PhD student (f/d/m) bioinformatics and imaging

The German Center for Lung Research and Department of Respiratory Medicine and Infectious Diseases, located at MHH, are looking for a new PhD-Student.

Your PhD project combines cutting-edge computational methods with biomedical data to explore cellular and histological patterns in chronic lung diseases. The aim is to develop and apply advanced algorithms for single-cell genomics and whole-slide image analysis, including unsupervised pattern discovery, spatial mapping, and predictive modeling. The project focuses on uncovering disease-associated cell states and tissue-level patterns directly from large-scale, multicenter datasets, linking these patterns to clinical outcomes such as lung function and survival.

Key computational challenges include:

• Designing scalable pipelines for high-dimensional single-cell and imaging data
• Applying machine learning and deep learning techniques to extract meaningful patterns from complex, unannotated data
• Integrating multimodal data (genomics, imaging, clinical) for predictive modeling
• Generating explainable visualizations of discovered patterns and their spatial organization

This interdisciplinary project offers the opportunity to advance computational methods at the interface of medicine and data science, while contributing to predictive and personalized approaches in lung disease.

Your task

• Develop and adapt methods for the analysis of for single-cell genomics and whole-slide image analysis
• Conduct and interpret data analyses
• Prepare regular progress reports
• Contribute to the preparation of scientific publications
• Review and critically assess relevant scientific literature
• Write and defend a doctoral thesis, including presentations of research findings

Our requirements

• University degree in Computational Biology, Computer Science, Bioinformatics, or related scientific field
• Enthusiasm for research questions in pulmonology
• Interest in interdisciplinary work at the interface of medicine and computer science
• Fluent in English, both written and spoken
• Experience with Python, high-performance computing (HPC), and data science methods
• Experience with version management software (e.g. Git) is an advantage
• Ability to work independently, pay attention to detail, and pursue research in a goal-oriented manner
• Ability to constructively handle criticism
• Analytical mindset, strong communication skills, sense of responsibility, teamwork, and reliability

We offer

• A part-time position initially limited until 31.January 2029 with 25.03 hours per week at one of the largest employers in the state of Lower Saxony
• Depending on your personal qualifications, remuneration up to pay grade E 13 in accordance with TV-L is possible, with the benefits of public service (e.g. company pension scheme and supplementary insurance through VBL)
• An exciting role at the interface of research, healthcare and science management
• Demanding and multidisciplinary tasks in an innovative and diverse environment
• A lively scientific community across Germany through DZL
• An international and interdisciplinary team
• Possibility of partial remote work
• Personal and professional development opportunities – supported by our wide range of internal and external training and further education programmes
• Excellent public transport connections and the option of leasing a company bicycle
• An outstanding range of sports, counselling and preventive healthcare programmes – because your health is important to us