PhD Position: Identification of Molecular PD Endophenotypes

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PhD Position: Identification of Molecular PD Endophenotypes

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Job description

Offer DescriptionBackground information“AIPD” is a doctoral network made up of 15 Partners and funded by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) which is a part of Horizon Europe, the MSCA are the European Union’s flagship funding programme for doctoral education and postdoctoral training of researchers. Funding is provided for doctoral candidates from both inside and outside Europe to carry out individual project work in a European country other than their own. AIPD Doctoral Network will train a cohort of 14 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) in an intersectoral, international and interdisciplinary setting with the aim to establish an international, interdisciplinary graduate school that educate the next generation of medical data scientists, with a strong translational focus bridging academia and industry.AIPD established a comprehensive training program offering PhD students not only a robust foundation in data science, including AI/ML and digital health, but also a deep understanding of ethical, legal and regulatory frameworks, including GDPR, the European Health Data Space and the AI Act. Our curriculum is unique in its integration of entrepreneurial thinking and a focus on Parkinson’s disease (PD) as an application field. At the same time, the methodologies and insights gained will have broader applications in various disorders, thus applicable to other areas of healthcare.Our training objectivesThe AIPD training program offers PhD candidates an interdisciplinary, translational, inter-sectoral and highly individualized training program encompassing

• Medical data collection, semantics and governance
• Statistics, data mining and AI/ML, including technical aspects of trustworthiness of AI/ML
• Practical hands-on programming
• Digital health with focus on neurology, including image analysis
• Basics of PD neuropathology and genetics
• Ethical, legal and regulatory aspects of health data science

Our research objectivesThe AIPD research program addresses three major questions focusing on PD as a medical application field: * How can AI/ML algorithms support physicians to earlier diagnose PD, stratify patients into relevant subgroups, prognose disease progression and assess the response to treatment on an individual basis (precision medicine)?

• How can AI/ML algorithms contribute to a more objective monitoring of disease symptoms, e.g. via digital voice and gait recordings, and neuroimaging?
• How can all of that be realized in an ethical, legally compliant and trust preserving manner in agreement to the principals of trustworthy AI? This encompasses queries about the generalisability of AI/ML, potential statistical biases, reproducibility, and societal resilience. It also touches on ethical considerations, lawful application, and the explainability of model predictions. Additionally, this scope includes exploring the causal connections between AI/ML model inputs and their respective outputs.

Our overarching vision with this program is to make a clear step towards a better individualized medicine. Our focus on PD as an indication area is motivated by its strongly increasing prevalence coupled with the fact that far less research has been conducted compared to other medical subfields like oncology.Job descriptionThe aim of this subproject is to apply data integration and biological network inference approaches to derive PD endophenotype molecular signatures for blood-based stratification of PD patients.The advertised subproject is fully funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie European Training Network AIPD. We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Research Scientist with a demonstrable background in Data Science (M.Sc. with excellent grades in Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Mathematics, or a similar subject). The successful candidate should have a passion for research on computational methods in medicine. The candidate will work in a highly interdisciplinary environment together with leading experts from academia and industry in data science, medicine, law, and health economy. PhD students will be co-supervised by two experienced scientists, one from academia and one from industry. Each PhD student will perform at least one lab rotation to get to know different organizations.Responsibilities

• development & application of innovative algorithms in the field of machine learning, specifically with focus on precision medicine, digital health and AI trustworthiness
• presentation of results via scientific publications, workshops and conferences as well as to external collaboration partners within the AIPD network and beyond
• active support of supervisor in terms of acquisition of new projects and technology transfer

Knowledge:

• Clear understanding of statistical and mathematical concepts underlying Data Science.
• Knowledge of Parkinson’s biology, biomarker research or patient stratification is a plus

Competencies:

• Ability to work independently.
• Very good English speaking and writing skills.
• Very good communication skills.

Conditions

• Full-time employment contracts at the selected AIPD host institution for 36 months.

• The exact salary is to be confirmed upon appointment. The basic gross amount is composed of Living Allowance = 3400 EUR/month (multiplied by the MSCA Country Correction Coefficients) AND Mobility/Family Allowance = 600 to 1260 EUR/month, depending on the family situation.

• The recruited Doctoral Candidates are expected to complete their PhD theses by the end of or shortly after their 3-year recruitment.

The Doctoral Candidates will actively participate in a 3-year AIPD training program and deliver research results. The training includesa) research training through individual research projects,b) courses at the host institutions and events for scientific and transferable skills training,c) training secondments to other AIPD partners emphasizing cross-sectoral exposure.The Doctoral Candidates will perform excellent in-depth research under cross-sectoral supervision in the collaborative MSCA Doctoral Network.Where to apply WebsiteRequirementsResearch Field Computer science » Modelling tools Education Level Master Degree or equivalentResearch Field Computer science » Programming Education Level Master Degree or equivalentResearch Field Medical sciences » Health sciences Education Level Master Degree or equivalentSkills/Qualifications

• Strong background in AI/ML
• Experience with biomedical data is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with XAI techniques and causal inference methods is a plus.
• Demonstrable proficiency in python or R programming.

Specific RequirementsFormal rules for PhD admission:Applicants hold a Master’s degree and meet the admission requirements of the doctorate degree program of the corresponding university of this position.Applicants must be doctoral candidates, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible.Language Skills:Applicants should have professional knowledge in (Scientific) English language.Mobility:Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their date of recruitment. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not taken into account. Date of Recruitment means the first day of the employment of the researcher for the purposes of the action (i.e. the starting date indicated in the employment contract or equivalent direct contract).Languages ENGLISH Level ExcellentAdditional InformationBenefitsJoin our international team of 14 doctoral candidates and collaborate with experts in AI/ML, clinical data, omics, digital devices, and neuroimaging. Benefit from interdisciplinary collaboration to address complex research questions, validate AI/ML models, and develop comprehensive disease models. Partner with professionals in medicine, ethics/law, and data science to create impactful solutions for Parkinson’s Disease. Receive mentorship from two dedicated mentors, access professional development opportunities, and gain unique skills in modeling, high-throughput experimentation, self-optimization, and data management across different scales.Selection processDetails about the selection process can be found at .Please quote the reference AIPD-DC14-RCSI when you apply for this position.Additional commentsAn earlier starting date is possible, if preferred.She/he is expected to finish the project with a PhD thesis and to disseminate the results through publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at international conferences.We are committed to promoting gender equality and diversity within our research community. We strongly encourage applications from women and other underrepresented groups. Our workplace fosters an inclusive environment where all individuals are respected, supported, and given equal opportunities to thrive.Work Location(s)Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute RCSI University of Medical and Health Sciences Country Ireland GeofieldContact CityDublin Street123 St Stephen’s Green Postal CodeD02 YN77STATUS: EXPIREDShare this page

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Location

Dublin

Job date

Sat, 16 Nov 2024 01:38:43 GMT

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