Intern – Pet Detector Scientist

Canon Medical Research USA, Inc. (CMRU) is proud to announce the launch of our 2026 ADVANCE internship program. Students will contribute at the forefront of innovation in medical imaging working alongside leading scientists and engineers as we develop and deliver the latest technology to our parent company Canon Medical Systems Corporation.

The ADVANCE Program is a structured program with goals and expectations designed to provide students with an opportunity to gain hands‑on work experience by participating in significant work projects. Students will take on assignments throughout the term related to CMRU project needs depending on their skills and interests. The goal of these activities is to make important contributions to CMRU programs while at the same time significantly advancing the student’s professional and personal development.

The program runs either 12 weeks during the summer term or 26 weeks during the summer and fall terms. This is a full‑time, 37.5 hours a week, on‑site, paid internship.

CMRU is looking for a qualified intern to join our detector team and work alongside our Scientists and Engineers. The student will work on exciting projects using the latest technology for medical imaging. Mentored by leading experts in the field, the student will gain hands‑on experience of the latest detector technologies and contribute to the development of next‑generation Positron Emission Tomography (PET) systems.

This position offers a great opportunity to see how your research ideas can come to life and make a difference in countries around the world.

Location:

Vernon Hills, IL, US

Salary Range: $27.00 To $37.00 Hourly

• Carry out experiments to evaluate new PET detector prototypes.
• Develop corresponding calibration and data processing algorithms.

• The ideal candidate is a full‑time student at an accredited college or university working towards a M.S. degree or Ph.D. in Physics, Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering or a related field in STEM.
• Students must have taken several related courses in the field in which they will be assigned.
• Students must be at least 18 years of age.
• Students must be eligible to work in the U.S.

• Good understanding of radiation detection physics and working principles of PET.
• Hands‑on experience in instrumentation and benchtop experiments.
• Good data analysis and reporting skills.
• Familiar with common programming languages and analytical software: C/C++/Python/MATLAB/ROOT, etc.
• Ability to identify problems and find solutions quickly
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Organized and detail‑orientated
• Self‑motivated to learn new things
• Driven and hard‑working
• Ability to take direction and multi‑task
• Highly curious about how things work

This is a full‑time, temporary position that requires a commitment of 3 or 6 months and 37.5 hours per week, Monday-Friday, onsite during regular business hours. The term can be adjusted somewhat to accommodate the academic calendar on an as needed basis.

Canon Medical Research USA, Inc. (CMRU) is a multi‑modality R&D organization creating next‑generation medical imaging systems. It is equipped with cutting‑edge instrumentation, prototyping, hardware labs and scientific computing facilities to perform research targeted to pre‑clinical and clinical CT, PET, MRI, X‑ray and Ultrasound systems. For those who like to develop new technologies and research new ways of using them, Canon is a rewarding place to work, due to its focus on innovation as the lifeblood of new products.

CMRU is committed to recognizing and appreciating the variety of characteristics that make individuals unique in an atmosphere that promotes work/life balance and celebrates individual and collective achievement. We are especially interested in qualified candidates who can contribute, through their experience, education, research and/or service, to the diversity and excellence of our organization and to the scientific and engineering community  offer a great work environment, including a hybrid work schedule.

We are an equal opportunity employer (EOE).

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Apply for this position.