Topic: Wearable and Sensor-Based Analysis of Osteoarthritis Patients

We are offering a research position for a medical doctoral candidate (suitable for CSC scholarship applicants) starting in June 2026. This project sits at the exciting intersection of clinical orthopaedics and digital health, hosted jointly by the Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Orthopaedics (Klinikum rechts der Isar) and the Institute for AI and Informatics in Medicine (TUM).

About the Project (NewKnee Study)

You will work with data from our ongoing prospective "NewKnee" study, which monitors the recovery of patients with knee osteoarthritis and joint replacements using digital tools. Our proprietary smartphone application collects high-frequency sensor data and clinical outcomes to predict patient satisfaction and surgical success.

The Data: You will analyze a rich, longitudinal dataset including:

• Objective Sensor Metrics: Gait speed, step count, step length, gait asymmetry, double support phase, and knee range of motion (ROM).
• Functional Tests: Digital 6-minute walk tests and weekly knee function assessments.
• Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROMs): Standardized scores (KOOS, SF-36) and satisfaction metrics collected via the app.

Your Role & Research Goals

Your primary task is to investigate how objective wearable data correlates with subjective patient recovery. The goal is to move beyond static clinical snapshots and utilize continuous "Real-World Evidence" to identify risk factors for dissatisfaction early in the treatment process.

• Data Analysis: Evaluate sensor traces to detect recovery patterns (e.g., improvements in gait symmetry or ROM) over time.
• Outcome Prediction: Contribute to the development of prediction models that combine demographic data (age, BMI) with sensor metrics to forecast post-operative satisfaction.
• Publication: Write scientific manuscripts for high-impact orthopaedic or digital health journals.

The Environment

You will join the "AI in Orthopaedics" (AIO) research group, a highly interdisciplinary team of clinicians, data scientists, and engineers.

• Guidance: You will be supervised by Dr. med. Christina Valle and Dr. rer. nat. Florian Hinterwimmer, under the overall leadership of PD Dr. med. Igor Lazic and Prof. Dr. med. Rüdiger von Eisenhart-Rothe.
• Resources: Access to a GDPR-compliant research infrastructure and collaboration with the TUM Institute for AI (Prof. Daniel Rückert).
• Impact: Your work directly contributes to cutting-edge translational research, shaping the future of precision orthopaedics.

Who we are looking for

• Medical student or graduate (aiming for Dr. med.) with a strong interest in Digital Health, Orthopaedics, and Data Science.
• Basic understanding of statistics and an affinity for working with sensor/app-based data.
• High motivation to drive a scientific project independently within a collaborative team.
• Excellent English skills (German is a plus for clinical data comprehension).
• Eligibility for CSC Scholarship (China Scholarship Council) is highly desirable.

How to apply

Please send your application documents (CV, Letter of Motivation, Transcripts) to:

Dr. Florian Hinterwimmer (florian.hinterwimmer@tum.de)
Dr. Christina Valle (christina.valle@tum.de)

Start Date: June 2026