Are you interested in becoming a bioinformatics researcher working to improve the treatment and prognoses of colorectal cancer patients?

Then this is the position for you. You will join the ongoing efforts of researchers at the Department of Health Technology at the Technical University of Denmark and the Center for Surgical Science (CSS) at the University Hospital Zealand in Køge. The overall aim of this project is to integrate phenotypic data from national population-wide registries with multi omics data generated to characterize colorectal cancer samples and ultimately predict postoperative recurrence of the disease.

Responsibilities and qualifications
You will work at the interface of artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, and clinical research. The project aims to develop novel computational models that integrate nationwide longitudinal health data with microbiome and genomic data to better understand adenoma-to-carcinoma progression and support clinically relevant decision-making. The candidate will contribute to the development of foundation models for sequence data and patient trajectories, representation learning approaches for microbial genomes and microbiomes, and predictive models linking molecular and clinical data to cancer risk stratification.

The work will be carried out in close collaboration with computational researchers at DTU and clinical experts at the Center for Surgical Science. The project offers a unique opportunity to work with nationwide Danish health registries, large-scale microbiome datasets, and state-of-the-art machine learning methods.

You are expected to:

• Develop and apply machine learning and foundation-model approaches for large-scale longitudinal health data and large-scale genomic data.
• Integrate clinical, microbiome, and genomic data to uncover factors associated with adenoma progression and colorectal cancer development.
• Develop computational representations of patient trajectories and microbial communities using modern AI and bioinformatics methodologies.

The following qualifications are required:

• A master's degree in bioinformatics, computer science, computational biology, data science, biomedical engineering, statistics, or a related quantitative field.
• Experience with statistical analysis and machine learning.
• Experience handling and analyzing large-scale biological or health-related datasets.

You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree.

Approval and Enrolment
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education.

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. Please see DTU’s salary structure for scientific staff: www.inside.dtu.dk/en/human-resources/during-employment/salary/salary-structures.

The period of employment is 3 years. The starting date is 1 December 2026 or after mutual agreement.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here.

Further information
Further information may be obtained from Ole Lund, [email protected].

You can read more about DTU Health at www.healthtech.dtu.dk/english and www.healthtech.dtu.dk/english/research/research-sections/section-bioinformatics.

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark. Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU.

Application procedure
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 18 September 2026 (23:59 Danish time). Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale

You may apply prior to ob­tai­ning your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.

DTU – For the benefit of society since 1829
DTU is one of Europe's leading elite technical universities. Through research and education at an international top level, we create solutions to the major societal challenges of our time and help secure Europe's global leadership in sustainable technological development. Since Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU almost 200 years ago, our mission has remained the same: We develop and create value through the natural and technical sciences for the benefit of society. DTU has 13,800 students, 1,600 PhD students, and 6,500 employees. We work in an international environment and have an inclusive, stimulating, and informal work culture. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland and collaborates with the best universities around the world.

Location
Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark

Apply Before
2026-09-18T21:59:00+00:00