PhD student in Machine Learning for Causal Inference

We´re currently looking for a talented PhD student within Machine Learning to join a collaborative project between AstraZeneca, Chalmers University of Technology and Uppsala University along with the Wallenberg QI Autonomous Systems and Software Program (WASP).

This initiative and collaboration bridges 3 aspects of Machine Learning in public health: Mathematics, Engineering, and Epidemiology. This position aims to develop algorithms and theoretical learning for applied real world science in ML/AI, specifically focused on patient health and the development of medicines.

As a PhD student, you will be based at AstraZeneca and pursue a PhD in machine learning within computer science and engineering based at Chalmers and funded through a collaboration grant from the WASP program (described below).

WASP is Sweden's largest individual research program ever, a major national initiative for strategically motivated basic research, education and faculty recruitment. The vision of WASP is excellent research and competence in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and software for the benefit of Swedish industry. Read more: https://wasp-sweden.org/

The graduate school within WASP is dedicated to provide the skills needed to analyze, develop and contribute to the interdisciplinary area of artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and software. Through an ambitious program with research visits, partner universities, and visiting lecturers, the graduate school actively supports forming a strong multi-disciplinary and international professional network between PhD-students, researchers and industry.

What you'll do

Your major responsibilities as a PhD student is to pursue your own doctoral studies. You will be enrolled in the WASP ML/AI graduate program and your research will be academically lead by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Chalmers University while based and integrated into AstraZeneca.

You are expected to develop your own ideas and communicate scientific results orally as well as in written form. In addition, the position will include 20% direct pharmaceutical industry work, mostly in support of therapy area teams and projects, implementing or performing observational research while utilizing innovative ML tools, corresponding to 20% of working hours.

Key Accountabilities will include:

* Develop and execute a Ph.D. plan in ML focused on methods for knowledge representation, prediction and decision making by learning from data and applied in medicine where estimating the causal effects of genetics, lifestyle choices and clinical policy is of great importance
* Be part of the development of our data science environment, focused on a collaboration project with researchers at Chalmers University Department of Computer Science & Engineering and Uppsala University Department of Mathematics
* Adapt standard machine learning methods to best exploit implementation of epidemiology study design concepts
* Implementing custom machine learning code to support the development of medicines across the lifecycle of the drug and across therapy areas at AZ
* Experience working with electronic health/medical records data would be preferred.



Essential for the role

To qualify as a PhD student, you must have a master's-level degree, or a four-year bachelor's degree, corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits in computer science, mathematics, signal processing, physics or related fields and experience in machine learning. The position requires sound verbal and written communication skills in English and Swedish.

We believe that you possess:

* At least 2 years of Pharmaceutical Industry experience
* Experience and demonstrable deep technical skills in one or more of the following areas: machine learning and natural language processing or computer vision
* Strong software coding skills, with proficiency in Python and Scala preferred.
* Experience of Data Science modelling tools e.g. R, Python, SAS and Data Science notebooks (e.g. Jupyter)
* Creative, collaborative, & Problem-solving analytical ability

Why AstraZeneca?

At AstraZeneca when we see an opportunity for change, we seize it and make it happen, because any opportunity no matter how small, can be the start of something big. Delivering life-changing medicines is about being entrepreneurial -finding those moments and recognising their potential. Come and join our journey.

So, what's next!

Are you already imagining yourself joining our team? Good, because we can't wait to hear from you.

For questions regarding the position, please contact: Claudia Cabrera at Claudia.s.cabrera@astrazeneca.com



Welcome with your application no later than 30 September 2020.