Postdoctoral researcher in Multimodal ML for detecting fetal abnormalities

Objective

Being born small has been associated with a higher probability of both adverse perinatal problems and health issues later in life. Therefore, early detection is important to improve the management and outcome of these newborns. In current clinical practice, several examinations are done throughout the gestation to all pregnancies: 1) biometric ultrasound imaging to assess the fetal growth; 2) Doppler ultrasound to assess the fetal cardiovascular system, which is altered when the fetus is not receiving enough nutrients; and 3) other tests of the fetus and the mother (vital signs, proteins, previous clinical history and medication,  etc.). All this information needs to be combined in order to produce a reliable diagnosis.

This position is funded by the research project COLLAGE, financed by the Spanish Research Agency. The project aims at improving the current detection of babies who will be born small by using trustworthy machine learning (ML) to evaluate all multi-modal and longitudinal information available from the gestation and compute fetal growth trajectories.

The objective of this postdoc is to develop methods able to address the multi-modality aspects of the data and to account for the physiological variability over time. These are relevant problems because, when combining data with very different dimensionality, ML models tend to focus on one while ignoring the others. Also, while combining information from all sources should provide accurate and complete information about the baby, medical data is often inconsistent or contradictory due to noise and the aforementioned physiological variability over time.

Requirements

• PhD in machine learning, biomedical engineering, computer vision, computer science, or a closely related field.
• Strong background in medical data analysis using machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques.
• Previous knowledge in the medical field is not required, but the candidate must have a strong interest in learning about fetal medicine and in collaborating closely with obstetricians.
• Excellent problem-solving abilities and a collaborative mindset, coupled with strong interpersonal skills that enable effective work within a multidisciplinary research and clinical environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

What we offer

• 2 years full-time postdoc position.
• 32,000€ gross annual salary (approx.).
• Funds for attendance to scientific conferences worldwide.
• Deadline for application: 15 July 2025
• Work location: CiTIUS, Research Centre on Intelligent Technologies (Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain).
• Work in a young, dynamic and multidisciplinary environment (engineers, AI specialists, obstetricians, ...).
• Work in a recognised research center in AI, and collaboration with leading European clinical centers of fetal medicine.
• Optionally: collaboration in teaching activities and supervision of bachelor’s and master’s thesis.

Applications

Candidates must send a CV and short motivation letter.