PhD position at Institut de Recerca Sant Pau funded by the TOUCH COFUND project

14 Mar 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Institut de Recerca Sant Pau

Research Field

Psychological sciences

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Spain

Application Deadline

30 Jun 2024 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

H2020 / Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND

Reference Number

101126533

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Topic: Integrative Omics and Neuroimaging of Treatment Resistance in Psychiatric Disorders: An AI Approach

A PhD position is available at the Mental Health Research Group- Division of Neurological Diseases, Neuroscience & Mental Health from the Institut de Recerca Sant Pau in collaboration with Artificial Intelligence Research Institute under the supervision Marta Cano (Neuroimaging) and Eva Armengol (AI/Learning Systems). We are looking for a highly motivated candidate that will investigate treatment response in MDD, schizophrenia, and other mental disorders which do not respond to available strategies, focusing on novel therapies like neuromodulation, remediation, and psychotherapy.

Treatment-resistant neuropsychiatric disorders demand innovative treatment strategies. Our 3-year PhD project aims to decode treatment response in MDD, schizophrenia, and other mental disorders which do not respond to available strategies, focusing on novel therapies like neuromodulation, remediation, and psychotherapy. Using advanced neuroimaging and biochemical assessments, we'll delve into brain and peripheral system changes linked to newly developed treatment outcomes.

• Objective 1: Employ MRI to capture neural circuitry changes in MDD patients undergoing various innovative and promising treatments. Identify distinct neural signatures associated with positive treatment responses.
• Objective 2: Combine profiles of biochemical markers indicative of treatment efficacy, including neurotrophic factors, inflammatory markers, and metabolic indicators, to holistically understand treatment response. From the achievement of objectives 1 and 2 above, we will have available a database putting together biological information about a patient (omics and neuroimaging), as well as treatment response and other clinical variables. Such database will serve as basis for the next objective.
• Objective 3: To use AI techniques to identify neuroimaging patterns and predictive omics, enhancing our understanding of treatment mechanisms and facilitating personalized interventions. Particularly, Machine Learning techniques support the extraction of patterns that can predict the efficacy of a treatment according to the characteristics of a particular patient.

Real-world data, including electronic health records and patient-reported outcomes, will also be incorporated to achieve a comprehensive model predicting treatment outcomes based on individual patient characteristics.

In conclusion, this transformative PhD program integrates neuroimaging, omics profiling, and AI to decode treatment response in psychiatric disorders. Our transdisciplinary approach holds immense promise for revolutionizing mental health care, advancing precision psychiatry, and improving patient outcomes

The successful candidate will be enrolled in the Psychiatry doctoral program at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) in the framework of the TOUCH project. TOUCH (“Towards the next generatiOn of excellent yoUng doctoral researchers on mental health by developing an intersectoral & transdisciplinary approaCH”) is a new excellent doctoral programme co-funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) Actions of the European Commission and led by the UAB for the recruitment and training of 24 doctoral candidates in the field of mental health and wellbeing.

The Sant Pau Mental Health Group , part of the Institut de Recerca Sant Pau's Neurological Diseases, Neuroscience & Mental Health division, is resolutely dedicated to the pursuit of innovative therapeutic modalities, underpinned by a comprehensive understanding of etiopathogenesis, derived from their accrued knowledge. Main scientific challenges: research that reduces the healthcare, social and personal costs of mental illness by exploring areas such as epidemiology, etiopathogenesis, physiopathology, prevention and treatment; that delve into innovative mental health therapies; and to improve quality of life of patients with mental disorders.

The AI Research Institute (IIIA) research theme on AI and healthcare aims at applying some of the IIIA techniques to the field of healthcare. Specifically, it is focused on the design of novel algorithms to provide solutions able to incorporate advanced Descriptive, Diagnostic, Predictive, and Prescriptive capabilities to Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS).

We are looking for candidates with an excellent CV, ahigh degree of ambition and motivation, and with good personal qualities to work in our Team. We offer a 3-year full-time contract (37,5 hours/week) and a gross salary of 2.375 €/month (the salary will be the same for the 3 years).

The candidates must fulfil the following eligibility criteria from the EC: Mobility rule: candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately preceding the deadline for the programme call. Experience rule: researchers must be doctoral candidates at the date of recruitment, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the deadline of the open calls. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but have not yet formally awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible. Candidates must hold a degree that allows admission to the official doctoral programme at UAB.

Additional requirements for a stronger application are:

• The ideal candidate for this PhD program should possess some foundation in neuroscience, psychology, or a related field.
• They must comply with the academic requirements to access the PhD in Psychiatry of the UAB, which, among others, requires a Master degree and a good level of speaking and writing in English.
• Interest in neuroimaging techniques (MRI) and biochemical assays is advisable, while knowledge and training will be offered.
• Familiarity with statistical methods and/or programming languages (e.g., Python, R, STATA, and/or SPSS) is preferable.
• The candidate should demonstrate a keen interest in psychiatric disorders, treatment mechanisms, and innovative therapeutic modalities.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills are essential, as the project involves transdisciplinary teamwork.
• Prior experience with AI analytics is advantageous but not mandatory, as comprehensive training will be provided.
• The candidate should exhibit a commitment to advancing mental health research and a capacity for independent, creative thinking within a collaborative research environment.

Interested applicants should apply through the TOUCH online platform by submitting a full CV, a motivation letter, two letters of recommendation and academic and English level certificates. The call will be open from the 1st of April to the 30th of June 2024. More information about the TOUCH project, the recruitment process, and the application platform are available on the TOUCH website .

Requirements

Research Field

Psychological sciences

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Excellent

Additional Information
Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Institut de Recerca Sant Pau

Country

Spain

City

Barcelona

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://webs.uab.cat/touch/

Contact

State/Province

Barcelona

City

Barcelona

Website

https://www.recercasantpau.cat/en/contact/?lang=en

Street

C/ Sant Quintí, 77-79

Postal Code

08041

E-Mail

[email protected]

STATUS: EXPIRED