Post Doctorate Scientist - Generative AI for Retinal Image Forecasting and Pharmacodynamic Modeling

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The Position

A healthier future. It’s what drives us to innovate. To continuously advance science and ensure everyone has access to the healthcare they need today and for generations to come. Creating a world where we all have more time with the people we love. That’s what makes us Roche. 

The Opportunity

As a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Roche Pharma Research and Early Development Data and Analytics Department, you will focus on generative AI and pharmacodynamics modeling with the Ophthalmology Precision Medicine (OPM) project,  a cornerstone of pRED’s ophthalmology strategy. 

You will be working with a dedicated team of experienced scientists and clinicians to develop computer vision models capable of analyzing and predicting the timecourse of an individual patient’s imaging biomarker signature, in order to predict disease progression, response to treatment, and to enable detailed insights into pharmacodynamics at the individual eye level.

The role focuses on analyzing Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) retinal images sourced from both a home monitoring device (SCANLY, Notal Vision) and clinical instruments (Spectralis, Heidelberg Engineering). The initiative will be critical to differentiate products, enhance market placement, and demonstrate predicted treatment outcomes to physicians and patients under various scenarios, ultimately improving overall clinical trial efficiency and patient outcomes.

As a postdoctoral fellow, you will be supervised by scientists at Roche, as well as an independent academic expert as partner. The duration of the RPF project is initially set for two years, with the possibility of extension for a third year. You will be based in Basel with stays at our academic partner.

You are a PhD degree graduate in a Data Science related field (e.g., Statistics, Computer Science, Biomechanics, Biomedical engineering). To be eligible for a Roche Postdoctoral Fellowship, you must be within the first four years of completing your PhD in a relevant field at the start of the project. The RPF project is initially set for a duration of two years, with the possibility of a third-year extension

You have experience and expertise in the following:

• A PhD in a relevant field such as artificial intelligence, imaging, sensors, biology, pharmacology, biomedical engineering, or a related discipline

• Excellent understanding of quantitative data analysis

• Prior experience with applying relevant software (e.g. R, Python, Matlab/Simbiology,...) for imaging data analysis

• Prior experience with generative AI in imaging, such as GANs or diffusion models

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly

• Fluency in English

• Publication record demonstrating independent and creative research

Additional Experience and Competencies Preferred:

• Prior experience or a good understanding of retinal biology is desirable

• Prior experience with in-silico modeling is a plus, but the motivation to learn the basics for the application in this project is a must

• A basic understanding of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics in drug development is desirable

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the host teams and other stakeholders to develop and evaluate potential analysis techniques and applications

• Design, build and interpret data analysis algorithms to address selected research questions, including data pre-processing

• Prepare scientific communication content (presentations, reports, conference abstracts and manuscripts) to share the results of the project with a wider community. 

You have very good interpersonal skills, are able to build good working relationships, and are an outstanding teammate. Your experience and investigative attitude allow you to work independently, to design, perform, and interpret experiments, and to embark on new scientific methodologies.

You have been actively engaged in scientific research continuously since your PhD and are ready to start an RPF postdoctoral activity no later than 4 years after completing your PhD.

When does it start?
The start date of this fellowship is in May 2024, or on availability. Please clearly indicate your preferred starting date on your motivation letter.
All applications always need to include a CV, motivation letter, a publication list and if available, a copy of your PhD certificate.

The position is sponsored by the Roche Postdoctoral Fellowship (RPF) Programme, with the ambition to build and maintain the Scientific Leadership of the future and to provide leading Roche scientists with the opportunity to collaborate with talented postdoctoral researchers, and leading academic research groups, from around the world. One of the key aims is to advance basic science and technologies that will be published in top-rated, peer-reviewed scientific journals, if necessary, and preceded by priority patent applications.

More information about the RPF Programme: https://careers.roche.com/global/en/the-roche-postdoctoral-fellowship-programme

Who we are

A healthier future drives us to innovate. Together, more than 100’000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advance science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products. We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life-changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact.

Let’s build a healthier future, together.

Basel is the headquarters of the Roche Group and one of its most important centres of pharmaceutical research. Over 10,700 employees from over 100 countries come together at our Basel/Kaiseraugst site, which is one of Roche`s largest sites. Read more.

Besides extensive development and training opportunities, we offer flexible working options, 18 weeks of maternity leave and 10 weeks of gender independent partnership leave. Our employees also benefit from multiple services on site such as child-care facilities, medical services, restaurants and cafeterias, as well as various employee events.