Postdoc position in metadata-aware machine learning and image analysis

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The DASYA (DAta-intensive SYstems and Applications) group at the Computer Science Department of the IT University of Copenhagen invites motivated individuals to apply for a postdoctoral position starting 1 October 2022, or soon thereafter, for the duration of 3 years. The project is funded by the Danish Independent Research Fund (DFF) titled "MMC: Making Metadata Count" and is led by Associate Professor Veronika Cheplygina. 

Project Machine learning algorithms for diagnosis of medical images, like dermatology images or chest X-rays, have many potential benefits in healthcare. However, recent studies have also found that algorithms with high performance on benchmark datasets appeared to have learned "shortcuts" like visibility of pen markings in dermatology images, or hospital information printed on the X-ray, and thus failed on real world data without any such shortcuts. Metadata, such as age or sex, could also serve as shortcuts, but, ignoring these could lead to biases against patient subgroups, preventing responsible real-life use of algorithms. This project will focus on metadata-aware methods which hold the promise to alleviate these issues. Since metadata is often overlooked in current research, a further goal of the project is to systematically review metadata use in medical imaging literature and benchmarks, study methods (including but not limited to multi-task learning) to uncover shortcuts and reduce their impact, and to raise awareness of these issues in the research community.

The Candidate The project aims to hire a postdoctoral researcher. The ideal candidate for position will have: 

It is understood that even highly qualified applicants will satisfy these requirements to varying degrees, for example because of differences in countries and research fields. If you are in doubt about checking these boxes, or if you tick several but wish to instead apply for a PhD position, please contact Veronika Cheplygina (vech@itu.dk) before applying. Research Environment The successful applicant will join DASYA group at ITU, and the PURRlab team consisting of Associate Professor Veronika Cheplygina and three PhD students working on related projects. There are also multiple opportunities for collaboration with other groups at ITU and a network of collaborations within and outside Denmark. Existing collaborations for the MMC project include Rigshospitalet (Copenhagen, Denmark) and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany). As a team, we value open and inclusive science. We care about asking the right questions, slow science, reproducibility, sharing negative results, flexible schedules, accessible events, cat pictures, and helping each other. 

IT University and Copenhagen Located at the intersection of the new Ørestad and the old Amager, the IT University (ITU) offers an informal working environment, a varied everyday life, and a highly motivated, ambitious, competent and diverse international faculty, with PhD degrees from 15+ different countries. ITU is a teaching and research-based tertiary institution concerned with information technology and the opportunities it offers. Research and teaching span all academic activities which involve computers including computer science, information and media sciences, humanities and social sciences, business impact and the commercialisation of information technology. Copenhagen has a strong educational system, a rich cultural life, universal healthcare, good childcare, an international environment, and well-functioning infrastructure. Copenhagen is among the world’s most livable cities according to the Economist Global Livability Index. Living and working in Copenhagen will be a good experience for you and your family.

Application The application must be in English and must include: ■    A full CV, including any previous positions, project experience, a list of publications (including preprints, but not including papers in preparation), and any additional skills (for example science communication)   ■    A cover letter (2-3 pages A4) which describes your

■    Documentation of academic degrees. If the PhD is not completed yet, a statement from the supervisor about the expected graduation ■    Optional: at most two relevant publications or preprints written by the applicant

Please do NOT include reference letters at this stage. We may ask for references later in the process. Early contact with the project leader (Dr. Veronika Cheplygina, vech@itu.dk) is strongly encouraged.

Application Procedure You can only apply for this position through our e-recruitment system. Apply by pushing the button "Apply for position" in the job announcement on our website: http://en.itu.dk/About-ITU/Vacancies. The deadline for applications is 30 April 2022 at 23:59 CEST. Applications must be in English, any non-English documents must be accompanied with a translation in English or Danish. Applications without the requirement documents above will not be assessed.  The IT University may use shortlisting in connection to the recruitment process. In case of shortlisting, the Chair of the hiring committee selects applicants for assessment in consultation with the hiring committee after the application deadline. All applicants are notified whether their application has been passed for assessment. The shortlisting of candidates for assessment is based on the criteria in the job posting. The IT University seeks to reflect an international environment where diversity is acknowledged as a resource. We therefore encourage all qualified applicants to apply for the job position regardless of personal background.