PhD STUDENT (REF. 2025-009-P04632)

The CRM (www.crm.cat) is an independent research centre in the CERCA network since 2008, with the purpose of promoting both advanced training and research in all areas of mathematics, in collaboration with universities and other research institutions in Catalonia. CRM’s mission includes transferring knowledge based on the centre's research to society and aiming at having societal impact.

Research at CRM covers a wide spectrum of fields, from the most fundamental areas (algebra/number theory/geometry/topology, analysis and PDEs, combinatorics and dynamical systems) to applied mathematics (in the fields of biomedicine, climate change mitigation and adaptation and natural hazards).

The center is distinguished as a Maria de Maeztu Unit of Excellence by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (2020 Call) and holds the HRS4R award (Human Resources Strategy for Research; awarded by the European Commission) since 2016. The Unit hosts approximately 80 senior researchers and affiliated researchers from UPC's, UB's and UAB's Mathematics departments. Five of them are ERC Grantees.

Regarding training and exchange of knowledge, the CRM organizes 3-4 intensive research programs every year, welcoming 400 visiting researchers per year on average. Its aim is to connect the Catalan mathematics community with world-class practitioners (about 70% of the participants are international).

The Computational Neuroscience — Vidaurre group at the CRM is looking for a PhD student to join the project “A new integrative statistical framework to connect symptoms to mechanisms in brain disease”. This contract is envisaged to start on September 1st, 2025, and will last until August 30th 2029.

Applications will be accepted until the 22nd of June 2025.

The prediction of progression (prognosis) in Alzheimer’s disease is of immense potential importance for the personalization of treatment (especially with emerging new disease-modifying therapies) and for planning for future care needs. However, prognostic models are currently crude and unreliable. This project will capitalize on a very large longitudinal dataset from a single dementia clinic from Barcelona to build and test detailed models to predict individual progression of disease over time. ACE Alzheimer’s Centre in Barcelona is the largest dementia clinic in Europe, which sees >8000 patients per year. The ACE database has >20,000 patients from the past 10 years who have been evaluated every 6-12 months through the course of their disease. Available data include clinical features, neuropsychological test performance, MRI and PET imaging, CSF biomarkers and genetics. However, while the neuropsychological data is rich and very complete, the neuroimaging data of ACE is present only in a reduced subset of the subjects. On the other hand, large-scale public datasets (e.g., ADNI) provide extensive imaging for many subjects, but lack the depth of clinical data that ACE has. To leverage this potential, we will foundationally models on neuroimaging data using public datasets to learn meaningful feature representations, which will then be applied on ACE’s neuroimaging data and combined with ACE’s neuropsychological data to predict disease trajectories.

TASKS

• Construction of a foundational neuroimaging model using AI from public data sets
• Develop / apply statistical models to describe disease trajectories from longitudinal neuropsychological data
• Develop a machine learning approach to bridge between neuroimaging and neuropsychological data

REQUIREMENTS

• Be familiar with statistical modelling and machine learning
• Have capacity to conduct research independently and as part of a group
• Have strong programming skills
• Be fluent in oral and written English

ASSESSABLE CONDITIONS

• Be familiar with brain data processing
• Have a basic understanding of the principles of neuroscience

CONTRACT DETAILS

• Full-time (37,5h/week).
• Qualification: the candidate must have a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, Physics, Engineering or related field.
• Estimated start date: September 1st 2025
• Duration of contract: 4 years
• Location: CRM facilities.
• Flexible working hours and teleworking option.
• Training and development opportunities.
• Salary set by collective agreement depending on qualifications and experience.
   

EVALUATION PROCESS AND CRITERIA

The selection process will be evaluated by Dr. Diego Vidaurre, as principal investigator of the Computational Neuroscience — Vidaurre group,  Dr. Alexandre Hyafil as a member of the Computational Neuroscience group and another member from the research group. This process consists in:

1)     Admission of candidates: applicants must submit

• A curriculum vitae
• A cover letter​ 
• Copy of the qualifications.

Send the documentation by email to rrhh@crm.cat  until indicating the reference code of the offer. Requests coming from portals other than the CRM job offers section (and the instructions contained therein) will not be accepted. Interested candidates can email Diego Vidaurre (dvidaurre@cfin.au.dk) for informal inquiries. For more information, please contact rrhh@crm.cat 

2) Shortlist: assessment of the fullfilment of the minimum requirements of the offer.

3) Selection: evaluation of the shortlisted candidates by a total score according to objective criteria.

4) Final decision: If we find the right person, the resolution will be formally communicated and will be published in the CRM careers section.

The CRM has subscribed to the requirements and principles of the European Research Charter and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. Recruitment will be carried out in accordance with the regulations of the “Llei de l'Estatut dels Treballadors”. The CRM considers the principles of equality on grounds of sex, marital status, nationality, political or religious convictions, sexual orientation, or others, as well as the universal accessibility of people with disabilities provided that they pass the selection processes and can prove their compatibility with the development of the tasks of the job. If any candidate has suggestions or complaints about the selection process, please contact us at rrhh@crm.cat