One or more PhD positions in Using Large-Scale Data to Improve Precision Medicine in Psychiatry

At the Faculty of Medicine Department of Health Science and Technology one PhD stipend in Precision Medicine in Psychiatry is available for appointment from October 15 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. The appointment is for a period of three years. The successful candidate will be enrolled in the PhD programme in Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the Faculty of Medicine.

At the Department of Health Science and Technology we conduct research teaching and innovation within medicine biomedicine biomedical engineering health technologies robotics neuroscience sports science public health and physiotherapy. Our mission is to drive positive societal impact through cutting-edge research and innovation with a strong focus on digital health.

Currently our department has approximately 280 employees 100 PhD students enrolled in the Doctoral School in Medicine Biomedical Science and Technology and 1500 students in our bachelors and masters programmes. At the Department of Health Science and Technology you will have the opportunity to explore your passions connect with individuals who inspire and challenge you and make discoveries that can transform both your life and the world. Our values are ShareCareDare. You can read more about our department on our website and in our research portal.

As the Faculty of Medicine wishes its PhD positions to prepare candidates for careers both within and outside the university the vacant position has been designed to ensure that the competences acquired during the PhD qualify graduates for both a research career and a career in the commercial and/or public sector. At least one year before the position expires you will be offered an interview to discuss your future career.

Job description

This PhD position will be based at the Department of Health Science and Technology Aalborg University and affiliated with the National Centre for Register-based Research at Aarhus University.

As a PhD researcher you will contribute to the development of novel methods to decompose the heterogeneity of psychiatric disorders particularly ADHD using large-scale genetic imaging and epidemiological data from Denmark and other countries. You will apply advanced analytical approaches including deep learning and machine learning to improve disease subtyping and risk prediction.

You should have a strong willingness to learn enjoy tackling challenging research questions and be able to think critically and develop your own scientific ideas. Previous experience with statistical analysis programming (e.g. R or Python) machine learning or genomic data analysis is an advantage but is not required. We welcome applicants who are motivated to develop these skills during their PhD.

The successful candidate will join the Genomic Medicine Group at the Department of Health Science and Technology Aalborg University. The main supervisor will be tenure-track Assistant Professor Fenfen Ge. The PhD student will also have the opportunity to work closely with co-supervisors who are internationally recognized experts in statistical genetics epidemiology and artificial intelligence.

Applicants should have:

• A masters degree in statistics biomedical engineering computer science medicine or a related field.
• Excellent programming skills in Python and/or R.
• Experience with data curation large-scale datasets and genetic and machine learning methods.
• Interpersonal skills and collaborative competency

Qualification requirements
PhD stipends are allocated to individuals who hold a Masters degree. PhD stipends are normally for a period of 3 years. It is a prerequisite for allocation of the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Doctoral School in Medicine Biomedical Science and Technology in accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 1124 of September 19 2025 on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions. According to the Ministerial Order the progress of the PhD student shall be assessed at regular points in time. As part of the PhD study you are among other things required to complete PhD courses corresponding to 30 ECTS gain experience with teaching or other forms of knowledge dissemination and complete an external research stay outside of Aalborg University preferably 3-6 months at a foreign research institution.

How to apply

Your application must include the following:

• Application max 2 pages describing the applicants background motivation and qualifications for a PhD position in precision medicine in psychiatry
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• List of publications (if available)
• Diplomas (bachelors and masters degree diploma)
• Other relevant documents
• References (if available)

The application must be submitted via Aalborg Universitys recruitment system which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aalborg Universitys website.

Aalborg University wants to reflect the surrounding society and has diversity as a core value. Therefore everyone regardless of personal background and orientation is encouraged to apply for the position.

Do you have any questions
If you have any questions about the position you are more than welcome to contact us. You will find contact persons at the bottom of the jobpost.

Further information
Read more about our recruitment process here.

The assessment of candidates for the position will be carried out by qualified experts.
Shortlisting will be applied. This means that after the application deadline the head of the department with the assistance of the hiring committee will select the applicants to be assessed. All applicants will be informed whether they have been shortlisted for assessment or not.

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires ensuring the safety compliance and integrity of the workplace.

Read more about The Doctoral School in Medicine Biomedical Science and Technology

The deadline for applications is August 31 2026.

The interview will take place in the second week of September (online or in person).

Salary and terms of employment
The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish).

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement) (in Danish)

There is a mutual probationary period of 3 months for the position.

Aalborg University - Knowledge for the world
Aalborg University is an international workplace with more than 3700 employees. We offer real-world-oriented education and create world-class research results through collaboration between researchers students and public and private companies. This is how we achieve insights new solutions to societal problems and knowledge that changes the world. Our main campus is in Aalborg but we also have campuses in Esbjerg and Copenhagen.