A postdoctoral position is available at Urological Cancer Research lab at the Faculty of Medicine in University of Helsinki, Finland. The medical center ranks at the top 10 medical campuses in Europe and among the top 50 globally. We are an active multidisciplinary group under the Research Program in Systems Oncology (ONCOSYS, https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/research-program-in-systems-on...), co-lead by Assistant Professor Antti Rannikko (urology) and Dr. Tuomas Mirtti (pathology). The group constitutes of dedicated students, senior researchers and clinicians working in translational and clinical aspects of urological malignancies, mainly with prostate cancer. The Urological Cancer Research lab offers a creative and international environment to conduct competitive research in an interdisciplinary team. Strongly linked to the Helsinki University Hospital the lab strives to provide a coherent and holistic view of how AI in healthcare can benefit patients, by designing and developing translational and clinical research. The university offers occupational health services, flexible working hours, and excellent sports facilities, among other benefits of working for the biggest and highest ranking university in Finland.

We invite applications from researchers with a strong mathematical understanding of machine learning and experience in deep learning, preferably in the field of medical imaging and histology. We are seeking for a postdoctoral researcher to strengthen our group and facilitate collaborative projects with other national and international research groups. In the postdoctoral work, the candidate should manage with multimodality data integration, including clinical electronic health record data, biological signal data and medical image data, and the computing related to these modalities.

We are looking for an enthusiastic researcher with excellent technical skills and preferably consistent track record in the above mentioned areas to join our research group. We require outstanding researchers with in-depth technical skills in programming, deep learning, machine learning and computer vision. Candidates who have experience in data management, software development, user interface design and visualization of data are of our particular interest. Candidates will be expected to create new state-of-the-art methods for data integration and visualization as well as clinically applicable solutions in prostate cancer diagnostics, treatment and follow-up. Candidates should have a PhD in bioinformatics, computational biology, statistics, computer science or other related disciplines.

Previous experience in biomedical and/or cancer research is considered an advantage, and expertise in medicine related statistics is a necessity. Solid skills in scripting/programming (preferably R and Python) are essential prerequisites for this position. Excellent communication and presentation skills in English, good organizational skills, troubleshooting expertise and the ability to work effectively to tight deadlines are desirable. The ability to work with people with different backgrounds, skill levels and education is expected, as is motivation to supervise PhD and graduate students as part of the group. The candidate should be able to independently master research projects, funding applications and organizing his/her work. An open-minded and social nature is requested.

Appointment details

The full-time position is available from November 2020 onwards, and can be started later upon agreement. A six-month trial period will be applied. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience based on the University guidelines. It is a four-year fixed-term position, with a possibility of extension. The salary will be based on level 5 of the demands level chart for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary component based on personal performance with the overall starting salary amounting to approximately 3300-3600 EUR per month, depending on the qualifications and previous relevant research experience of the candidate. Free Finnish courses are available for those wishing to learn. There are no associated teaching duties, but a commitment for 5% of the work time is mandatory in the position.

Application details

Please submit your application via the University of Helsinki Recruitment System by clicking the ‘Apply for the position button’ below. Internal applicants (i.e. current employees of the University of Helsinki) should submit their applications through the SAP HR portal. If you need support with the recruitment system, please contact recruitment@helsinki.fi.

Please attach the following documents to your application as a single PDF file:

• CV (including publications)
• Cover letter (maximum 1 page) that details your past experience and motivation for applying to the post.
• At least two recommendation letters with the contact details

The deadline for applications is October 31st 2020. Interviews will be conducted either in person or online. For more information on the position, please contact Assistant Professor Antti Rannikko (antti.rannikko@hus.fi) and Dr Tuomas Mirtti (tuomas.mirtti@helsinki.fi).

About the University of Helsinki

The University of Helsinki (UH), founded in 1640, is a vibrant scientific community of 40,000 students and researchers. It is one of the leading multidisciplinary research universities and ranks among the top 100 international universities in the world. It is currently investing heavily in life sciences research. UH offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care and health insurance, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development.

Together with the Helsinki University Hospital (HUS) and the Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences (HiLIFE), the Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, constitutes the Academic Medical Center Helsinki (AMCH). This medical center has been very successful in international comparisons, ranking among the top 10 medical campuses in Europe and among the top 50 globally.

Research Program in Systems Oncology (ONCOSYS) consists of basic, translational and clinical researchers who use cutting-edge measurement technology, patient data and AI methods in cancer research and oncology. The overall objective of ONCOSYS is to understand the underlying causes of cancer progression or treatment resistance, and to develop effective diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic approaches.

Due date

31.10.2020 23:59 EET