PhD in AI & Data Science for Cancer Research with Real World Impact

Reference number: 2025-0086

• Heidelberg
• Vollzeit
• Digital prevention, diagnostics and therapy guidance

“Research for a life without cancer" is our mission at the German Cancer Research Center. We investigate how cancer develops, identify cancer risk factors and look for new cancer prevention strategies. We develop new methods with which tumors can be diagnosed more precisely and cancer patients can be treated more successfully. Every contribution counts – whether in research, administration or infrastructure. This is what makes our daily work so meaningful and exciting.

The Department of Digital prevention, diagnostics and therapy guidance at the German Cancer Research Center is seeking for as soon as possible a

  A 20-member team from the fields of medicine, molecular biology and informatics/data science is at the forefront of machine learning for cancer prevention and diagnosis. We are currently working on bringing an AI-powered medical device to market that assists dermatologists in diagnosing melanoma—one of the most dangerous forms of skin cancer while also innovating novel approaches of personalized skin cancer prevention.

Your Tasks

Help shape the future of personalized skin cancer prevention and diagnostics by developing AI-driven methods that integrate diverse biomedical datasets. We seek real world impact, meaning the PhD project is in collaboration with two large German companies (Beiersdorf and HEINE Optotechnik), to help patients benefit from the developed solutions as fast as possible.

As part of this PhD position, you will not only contribute to cutting-edge AI research in dermatology but also lead a key bioinformatics project aimed at integrating multiple data sources for personalized skin cancer prevention. Your work will be instrumental in building a scalable bioinformatic infrastructure that connects epigenetic data, microbiome analyses, and AI-enhanced dermatoscopic imaging.

Your tasks will include:

• Development of AI-driven models for skin cancer diagnostics and early detection, with a focus on robustness, explainability, and clinical applicability.
• Building a bioinformatic pipeline that integrates epigenetic profiling (TapeLift),microbiome data, and AI-based image analysis to create predictive models for personalized prevention strategies.
• Designing and validating a digital dashboard for real-time risk stratification and clinical decision-making, ensuring accessibility for both clinicians and patients.
• Collaborating with interdisciplinary experts, including dermatologists, AI researchers, statisticians, and computational biologists, to optimize data-driven prevention strategies.
• Validating the developed models and infrastructure through pilot studies with data from 100 study participants, ensuring real-world applicability.
• Publishing in top-tier scientific journals and contributing to clinical studies to validate the effectiveness of AI-assisted diagnostics.

Your Profile

We are looking for a highly motivated candidate who is passionate about AI in biomedical research and eager to translate machine learning innovations into real-world clinical applications.

Required qualifications:

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Data Science, Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Biomedical Engineering, or a related field.
• Strong background in machine learning, deep learning, and data integration.
• Experience in computer vision and medical image analysisis a plus.
• Proficiency in Pythonand AI frameworks (TensorFlow/PyTorch).
• Interest or experience in bioinformatics, computational biology, and large-scale data processing.
• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills.
• Fluent in English (German is not required but beneficial).

How to Apply

Please submit your CV, cover letter, and academic transcripts via our online portal. We look forward to your application.

You can look forward to:

• Impactful Research: Work on a pioneering AI-driven prevention and diagnostics project that has the potential to revolutionize skin cancer care.
• Professional Development: Opportunities to attend international conferences, workshops, and specialized AI training programs.
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Work alongside leading experts in dermatology, AI, and bioinformatics at one of Europe’s top cancer research institutions.

We Offer

Are you interested?

 Then become part of the DKFZ and join us in contributing to a life without cancer!

 ​Duration: The position is limited to 3 years with the possibility of prolongation.

Application Deadline: 09.05.2025

Applications by e-mail cannot be accepted.

Please also note that we cannot return applications submitted by post.

 

We are convinced that an innovative research and working environment thrives on the diversity of its employees. Therefore, we welcome applications from talented people, regardless of gender, cultural background, nationality, ethnicity, sexual identity, physical ability, religion and age. People with severe disabilities are given preference if they have the same aptitude.

Notice: We are subject to the regulations of the Infection Protection Act (IfSG). Therefore, all our employees must provide proof of immunity against measles.

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