PhD Position – Development of AI-Based Virtual Neurons to Address Tauopathies
DeepLife is looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate to join TAu imMunE (TAME), a European Doctoral Network dedicated to tauopathies (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101119596).
TAME brings together academic and industry partners across Europe to develop methods to better diagnose and treat tauopathies, including Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia.
Tauopathies are characterized by abnormal tau protein buildup in the brain, leading to the formation of filaments, obstructing nerve synapses and impacting cell viability, ultimately leading to neurodegenerative disorders.
This PhD position is at the intersection of AI and experimental biology (wet lab). Using experimental biological data from cell cultures and in vivo models, together with AI models developed by DeepLife, the candidate will build and refine virtual neurons affected by tau pathology in order to predict novel biomarkers and therapeutic strategies. The project will involve interaction between wet-lab experimentation and AI-based modelling, with experimental results used to inform and validate the Virtual Neuron models, and computational predictions supporting the design and interpretation of biological experiments.
The successful candidate will be hired by DeepLife under a 36-month full-time PhD employment contract.
The candidate will spend:
- 24 months within DeepLife’s R&D team
- 12 months at Université de Lille / Inserm / Institut Pasteur de Lille, within the Integrative Structural Biology / Alzheimer & Tauopathies – Lille Neuroscience & Cognition research environment.
The PhD will be jointly supervised by DeepLife and Université de Lille. The candidate will also interact regularly with the TAME consortium and benefit from its biological and experimental expertise.
Where to apply
hr@deeplife.co
Requirements
Research Field: Biological sciences, computer science or biological engineering
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications
We are looking for a candidate able and motivated to work at the interface between experimental biology and computational approaches, with a Master's degree or equivalent in cellular biology or bioinformatics;
- Hands-on wet-lab experience is required;
- Knowledge of Python is highly valued;
- Basic knowledge of machine learning and experience with omics/single-cell data would be an advantage.