Organisation/Company: University of Pisa Department: Dipartimento di Ricerca Traslazionale e delle Nuove Tecnologie in Medicina e Chirurgia Research Field: Computer science » Modelling tools, Computer science » Programming, Medical sciences » Health sciences Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions: PhD Positions Country: Italy Application Deadline: 28 Feb 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Berlin) Type of Contract: Temporary Job Status: Full-time Offer Starting Date: 1 Oct 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - MSCA Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No Offer Description Background 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 educates 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 a robust foundation in data science, including AI/ML and digital health, as well as 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 objectives The 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 objectives The 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 principles of trustworthy AI? This encompasses queries about the generalizability 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 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. The objectives of this subproject are (i) To expedite the early diagnosis of PD; (ii) To improve the differential diagnosis among degenerative parkinsonism with overlapping clinical presentation; (iii) To predict the forthcoming pheno-conversion in patients at risk of developing synucleinopathies. The focus of this subproject is on MRI biomarkers. 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. 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, and if applicable, special needs allowance, and long-term leave allowance, according to Grant Agreement. The salary will be allocated following Italian specific contract conditions. • 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 includes: Research training through individual research projects. Courses at the host institutions and events for scientific and transferable skills training. 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. Experience with medical data is highly desirable. Familiarity with XAI techniques and causal inference methods is a plus. Demonstrable proficiency in Python programming and using libraries such as PyTorch. Specific Requirements Formal 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: To be eligible, the applicant must satisfy the requirements set out in the Guide for Applicants for the call HORIZON-MSCA-2023-DN-01-01 for supported researchers, and the mobility requirements of Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions: 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 (1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol) 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). Applicants could be from both inside and outside Europe. The candidates can be of any nationality. We welcome all applicants, and specifically encourage people from traditionally under-represented groups to apply. Languages: ENGLISH Level: Excellent Additional Information Join 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. Please quote the reference AIPD-DC11-UniPi when you apply for this position. Applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria or that are received after the deadline will not be considered. Additional comments: An 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. J-18808-Ljbffr