PhD Research Fellow in Neuroimaging / Machine learning

The University of Stavanger invites applicants for PhD fellowships in Biomedicine as part of the GCase-Responders Across Neurodegenerative Diseases (the GRAND project):

GRAND is a multidisciplinary project to develop precision medicine for Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB).
During their lives, one of three of Norway’s residents will be affected by diseases and conditions that either temporarily or chronically affect brain health. PD and DLB are progressive, debilitating neurodegenerative disorders collectively referred to as α-synucleinopathies. Together these diseases affect more than 10,000 people in Norway and 10 million people globally, and as the world’s population grows older, these figures are projected to at least double in the next 20 years. There is an unmet clinical need to treat neurodegenerative diseases and to minimise the burden of disability and deaths owing to α-synucleinopathies. Accordingly, research into the causes and mechanisms underlying PD and DLB are a priority research area.

In the GRAND project, each PhD fellow will perform independent but highly complementary work packages to study the effects of GCase dysfunction in patients with PD and DLB. By applying methods from different disciplines to the same individuals, we will gain a unique insight into where, when and why neurodegeneration is occurring in these diseases. The data generated by each project will also be combined and a powerful machine learning approach applied to build an artificial intelligence (AI) application for precision medicine. This will move the field beyond the state of the art for clinical trial design. Up to two PhD fellowships are available in the GRAND project. See our announcement for information on the connected biomarker discovery.

PhD Research Fellow in Neuroimaging / Machine learning
The foundation of this project is the longitudinal characterization of in-vivo neurodegeneration in PD and DLB patients having different molecular signatures using multimodal neuroimaging and machine learning methods based on data from the GRAND project. Additionally, a machine-learning framework combining neuroimaging and biomarkers for precision medicine will be developed. The work will consist of developing the GRAND project neuroimaging database and studying the impact of genetic variation on neurodegeneration in PD and DLB patients. Finally, the candidate will develop a multi biomarker machine-learning framework based on neuroimaging and biomarkers for identification of subgroups that are more or less sensitive to possible drug candidates in PD and DLB.
Full details on the project and how to apply are available at the university job website: https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/176415/phd-research-fellows-in-biomedicine-related-to-medical-initiatives