Doctoral scholarship holder Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease with causal generative AI

Department: Center for Molecular Neurology
Regime Full-time

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The Computational Neurobiology Lab at the VIB Center for Molecular Neurology of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences at the University of Antwerp is looking for a full-time doctoral scholarship holder at the intersection of Computational Biology, AI and Biomedical Sciences.

Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease with causal generative AI

In the Computational Neurobiology lab  we address fundamental questions in chromatin organization, epigenetics and brain biology. We develop machine learning approaches for large-scale data integration and reconstruct cis-regulatory networks to understand how a cell “chooses” its fate. In particular, we focus on the role of chromatin organization in neuronal cell fate specification and neurodegenerative disease, aiming to bring results of fundamental research to the clinic.

The overarching goal of the VIB-CMN  is to advance our molecular understanding and improve the treatment of complex neurodegenerative diseases affecting the central and peripheral nervous systems. This requires a deeper insight into the genetic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic origins of neurodegenerative diseases, as well as fostering the development of effective translational pipelines and effective therapeutic interventions.

Position

• You will join our young vibrant team to work on a challenging and exciting project at the intersection of AI, computational neurobiology and early neurodegenerative disease detection. Leveraging multimodal data and Generative AI, the successful candidate will propose a causal statistical framework allowing to generate in-silico same-patient pseudo-longitudinal data. The newly developed framework will then be used for the discovery of pre-symptomatic changes leading to neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD, and, ultimately, propose novel biomarkers, predictive of the onset of the disease.
• You will write several scientific articles on this research project and present your work at the national and international conferences
• You will have an opportunity to contribute to other research directions in the lab
• You will carry out a number of teaching and research support tasks

Profile

• You hold (or will have obtained by the start date) a Master’s degree in machine learning, computational biology, applied statistics or related scientific areas, such as systems biology or bioinformatics
• You can demonstrate excellent academic performance in the relevant subjects, including machine learning, statistics and bioinformatics
• You have solid programming skills in Python
• You have excellent proficiency in both written and spoken English
• You are highly enthusiastic and motivated

What we offer

• A doctoral scholarship for a period of 2 years (2024-2026). Following a positive evaluation, the scholarship can be renewed for another 2 years (2026-2028). The planned start date as soon as possible and no later than the 1st  of August 2024.
• You will become part of the vibrant community at the VIB CMN, University of Antwerp, as well as VIB Center for AI and Computational Biology , with which the Computational Neurobiology lab is affiliated.
• You will get access to numerous training courses at the VIB and contribute to the various computational events, including bioinformatics seminars and hackathons
• Your monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to the scholarship amounts  for doctoral scholarship holders on the pay scales for Contract Research Staff (Dutch: Bijzonder Academisch Personeel, BAP).
• You will receive eco-cheques, Internet-connectivity allowance, and a bicycle allowance or a full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting.

Want to apply?

• You can apply for this vacancy through the University of Antwerp’s online job application platform up to and including January 15th  2024 (by midnight Brussels time). Click on the 'Apply' button, complete the online application form and be sure to include the following attachments:
  • a motivation letter explaining exactly why you are the best candidate for this position
  • your academic CV, specifying the grades for the most relevant subjects
  • contact information of two referees.
• The selection committee will review all the applications as soon as possible after the application deadline. The shortlisted candidates will be invited to present their work at an online interview.
• If you have any questions about the online application form, please check the frequently asked questions  or send an email to [email protected] . If you have any questions about the position itself, please contact Prof. Valeriya Malysheva: [email protected] .

The University of Antwerp received the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award  for its HR policy. We are a sustainable, family-friendly organisation which invests in its employees’ growth. We encourage diversity  and attach great importance to an inclusive working environment and equal opportunities, regardless of gender identity, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or age. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse characteristics to apply.