We seek a highly motivated, skilled early-career researcher to help us harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) methods to identify biologically and prognostically distinct disease signatures that predict risk of severe outcomes during or after a pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia and thereby improve personalized medicine for women with this disorder. The successful candidate will join the Pregnancy Complications and Maternal and Child Health group in the Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark.
The project Preeclampsia, a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, is associated with significant maternal morbidity and mortality during pregnancy, particularly in low-resource settings. It is also associated with striking increases in a woman’s later risks of a variety of chronic diseases. However, we have little in the way of biomarkers and other risk determinants that can be used to identify women with preeclampsia subtypes most likely to lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes or later chronic disease. In this project, we will apply cutting-edge AI methods (deep learning, explainable AI modeling, disease trajectory modeling) to combine data from a variety of sources (register data, clinical and laboratory test results, multi-‘omics data) to identify signatures that characterize women at greatest risk of preeclampsia-associated morbidity. We expect this work to translate into tools for clinical risk assessment, laying the foundation for intervention trials.
The successful candidate will be responsible for driving the project, analyzing the data, authoring and co-authoring manuscripts for high-impact scientific journals, and presenting the work at conferences and collaborative meetings. Primary supervision will be provided by Dr. Heather Boyd, leader of the Pregnancy Complications and Maternal and Child Health group at SSI, with input and mentoring from collaborators in Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, and the United States. Alongside the specific project, the early-career researcher will have the opportunity to work with other data collections and to develop new research ideas. The position also involves identifying sources of funding and writing grant applications.
Qualifications We expect you to be an independent, enthusiastic and ambitious scientist with the following qualifications:
- A PhD in computational biology, bioinformatics, or a related field
- Strong data science skills
- Experience analyzing large-scale ‘omics’ datasets and working knowledge of methods to integrate multi-modal data
- Proficiency in deep learning methods for text mining and large language models
- Documented ability to obtain research funding
- Good communication skills in Danish and English
- Proficiency in one or more core programming languages and familiarity with linux/unix
- Flexibility, open-mindedness, and a willingness to collaborate
- An excellent scientific track record, including at least one publication as senior author in a high-quality, peer-reviewed international journal.
In return, we offer excellent opportunities to further your scientific career in a strong research group with exceptional data and to build your scientific network through contact with our international collaborators. We emphasize teamwork and a positive working environment.
About the Department of Epidemiology Research Linkage of information from Denmark’s national health registers with millions of banked biospecimens in the Danish National Biobank provides our department with unique opportunities for groundbreaking biomedical research, which we pursue at the highest level of ambition. Our research vision emphasizes scientific curiosity, innovative thought, and thoroughness in an open, respectful, and collegial environment. The department boasts dedicated researchers with backgrounds in epidemiology, medicine, statistics, biology, genetics, bioinformatics, and mathematical modelling. Statens Serum Institut is located close to the center of Copenhagen, consistently ranked among the most liveable cities in the world.
Conditions of employment The successful applicant will be hired for a 3-year period. The position is available from 15 June 2025. Depending on performance and funding, the position may be extended after the initial three-year period.
Employment will be in accordance with the terms of the collective bargaining agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Federation of Professional Associations and the Danish Ministry of Finance’s circular concerning the job structure for scientific staff performing research at Danish sector research institutions.
Further information For further details and enquiries, please contact Senior Research Scientist Heather Boyd at (+45) 3268 8187.
Application Click “apply” to send your job application.
Your application must include a cover letter describing your motivation, CV (including education and experience), list of publications in peer-reviewed journals, transcript of university examinations (in English or Danish), and names and contact details for two job references. An expert committee will assess the applicant’s research qualifications.