Postdoctoral Researcher in Multimodal Machine Learning for Precision Cancer Medicine

The Machine Learning in Biomedicine (MLBioMed) research group at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) , University of Helsinki, is currently seeking a highly-motivated postdoctoral researcher to join our interdisciplinary team.

Project Overview

This project aims to develop machine learning models for large-scale pan-cancer multiomics data. We build on our previous work (e.g., Sanjaya et al. Genome Medicine 2023 ; Pohjonen et al. arXiv 2024 ), developing the new models on the LUMI supercomputer and evaluating them on real-world data (e.g., in iCAN ) in collaboration with precision cancer medicine experts. We strive to revolutionize cancer care through the power of massive data and machine learning!

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement and benchmark deep machine learning models for large-scale cancer datasets that include genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics and imaging data
• Collaborate closely with experimentalists and clinical partners to understand and model biological processes and disease phenotypes
• Supervise and mentor students, and assist other team members in experiment planning, data processing and interpretation of results
• Contribute to writing scientific articles, conference presentations and grant applications
• Take part in open science and code sharing
  
  
  

Skills, Expertise And Qualifications

• A doctoral degree (PhD or equivalent) in computer science, data science, statistics, bioinformatics, or a related discipline
• A strong publication record in machine learning, computer science, bioinformatics, or computational biology
• Proficiency in Python and experience working in Linux-based HPC environments or cloud computing platforms
• Proven experience with deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow, and familiarity with multimodal data fusion is highly desirable
• Familiarity with the AMD ROCm software stack is considered an asset
• Ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively in interdisciplinary and international research teams
• Excellent command of spoken and written English
  
  
  

Research group

MLBioMed is an interdisciplinary research group at the intersection of artificial intelligence and precision medicine. We develop machine learning methods tailored for high-dimensional, multimodal biological data, with applications ranging from single-cell genomics to real-world clinical datasets. We are active contributors to open science. We work closely with national and international consortia, such as iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine, FinnGen and Genomics England to apply our models in clinically meaningful contexts.

Contract and salary

The position is for a fixed term of three years. A trial period of six months will be applied. Salary will depend on the applicant's skills, knowledge, and abilities, and is based on the University of Helsinki salary system. The starting salary will be ca. 3,600–4,200 euros/month, depending on the appointee’s qualifications and experience and including a salary component based on personal performance. Standard Finnish pension benefits and occupational health care are provided for university employees.

Apply at latest by August 31st, 2025. The call may be extended until a hiring decision is made.

How to apply: The application should include (i) two-page CV, (ii) list of publications, (iii) a one-page motivation statement for applying for this position, and (iv) contact information of at least one reference (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number) who has agreed to provide a written statement on behalf of the applicant.

To apply, please submit the application through the University of Helsinki electronic recruitment system by clicking on Apply for job. Internal applicants (i.e., current employees of the University of Helsinki) please submit your applications through SAP Fiori https://msap.sap.helsinki.fi .

For further information on the position, please contact Dr. Esa Pitkänen ([email protected]).

A diverse and equitable study and work culture is important to us. That is why we do our best to promote an inclusive university community. We encourage all qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply for our positions.

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The Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) is an international research unit focusing on human genomics and personalized medicine at the Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE) of the University of Helsinki - a leading Nordic university with a strong commitment to life science research. As part of Academic Medical Center Helsinki in Meilahti campus FIMM collaborates locally with the Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki University Hospital and National Institute for Health and Welfare. FIMM is part of the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, composed of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the centres for molecular medicine in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, and the EU-LIFE Community.