Doctoral student in AI-powered Whole-cell Modeling

Title: Doctoral student in AI-powered Whole-cell Modeling

Application Closed (Deadline: 18.Sept.2023)

KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm has grown to become one of Europe’s leading technical and engineering universities, as well as a key centre of intellectual talent and innovation. We are Sweden’s largest technical research and learning institution and home to students, researchers and faculty from around the world. Our research and education covers a wide area including natural sciences and all branches of engineering, as well as architecture, industrial management, urban planning, history and philosophy.

Project description

Third-cycle subject: Biological Physics

The AICell Lab (https://aicell.io) in the department of Applied Physics at KTH and Science for Life Laboratory is a new research group funded by the Data-driven Life Science Fellows program. The group, led by Wei Ouyang, focuses on building AI systems for data-driven cell and molecular biology. To expand the team, we are now opening a position for a doctoral student in biological physics with a focus on developing AI methods to model the human cell in biomedical applications.

Whole-cell modeling represents a transformative approach that offers a comprehensive and quantitative perspective on cell biology, paving the way for in-silico experimentation. In this burgeoning field, our newly-formed research group is embracing the grand challenge of human cell modeling by leveraging the latest breakthroughs in multi-omics data generation and artificial intelligence.

The selected candidate will:

  • Utilize state-of-the-art deep learning techniques like transformers and diffusion models to dissect and understand multi-omics datasets.
  • Innovate and construct tools and workflows for the intelligent microscopy farm, pushing the boundaries of technology and knowledge in the field.
  • Contribute to the development of a pioneering framework for the generative modeling of human cells, a critical step towards our vision of holistic biological understanding.

Supervision: Professor Hjalmar Brismar and Assistant professor Wei Ouyang is proposed to supervise the doctoral student. Decisions are made on admission

What we offer

  • The possibility to study in a dynamic and international research environment in collaboration with industries and prominent universities from all over the world.Read more
  • A workplace with many employee benefits and monthly salary according to KTH’s Doctoral student salary agreement.
  • A postgraduate education at an institution that is active and supportive in matters pertaining to working conditions, gender equality and diversity as well as study environment.
  • Work and study in Stockholm, close to nature and the water.
  • Learning and thriving in a young and ambitious research group
  • Help to relocate and be settled in Sweden and at KTH.

Admission requirements

To be admitted to postgraduate education (Chapter 7, 39 § Swedish Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility in accordance with either of the following:

  • passed a second cycle degree (for example a master’s degree), or
  • completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 second-cycle higher education credits, or
  • acquired, in some other way within or outside the country, substantially equivalent knowledge

In addition to the above, there is also a mandatory requirement for English equivalent to English B/6, read more here

Selection

In order to succeed as a doctoral student at KTH you need to be goal oriented and persevering in your work. During the selection process, candidates will be assessed upon their ability to:

  • Independent worker with effective time management skills
  • Collaborative, with experience in interdisciplinary teams
  • Skilled in Python and other programming languages; knowledge of cloud and web technologies a plus
  • Background in cell and molecular biology or related fields
  • Familiarity with laboratory and computational techniques, including statistical analysis and metabolomic profiles
  • Experience with AI, machine learning, and deep learning in bioimage analysis, with awareness of relevant technologies
  • Exposure to diverse biological research areas, such as genomics and metabolic network analysis
  • Interest in cell modeling, simulation, and microscopy imaging
  • Proven hands-on skills in experimental setup and troubleshooting in a research setting

After the qualification requirements, great emphasis will be placed on personal competency. 

Target degree: Doctoral degree

Information regarding admission and employment

Only those admitted to postgraduate education may be employed as a doctoral student. The total length of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education in four years ’ time. An employed doctoral student can, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within their role, e.g. training and administration. A new position as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, and then the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time. 

Union representatives

You will find contact information for union representatives on KTH’s website.

Doctoral section (Students’ union on KTH Royal Institute of Technology)

You will find contact information for doctoral section on the section’s website.

To apply for the position

Apply for the position and admission through KTH’s recruitment system. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement.

Applications must be received at the last closing date at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

Applications must include the following elements:

  • CV including your relevant professional experience and knowledge.
  • Application letter with a brief description of why you want to pursue research studies, about what your academic interests are and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. (Maximum 2 pages long)
  • Copies of diplomas and grades from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (see above). Translations into English or Swedish if the original document is not issued in one of these languages.Copies of originals must be certified.
  • Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please provide a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text.

Other information

Striving towards gender equality, diversity and equal conditions is both a question of quality for KTH and a given part of our values.

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process please read here.

We firmly decline all contact with staffing and recruitment agencies and job ad salespersons.

Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

About KTH

KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm has grown to become one of Europe’s leading technical and engineering universities, as well as a key centre of intellectual talent and innovation. We are Sweden’s largest technical research and learning institution and home to students, researchers and faculty from around the world. Our research and education covers a wide area including natural sciences and all branches of engineering, as well as architecture, industrial management, urban planning, history and philosophy. Read more here