Postdoc in computional modelling of Alzheimer’s disease progression - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Description of the workplace
The Clinical Memory Research Unit focuses on understanding biological processes in aging, Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases and to develop and test a new generation of both diagnostic and prognostic markers asl well as of end point for clinical trials on disease-modifying therapies. The work is primarily based on the Swedish BioFINDER study, a large multimodal dataset composed of cohorts of both patients and cognitively unimpaired volunteers, who undergo extensive testing including neuroimaging, fluid biomarker measurements, neuropsychological testing. More information can be found here. The group is led by professor Oskar Hansson. This position will be placed at the Biomedical Center (BMC) in Lund.

We are committed to creating a positive, respectful and stimulating environment. We value communication and collaboration, and westrive to create a positive environment based on mutual respect and tolerance.

Project description
Dementia is a major cause of disability and dependency in a growing older population, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common cause of dementia in the elderly population. Recent research has provided robust evidence that once cognitive symptoms become apparent and clearly quantifiable with traditional neuropsychological tests, AD pathology was already accumulating in the central nervous systems for years, even decades. This preclinical stage of the disease is increasingly becoming the main target of the clinical research on AD. The postdoc project focuses on gaining a better understanding of the interactions between amyloid, tau and neurodegeneration across the disease timeline. Particular emphasis will be on developing mechanism based computational models of AD that can be applied to multimodal data (such as PET or fluid biomarkers). Models will be used to probe questions about disease mechanisms and provide valuable longitudinal predictions of imaging and fluid biomarkers. The postdoc will also be embedded in a national and international network of researchers focusing on brain functional changes in both healthy aging and neurodegeneration including two co-supervisors, namely Prof. Alain Goriely (University of Oxford, UK) and Dr. Jacob Vogel (Lund University, Sweden).

Work duties and areas of responsibility
The main duty of the postdoctoral candidate is to conduct their research studies. The postdoctoral candidate will develop and optimize processing pipelines, perform data analysis combining multiple AD biomarker modalities, will write papers, and will present results locally and at national and international conferences. Other work responsibilities may include: informal mentorship of and skill-sharing with other members of the group; or composition of grants and/or research fellowships. Other work duties may also occur. The majority of the research work will be done in collaboration with members of the research group.

Qualifications
The following are required for the position:

• Completed PhD (within the last three years) in engineering, bioinformatics, genetics, statistics, computer science, mathematics, computational biology, or a related discipline
• Expertise in mathematical/computational modelling of biophysical time series processes
• Expertise in the application of models to longitudinal clinical data through statistical inference
• Significant computational programming skills in a high-level language (preferably python or R)
• Good knowledge of oral and written communication in English
• Very good communication, presentation and writing skills Good cooperation skills, analytical and initiative skills

The following are considered to be a merit:

• Specific interest in dementia and aging
• Familiarity with high performance computing languages (preferably Julia or C++)
• Experience with parallel computation on linux-based high performance computing clusters
• Experience with analysis of data from clinical neurodegenerative disease datasets
• Experience in statistical modeling and/or machine learning Familiarity with best practices in reproducibility and open science Individuals from diverse or underrepresented backgrounds are encouraged to apply

Eligibility
Appointment to a post-doctoral position requires that the applicant has a PhD, or an international degree deemed equivalent to a PhD, within the subject of the position. This eligibility requirement needs to be met no later than the time when the employment decision is made, and evidence that this requirement is met needs to have been sent in by this time at the latest. Candidates should have completed their PhD degree no more than three (3) years before the last date for applications. Under special circumstances, the doctoral degree can have been completed earlier. These circumstances refer to leave due to illness, parental leave, clinical work, positions of trust within trade union organizations or other similar circumstances.

Terms of employment
This is a full-time employment limited to 2 years, with a possible extension for up to one additional year. Preliminary start date 2024-03-15 or according to agreement. The period of employment is determined in accordance with the agreement “Avtal om tidsbegränsad anställning som postdoktor” (“Agreement on fixed-term employment as a post-doctoral researcher”) between SACO-S, OFR/S and SEKO, dated February 1, 2022.

How to apply
The position is sought via the university’s recruitment system. Applications must include a personal motivation letter, in which you describe how you meet the qualification requirements and why you are interested in the position. The application must also contain a PhD degree certificate (including a grade transcript), a CV, contact information of two references, and other documents you wish to be considered (e.g. letters of recommendation and list of publications).