Postdoctoral researcher in the field of medical AI

Faculty of Technology, Department of Computing invites applications for 1 postdoctoral researcher position in the field of medical artificial intelligence. The fixed-term position starts as soon as possible on mutual agreement, and the duration of the employment is 3 years (36 months).

Job description

This is a three-year postdoctoral researcher position in a highly interdisciplinary and internationally connected research environment affiliated with the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS) Institute Finland. The selected candidate will contribute to the development and implementation of precision medicine approaches and medical AI for improving diagnostics and treatment of cancer and/or other diseases with a significant societal impact. The research group hosting the position is led by ELLIS Principal investigator, Associate Professor Kimmo Kartasalo.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the design, development, and implementation of novel computational approaches for robust, explainable and fair medical AI. The postdoctoral researcher has considerable freedom to pursue their own research interests.
  • Collaborate closely with fellow group members and with national and international academic/industry partners.
  • Present results in the form of scientific publications and by participating in international conferences and workshops.
  • Contribute to supervision of PhD, MSc and BSc students and other teaching activities.
  • Contribute to recruitment and obtaining competitive research funding.
  • Engage in training opportunities covering e.g. university pedagogy, leadership skills, grant writing, intellectual property questions, entrepreneurship and/or other activities supporting the applicant’s career development.
Apply between and

Who we are looking for

Requirements 

  • Doctoral degree in bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, computer science, image/signal processing, machine learning, statistics or related fields.
  • Demonstrated expertise in ML/AI, with prior experience of applications in the healthcare domain, particularly in cancer research considered a strong merit.
  • Experience of and interest in the analysis of medical images, omics data or other types of health data is considered advantageous.
  • Strong programming and software development skills and familiarity with software frameworks relevant for ML/AI.
  • Interest in and experience of collaborative research with both academia and industry. International experience is considered a strong merit.
  • Interest in supervising and teaching students. Prior leadership, supervision and teaching experience is considered a merit.
  • Excellent communication, analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Good communication skills in English (written and spoken). 

Qualification requirements

The eligibility criteria for prospective applicants are defined in the University of Turku Rules of Procedure: university-of-turku-rules-of-procedure.pdf.

A person selected for the post of postdoctoral researcher is required to have a doctoral degree and the ability to conduct independent scientific work as well as having the necessary teaching skills.  

In exceptional cases, applicants who have completed almost all doctoral studies required for a PhD in a relevant field may also be considered. In such cases, the job title at the start of the employment will be project researcher and salary will be in the beginning on average 3100–3300 euros/month, depending on previous experience and skills. A person selected for the post of project researcher is required to have a higher university degree. When assessing the merits of the applicants, special emphasis will be placed on competence and practical expertise in the field in question.

We value collegiality and promote equality, diversity, and inclusivity. We encourage all qualified applicants with different backgrounds to apply for our open positions.

Benefits

We Offer:   

  • A three-year position in an internationally recognized research environment affiliated with ELLIS Institute Finland. 
  • Opportunities to publish in top-tier journals and conferences in the fields of machine learning, bioinformatics and medicine. 
  • Mentoring and advice from the principal investigator and other senior colleagues to help the postdoctoral researcher reach their career goals.
  • A highly collegial, flexible and supportive working environment.
  • Opportunities to collaborate with and visit outstanding international universities and industrial partners via the ELLIS network and other connections. 
  • Opportunities to gain experience of supervision, teaching, recruitment, grant writing and other key skills for future leadership positions.
  • Training courses for academic researchers, e.g., proposal writing, scientific writing, project development, teaching qualification. 

We offer you responsible and interesting tasks and the opportunity to develop your professional skills in a versatile operating environment. You get a professional and inspiring team to support your work. We take care of your well-being at work and the functionality of your everyday life, e.g. with the help of flexible working hours and our well-being services.

Please read more about University of Turku as an employer from our Come work with us! pages.

The European Commission has awarded the University of Turku the right to use the HR Excellence in Research quality label. The label is a token of the University's commitment to continuous development of the position and working conditions of researchers according to the guidelines set forth in the European Charter for Researchers. 

The university offers good support and orientation for international hires. Please learn more about the Finnish culture and relocation to Finland:

The University of Turku is among the top of the world’s universities in most rankings and among the best universities in the world in certain fields. Our high-quality basic research, a multidisciplinary research profile and close cooperation in research infrastructures creates the basis for international top research. Read more about University of Turku in international university rankings.

The University of Turku has several high-quality research infrastructures required for cutting-edge research. Learn more about the roadmap of research infrastructures and how the research infrastructure and expert teams offer tailored solutions for businesses and organizations.

ELLIS is a pan-European AI network of excellence dedicated to securing Europe’s international leadership in AI by connecting top researchers and building a multi-centric research laboratory. As of 2025, ELLIS includes over 1,800 members and 500+ PhD students and postdocs working across 44 sites in Europe and Canada, organized into 42 Units and 2 Institutes in Germany and Finland, which serve as flagship centers for excellence, innovation, and global talent attraction. Established in 2025, ELLIS Institute Finland brings together 40+ group leaders across Finnish universities to advance research in both theoretical and applied AI, with a strategic focus on AI for health.

Salary and trial period

The salary is determined in accordance with the university salary system for teaching and research personnel and will depend on the degree and qualifications of the applicant.   

For a postdoctoral researcher (OV5-OV6), the salary will be in the beginning of the employment on average 3600–4500 euros/month, depending on previous experience and skills.

The amount of the salary is defined when the employment contract is prepared.   

A six (6) month trial period applies to the position.

How to apply

Please submit your application through our online recruitment system. The closing date for applications is 31 March, 2026 at 16.00 (Europe/Helsinki).

Your application should include the following:

  • A motivation letter
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • A list of publications
  • Copies of degree certificates with translation in English or in Finnish
  • Other documents that may affect the decision-making (for example a research plan, awards)

Further information

For further information about the position, please contact: ELLIS PI, Associate Professor Kimmo Kartasalo, kimmo.kartasalo@utu.fi.

With questions about the application process, please contact: HR Specialist Nina Reini, nina.reini@utu.fi.

University of Turku reserves the right for justified reasons to leave the position open, to extend the application period, reopen the application process, and to consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.

Department of Computing

The Department of Computing educates professionals for the modern digitalised society. Central themes of teaching and research include Digitalisation, Machine Learning, Autonomous and Intelligent Systems, Cybersecurity and Health Technology. 

The Faculty of Technology is the newest faculty of the University of Turku, it was established in the beginning of 2021. The Faculty consists of the Department of Computing, Department of Biotechnology and the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. We have more than 2,000 graduate and postgraduate students and circa 400 employees, 50 of whom are professors. Our faculty is an international, multicultural and diverse work community.

The University of Turku is an inspiring and international academic community of 25,000 students and staff in Southwest Finland. We build a sustainable future with multidisciplinary research, education, and collaboration. With us, your work will have a significant impact and relevance in the changing world.

See our open vacancies

HR Excellence in Research Logo

Homepage LinkedIn Facebook Youtube Instagram

Information for the applicant

The application form cannot be saved as a draft. However, after submitting you can return to edit your application via the link you receive by email. The application can be edited until the application deadline.

You have 6 hours to complete your application before the timeout.

Instructions for submitting a job application

Logo

Postdoctoral researcher in the field of medical AI

Are you sure you want to withdraw this application?

Back to form
Saving changes
Saved!