Vacant job

Project Description

Doctoral field: Electrical and Systems Engineering

The Division of Decision and Control Systems (DCS) is currently seeking a PhD student with a strong background in machine learning, mathematics, and modeling, as well as an interest in biological systems. The successful candidate will join a project aimed at understanding and modeling cell-cell interactions to disrupt cancer-promoting equilibrium states. We intend to develop in silico and in vitro models and tools to build and validate digital twins of such interactions, with the goal of steering cellular systems towards healthier states and transforming drug development to reduce trial-and-error and accelerate the translation of discoveries into clinical applications.

DCS conducts fundamental research in machine learning, control systems, and system identification, in collaboration with AstraZeneca, SciLifeLab, and Karolinska Institutet. We also collaborate with researchers at Caltech, MIT, UC Berkeley, and Stanford. This project will be carried out in collaboration with Professor Avlant Nilsson's research group, focusing on promoting precision medicine through models of cancer cells.

For more information, see https://www.kth.se/sv/is/dcs (https://www.kth.se/sv/is/dcs).

Supervision: Prof. Matthieu Barreau, Alexandre Proutiere, Anna Herland, and Avlant Nilsson are proposed to supervise the PhD student. The final decision is made upon admission.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to doctoral studies (Chapter 7, Section 39 of the Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility:

• completed an advanced level degree, or
• fulfilled course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, with at least 60 higher education credits at an advanced level, or
• acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way, within or outside the country.

At least 120 higher education credits at an advanced level or higher in electrical engineering or related relevant subjects (e.g., computer science, mathematics, mechanical engineering). Equivalent knowledge acquired in other ways within a relevant research area may also be accepted.

In addition to the above, there is also a mandatory requirement for English corresponding to English B/6.

Selection

To succeed in your PhD studies at KTH, you need to be goal-oriented and persistent in your work. In the selection of applicants, the ability to:

• independently drive your work forward,
• collaborate with others,
• have a professional attitude, and
• analyze and work with complex issues is assessed.

Interest in or previous experience with biological systems, documented ability to conduct research and communicate results effectively, and experience with deep learning models are meritorious. Great weight will be placed on academic results and completed courses in the selection. A previous specialization in machine learning, control theory, or mathematics is highly desirable and particularly meritorious.

After meeting the eligibility requirements, great weight will be placed on personal qualities.

Final Degree: Doctorate

Information on Admission and Employment

Only those admitted to doctoral studies may be employed as PhD students. The total employment period may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education over four years. An employed PhD student may, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within, for example, education and administration. A new employment as a PhD student is valid for a maximum of one year; the employment may thereafter be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time.

As a PhD student, you are entitled to KTH's employment benefits and receive a monthly salary according to KTH's agreement for PhD salaries. Read more about Doctoral Studies at KTH (https://www.kth.se/en/studies/doctoral-education).

Union Representatives

Contact details for union representatives.

PhD Student Section (Student Union of the Royal Institute of Technology)

Contact details for the PhD Student Section.

Application

You apply via KTH's recruitment system. As an applicant, you are primarily responsible for ensuring your application is complete when submitted.

The application must contain the following:

• Copies of degree certificates and transcripts from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (see above). Translations to English or Swedish if the original document is not issued in one of these languages. Copies of originals must be certified.
• CV with relevant professional experience and skills.
• Cover letter with a brief account of why you wish to pursue doctoral studies, your academic interests, and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. (Max 2 pages)
• Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please attach an abstract and a web link to the full text.
• Contact details for at least three reference persons.

The application must be received by KTH no later than midnight on the last application day, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

Other

For information on the processing of personal data in connection with recruitment.

An employment at KTH may be placed in a security class. If this is the case for this specific employment, a security clearance of the applicant will be conducted in accordance with the Security Protection Act (2018:585) with consent. In these cases, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant passes the security clearance.

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