Open position for LMU-CSC scholarship candidates 2026
Department/Institute: Institut für Schlaganfall- und Demenzforschung (ISD)
Subject area: Artificial intelligence, deep learning, image analysis, bioinformatics
Name of supervisor: Ali Ertürk
Number of open positions: 2 Ph.D. in AI and Machine Learning
Project title: Multimodal integration of biomedical data
Project description:
Our group is focused on developing artificial intelligence (AI) tools to analyze large-scale biological imaging data at single-cell resolution and associated molecular data to develop predictive models for diverse biological and medical applications. By combining cutting-edge imaging and computational technologies, we aim to uncover new insights into health, disease, and therapeutic responses.
We uniquely combine whole-body tissue clearing and three-dimensional imaging techniques for entire mice and large human samples with spatial ‘omics and state-of-the-art AI (e.g., Pan…Ertürk, Cell 2019; Zhao…Ertürk, Cell 2020; Bhatia…Ertürk, Cell 2022; Mai…Ertürk, Nature Biotech. 2024; Kaltenecker…Ertürk, Nature Methods 2024, Luo ..Ertürk, Nature Biotech. 2025). Our research interests include mapping health and disease processes across the body, conducting molecular analyses of spatially defined physiological and pathological structures, developing new drug delivery approaches, and creating novel AI tools to better understand mammalian biology.
For the current project, we are seeking two skilled computer/data scientists to advance methods for multimodal integration of molecular and phenotypic data with large-scale, single-cell resolution datasets spanning entire animal models and large human tissues. The goal is to move beyond traditional, annotation-heavy approaches by developing AI systems capable of linking molecular signatures with 3D spatial phenotypes across complex biological samples.
Requirements:
· Strong proficiency in programming environments such as Python or R, and in data visualization approaches
· Experience with machine learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) is an advantage
· Familiarity with bioinformatics, large-scale data analysis, or high-performance computing is a plus
This project seamlessly bridges AI, high-performance computing, and bioinformatics to transform high-resolution imaging data into actionable biological and medical insights.
Project time plan:
Full Doctoral Study-Model: 48 month
Language requirements:
English at least B2 (TOEFL score >80, >25 in the Speaking Section preferred)
Academic requirements:
· Undergraduate degree in computer science or related field.
· Experience in AI-based image analysis or related fields preferred.
· Unfortunately, for administrative reasons we cannot accept students from the following institutions:
• Beihang University (Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics), Beijing
• Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing
• Harbin Engineering University, Harbin
• Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin
• Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing
• Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing
• Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an
To applicants: Please send following initial application documents to LMU-CSC Office before 15th December:
➢ Resume and Research Motivation Letter
➢ Certificate of Proficiency in English, equivalent to IELTS Test Academic 6.5 (no module below 6) or TOEFL IBT 95, is required
➢ Two letters of recommendation directly sent from your current Supervisors/ Professors to LMU-CSC Office
Contact LMU-CSC Office: csc.international@lmu.de