Postdoc Position: Probabilistic Graphical Models at the Donders Centre for Cognition

1. Introduction

Are you interested in Bayesian networks, both in foundational topics as well as their application in clinical decision support systems? Do you want to work in an interdisciplinary environment and collaborate with mathematicians, cognitive scientists and medical specialists? Then this postdoctoral position may be something for you!

2. Job description

Our Personalised Care in Oncology (PersOn) consortium is looking for a postdoctoral researcher in Probabilistic Graphical Models (PGMs) to work on fundamental research in Bayesian networks as well as in their application in clinical decision support. Together with other postdocs and PhD candidates from various backgrounds, you will lay the foundations for the next generation of clinical decision support systems for treatment and follow-up care in oncology. You will work closely  together with other PGM experts, as well as with researchers, health care practitioners, and stakeholders in explainable decision support. Your work will be foundational, advancing the state of the art in PGMs, as well as applied, focusing on explainability, traceability and justification in Bayesian networks to help advance shared decision making about personalised health care.

You will be embedded in the Probabilistic Graphical Models group within the Human-Centred Intelligent Systems department, where the core research lines are in foundations of stochastic computing and PGMs for clinical decision support. Ideally, your fundamental research both aligns with as well as complements the current expertise in the group. You will be expected to help define the group’s research focus and positioning at the Donders Centre for Cognition (DCC) and in the international PGM community, and to help maintain a safe and inspiring research environment for our team members. This includes co-mentoring of PhD candidates and students and contributing to diversity, equity and inclusion in the group and the department. You will have the ability to develop your teaching skills, helping you further qualify for a career as independent academic researcher.

3. Profile

• You have a PhD in Computer Science, Mathematics or Artificial Intelligence with a focus on theory and/or applications of probabilistic graphical models.
• You have a track record of publications in PGM-focused conferences, such as UAI, ECSQARU, AIStats, or PGM, and/or a track record of publications in journals in the field.
• You have a strong desire to contribute to the foundational research of the PGM chair, including topics such as computational complexity, approximate inference algorithms, sum-product networks, credal networks, causal inference, structure learning, and sensitivity analysis.
• In addition you like to contribute to the Personalised Care in Oncology project by tailoring your work towards explainability, justification or traceability in Bayesian networks.
• You value diversity, equity and inclusion and want to contribute actively to a safe and inspiring research environment.

4. We are

The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour is a world-class interfaculty research centre that houses more than 700 researchers devoted to understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of the human mind. Research at the Donders Institute is focused around four themes: 1. Language and communication, 2. Perception, action and decision-making, 3. Development and lifelong plasticity, 4. Natural computing and neurotechnology. Excellent, state-of-the-art research facilities are available for the broad range of neuroscience research that is being conducted at the Donders Institute. The Donders Institute has been assessed by an international evaluation committee as ‘excellent’ and recognised as a ‘very stimulating environment for top researchers, as well as for young talent’. The Donders Institute fosters a collaborative, multidisciplinary, supportive research environment with a diverse international staff. English is the lingua franca at the Institute.

You will be embedded in the Human-Centred Intelligent Systems department, hosting several research groups, of which the PGM research group is one. The department is participating in the AI educational programme and offers research and education on PGMs, cognitive robotics, human-computer interaction, and societal implications of AI. Radboud University’s PGM group is one of the leading research groups in Bayesian networks in Europe, hosting research on complexity, inference algorithms, explainability, automated learning, and the foundations of stochastic computing.

5. We offer

• We will give you a temporary employment contract of two years.
• Your salary within salary scale 11 depends on your previous education and number of years of (relevant) work experience. The amounts in the scale are based on a 38-hour working week.
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus. 
• You will be able to use our Dual Career and Family Support Service. The Dual Career Programme assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands. Our Family Support Service helps you and your partner feel welcome and at home by providing customised assistance in navigating local facilities, schools, and amenities. Also take a look at our support for international staff page to discover all our services for international employees.
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20. 

6. Practical information and applying

You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Prof. Johan Kwisthout. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application.

The first interviews will take place on Friday 7 March. You will preferably start your employment on 1 May 2025.

We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure. It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates. If you wish to apply for a non-scientific position with a non-EU nationality, please take notice of the following information.