Fully funded 3-year PhD studentship – Deep Learning Natural Language Processing of electronic health records for patient stratification and outcome prediction at the mental/physical health interface

To start: October 2018

We are seeking outstanding applicants with backgrounds in natural language processing; data science; machine and deep learning; text analytics; to work as part of a thriving health informatics team.

The project proposes the inception of novel deep learning natural language processing (NLP) and analytics frameworks that build on existing BRC infrastructure to develop a digital phenotype for patients derived from their EHRs, specifically from the Maudsley Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS) and King’s College Hospital EHRs through the CogStack pipeline and semEHR applications.

We will explore the potential for algorithmic matching of a patient’s EHR longitudinal profile, including physical health comorbidities, with similar patients in order to take us a step closer to the goal of being able to deliver more precise care. However, the EHRs are unstructured, heterogeneous, episodic and sparse, necessitating the creation of scalable, efficient, and interpretable computational models capable of automatically learning patient similarity.

This award is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) through the Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London (KCL).

Our aim is to pioneer multidisciplinary translational research and experimental medicine in the areas of mental health and neuroscience. To achieve this we select the best students and provide them with excellent training, tailored flexibly to their individual needs and interests. We will equip them with the intellectual and technical skills that are needed for the future of translational research, and complement this with key transferable skills (including public engagement, business development and entrepreneurship) to ensure that they emerge as well-rounded scientists, prepared for their next career stage. Our excellent clinical setting will ensure all students benefit from an understanding of the context of research, and produce scientists with a strong translational ethos.

Project

There is only one project available for this studentship and more information is provided in the project catalogue .

Please note: The final project details are agreed after successful interview.

Awards and eligibility

Funding is available for one 3-year PhD studentship. The award covers academic fees (Home/EU); a stipend and contribution towards training, conference attendance and research costs. Unfortunately, we cannot accept applications from non-EU / international candidates.

Further information

Visit our NIHR Maudsley BRC PhD Studentships’ page to find out more about the project and how to apply.

Closing date: Wednesday 25th April 2018 (23:59 GMT)
Interviews: Week commencing 21st May 2018 (day to be confirmed)

Apply now!