Interested in tackling mysteries of cancer as part of a multidisciplinary team leveraging world-class digital, genetic and clinical data? Then look no further than below. Positions available for ambitious and enthusiastic forward-looking person like yourself!

Postdoctoral, doctoral candidate and bioinformatician positions are available at the Helsinki Urological Cancer Research Center (www.hucc.fi) at the Faculty of Medicine in University of Helsinki, Finland. The medical center ranks at the top 10 medical campuses in Europe and among the top 50 globally. We are an active multidisciplinary group under the Research Program in Systems Oncology (ONCOSYS, https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/research-program-in-systems-on...) and a partner of the Academy of Finland funded iCAN flagship project (https://ican.fi/). The HUCC research group is co-lead by clinician, professor Antti Rannikko (urologist) and preclinician adjunct Professor Tuomas Mirtti (pathologist). We collaborate intensively with Academy Research Fellow Esa Pitkänen at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) (https://www2.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/machine-learning-in-biomedicine) and group leader Dr. Biswajyoti Sahu (https://www2.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/enhancer-biology) University of Helsinki on genetic analyses, novel artificial intelligence/machine learning approaches and functional genomics. The group constitutes of dedicated students, senior researchers and clinicians working in translational and clinical aspects of urological malignancies, mainly with prostate cancer. The Urological Cancer Research group and the collaborative environment offers a creative and international space to conduct competitive research in an interdisciplinary team. Strongly linked to the Helsinki University Hospital, the lab strives to provide a coherent and holistic view of how preclinical and clinical research, big data and novel approaches such as AI in healthcare can benefit patients. The university offers occupational health services, flexible working hours, and excellent sports facilities, among other benefits of working for the biggest and highest-ranking university in Finland.

We invite applications from researchers with a strong mathematical, statistical and/or data engineering background, preferably with understanding of machine learning and experience in deep learning. We are seeking for postdoctoral researcher(s), doctoral candidate(s) and/or bioinformatician(s) to strengthen our group and facilitate collaborative projects with other national and international research groups. The candidate(s) will be developing novel machine learning methods for multimodal integration of clinical electronic health record data (e.g. ̴billion rows of clinical registry data), biological profiling data (e.g. RNA and exome seq, and multiplex IHC data) and medical image data (MRIs, CTs, PET). The candidate will utilize these new models and other state-of-the-art data analysis approaches to improve diagnostics of urological cancers and predict their clinical behavior, uncover the true real world treatment patterns in respect to guideline recommendations and trial evidence, and eventually improve cancer outcomes by clinical research (phase 2-3 trials and n-of-1 trials based on tumor/patient profiling).

We are looking for an enthusiastic researcher(s) and/or bioinformatician(s) with excellent technical skills and preferably consistent track record in the above-mentioned areas to join our research group. Solid skills in scripting/programming (preferably R and Python) are essential prerequisites for this position. Experience in deep learning, machine learning and computer vision are an advantage. Candidates who have experience in data management, software development, user interface design and visualization of data are of our particular interest, as the project has ambitious translational aims: candidates will be expected to create new state-of-the-art methods for data integration and visualization as well as clinically applicable solutions in prostate cancer diagnostics, treatment and follow-up.

Candidates should have a background in bioinformatics, computational biology, statistics, computer science or other related disciplines. Previous experience in biomedical and/or cancer research is considered an advantage, and expertise in medicine related statistics is a necessity. Excellent communication and presentation skills in English, good organizational skills, troubleshooting expertise are desirable. The ability to work with people with different backgrounds, skill levels and education is expected, as is motivation to supervise PhD and graduate students (for postdoctoral position(s)) as part of the group. The candidate should be able to independently master research projects, write funding applications and organize his/her work. An open-minded and social nature is appreciated.

Appointment details:

The position(s) is/are available from November 2021 onwards, and can be started later upon agreement. A six-month trial period will be applied. The position(s) can be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is found. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience based on the University guidelines. It is a four-year fixed-term position, with a possibility of extension.

Postdoctoral’s salary will be based on level 5 of the demands level chart for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary component based on personal performance with the overall starting salary amounting to approximately 3600-4000 EUR per month, depending on the qualifications and previous relevant research experience of the candidate.

Doctoral student’s salary will be based on levels 2-4 of the demands level chart for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary component based on personal performance with the overall starting salary amounting to approximately 2300-3100 EUR per month, depending on the qualifications and previous relevant research experience of the candidate.

Bioinformatician’s salary will be based on levels 9-10 of the demands level chart for specialist and support staff in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary component based on personal performance with the overall starting salary amounting to approximately 3300-3900 EUR per month, depending on the qualifications and previous relevant experience of the candidate.

Free Finnish courses are available for those wishing to learn. For postdoctoral researcher and doctoral student there are no associated teaching duties, but a teaching commitment for 5% of the work time is mandatory in the position.

Application details:

Please submit your application via the University of Helsinki Recruitment System by clicking the ‘Apply for the position button’ below. Internal applicants (i.e. current employees of the University of Helsinki) should submit their applications through the SAP HR portal. If you need support with the recruitment system, please contact recruitment (at) helsinki.fi.

Please attach the following documents to your application as a single PDF file:
- CV (including publications)
- Cover letter (maximum 1 page) that details your past experience and motivation for applying to the post.
- Contact details for two references.

The deadline for applications is October 31st 2021. Interviews will be conducted either in person or online. For more information on the position, please contact Antti Rannikko: antti.rannikko (at) hus.fi or Tuomas Mirtti: tuomas.mirtti (at) helsinki.fi.

About the University of Helsinki:

The University of Helsinki (UH), founded in 1640, is a vibrant scientific community of 40,000 students and researchers. It is one of the leading multidisciplinary research universities and ranks among the top 100 international universities in the world. It is currently investing heavily in life sciences research. UH offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care and health insurance, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development.

Together with the Helsinki University Hospital (HUS) and the Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences (HiLIFE), the Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, constitutes the Academic Medical Center Helsinki (AMCH). This medical center has been very successful in international comparisons, ranking among the top 10 medical campuses in Europe and among the top 50 globally.

Research Program in Systems Oncology (ONCOSYS) consists of basic, translational and clinical researchers who use cutting-edge measurement technology, patient data and AI methods in cancer research and oncology. The overall objective of ONCOSYS is to understand the underlying causes of cancer progression or treatment resistance, and to develop effective diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic approaches.

FIMM constitutes an internationally recognized unique biomedical research environment in Helsinki, being the leading genetics and genomics research unit in Finland. Petabytes of human genetic and health data are managed at FIMM, and these datasets will increase tenfold in the forthcoming years. FIMM researchers are collaborating tightly with top researchers and research institutes in the world and international health-care companies to improve health and well-being on a global scale.

iCAN aims to improve outcomes and quality of life of cancer patients. We do this through cutting-edge research focused on improving understanding in immuno-oncology, tumor microenvironment and development of disease resistance. Our research projects leverage the iCAN discovery platform to identify new targets and solutions for diagnosing and treating cancer. The iCAN discovery platform links molecular profiling of tumors with broader health data of cancer patients, acting as a catalyst for breakthrough research and technologies.
The scale of data – 15,000 samples across different cancer types will be profiled by 2026 – enables real impact and broad studies across different cancer types. The platform will enable an improved understanding of the complex interplay between cancer cells and the host.