Postdoctoral Researcher in Machine Learning for Personalised Healthcare

Itec is a research group at KU Leuven and imec, Flanders’ high-tech research and innovation hub for nanoelectronics and digital technologies. Located on the campus Kulak Kortrijk of KU Leuven, the group conducts interdisciplinary research on the design, development, and evaluation of personalised and adaptive digital solutions. Itec’s primary application domains include education, training, and healthcare. You will be joining the AI and Machine Learning subgroup of itec. Their main focus is to apply existing and develop new machine learning algorithms to advance the application domains. In particular, we focus on supervised, unsupervised and semi-supervised learning. Key activities in the group relate to multi-label/target prediction, recommender systems, active learning, survival analysis and longitudinal data analysis; always with a specific attention to interpretability to increase trust in the AI models. Responsibilities In interaction with the principal investigators and research management team at itec, the candidate will help shape and further strengthen methodological research on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, with a particular focus on applications in Personalised Healthcare. We are primarily seeking a researcher with strong expertise in AI, machine learning, data analytics, and related methodological approaches, who is motivated to apply and further develop these methods in healthcare contexts. The candidate will conduct pioneering research on explainable, trustworthy, and human-centred AI methodologies, and contribute to their application in areas such as clinical decision support, risk prediction, patient stratification, personalised follow-up, and healthcare decision-making. Research will be carried out in close collaboration with experts in data science, healthcare, education and training, and human-centred AI. The candidate will play a leading role in advancing the methodological research agenda of itec's AI and Machine Learning subgroup. The research will focus on the development, evaluation and validation of innovative machine learning approaches for complex, longitudinal and heterogeneous data sources, with particular attention to explainability, robustness, trustworthiness and human-centred design. Specific Research Activities May Include
• Developing novel machine learning and statistical modelling approaches for personalised healthcare.
• Advancing state-of-the-art methodologies in our key areas such as survival analysis, longitudinal data analysis, prediction modelling, recommender systems, active learning and explainable AI.
• Designing and evaluating innovative AI methods that support healthcare decision-making and personalised interventions.
• Publishing research outcomes in leading international journals and presenting findings at high-impact scientific conferences.
• Supervising doctoral researchers and contributing to the scientific development of the research group.
• Contributing to the preparation of competitive research proposals and the scientific design of collaborative research projects.
• Collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to translate methodological advances into scientifically sound healthcare applications. The candidate is expected to contribute to the international scientific reputation of itec through high-quality publications, conference contributions, scientific networking and active participation in the broader research community. The role focuses on methodological excellence and scientific leadership in AI and machine learning for personalised healthcare. Profile
• You hold a PhD degree in computer science, AI, statistics, or related field.
• Research experience in one of the key activities investigated in itec's AI and machine learning subgroup (see above) is a must and it is mandatory to clearly indicate this in the motivation letter. Experience with the analysis of data for healthcare is a plus.
• You possess strong problem-solving and analytical abilities, with a research-oriented mindset. You can take initiative and excel both independently and as part of a team.
• You have a strong track record or clear potential for conducting high-quality methodological research in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Statistics, Data Science or a related field. Experience in supervising researchers, publishing in leading journals and contributing to competitive research proposals is considered an asset.
• Additionally, you have excellent communication skills, with fluency in English and preferably Dutch, both spoken and written. Offer
•

We offer
full-time employment as a Postdoctoral Researcher. Depending on the candidate's expertise and experience, the appointment will be made in salary scale 43 or 44. The appointment will initially be for one year and can be extended after a positive evaluation, depending on available funding.
• The candidate will be working at KU Leuven Campus Kulak in Kortrijk.
• As Postdoctoral Researcher, you will have every opportunity to develop yourself further in your professional career, by studying literature, attending seminars and workshops, and interacting with leading researchers from multiple disciplines.
• The position offers flexibility and the opportunity to work in an enthusiastic team in a stimulating multicultural environment.
• In addition to a competitive salary, KU Leuven also offers several additional benefits, such as hospitalization insurance, eco-vouchers, reimbursement of commuting expenses by public transport, inexpensive meals, a KU Leuven bicycle, ... Interested? Please use the KU Leuven online application tool. Applications via e-mail will not be accepted. For more information please contact Prof. dr. Celine Vens, mail: celine.vens@kuleuven.be or Mrs. Ine Windey, mail: ine.windey@kuleuven.be. Ideally, you can start the position as soon as possible. You can apply for this job no later than November 22, 2026 via the online application tool KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.
• Sollicitatieprocedure
• Arbeidsvoorwaarden
• Loopbaanmogelijkheden Heb je een vraag over de online sollicitatieprocedure? Raadpleeg onze veelgestelde vragen of stuur een e-mail naar solliciteren@kuleuven.be Solliciteer voor deze functie