Doctor-Assistant (Full-Time Postdoctoral Researcher, AAP) in Agentic Modeling of Molecular Data

About this position

Ghent University Global Campus

Ghent University is a pluralistic institution, open to all regardless of ideological, political, cultural, or social background. Our credo is “Dare to Think. As a top-100 university with more than 49,000 students and 15,000 staff members, we are one of the largest universities in the Dutch-speaking world, located in Flanders, Belgium.

Our 11 faculties offer more than 200 programs and conduct in-depth research across a wide range of scientific domains. Several of our research groups, centers, and institutes are internationally renowned in fields such as biotechnology, aquaculture, microelectronics, and history, among others. In 2017, Ghent University celebrated its 200th anniversary.

Over the past two centuries, our university has welcomed many eminent scientists, ministers, and even Nobel Prize winners among its staff and alumni.

Ghent University Global Campus (GUGC) is the first European university established in Songdo, South Korea. It offers Bachelor of Science programs in Molecular Biotechnology, Environmental Technology, and Food Technology. The main research areas at GUGC include plant biotechnology, biomedical technology, biotech data science, food technology, and environmental technology.

Please visit the homepage of Ghent University (

http://www.ugent.be/en

) and Ghent University Global Campus (

http://ghent.ac.kr/

|

http://www.ugent.be/globalcampus/en

) to learn more about our organizations.

Center for Biosystems and Biotech Data Science (KR01)

The mission of the Center for Biosystems and Biotech Data Science, located at the Global Campus of Ghent University in Korea, is to develop novel mathematical and computational approaches for modeling biosystems and analyzing biotech datasets. A core technology employed by the center’s researchers is deep machine learning, which supports the creation of innovative concepts, methodologies, and tools in both molecular biology and computer vision. In addition, the Center—currently comprising three resident professors, one associate professor, three postdoctoral researchers, and ten PhD candidates—offers nine courses at Ghent University Global Campus (totaling 65 ECTS), covering subjects ranging from Informatics to Bioinformatics and Probability & Statistics.

Current research lines with a strong focus on (deep) machine learning are:

Trustworthy and interpretable AI with uncertainty quantification

Detection and characterization of sub-visible particles in microscopy images of biopharmaceuticals

Deep learning and sensor technologies for fusion-based object detection and classification

Deep learning for biological sequence analysis (e.g., generative AI for structural and functional annotation)

Deep learning for biomolecule design and characterization (small molecules, enzymes)

Improving reliability and generalization of deep neural networks

Neural rendering for real-time organ reconstruction

Physical AI for lab automation and robotic surgery

Surgical video analysis

Internet Technology and Data Science Lab (TW06)

The Internet Technology and Data Science Lab (IDLab) is a core research group of imec, with research activities embedded at Ghent University. With more than 300 researchers, IDLab is one of the largest research groups within imec, conducting both fundamental and applied research in internet technology and data science. Its research areas include machine learning and data mining, semantic intelligence, and cloud and big data infrastructures, among others.

Notably, IDLab graduates are currently employed at leading institutions such as Google DeepMind and Google AI.

Job Summary

Doctor-Assistant (AAP) – Ghent University Global Campus

Department: Department of Environmental Technology, Food Technology, and Molecular Biotechnology (KR01)

Department: Department of Electronics and Information Systems (TW06)

Degree: PhD degree in one of the following disciplines: computer science/engineering, informatics, electrical engineering, applied mathematics, biomedical engineering, or a related field

Contract: 2 years + 2 years + 2 years (contract renewal is conditional on a positive evaluation)

Occupancy rate: 100%

Vacancy type: Doctor-Assistant (Postdoctoral Researcher, AAP)

Last application date: Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2026, and continue until the position is filled

Starting date: February 1, 2027 (open to negotiation)

Location: Ghent University Global Campus, Songdo, Korea

Scientific supervisors: Prof. Wesley De Neve, Prof. Joris Vankerschaver, Prof. Shodhan Rao

Job Position

Ghent University Global Campus (GUGC), South Korea, has a vacancy for a Doctor-Assistant (Postdoctoral Researcher, AAP) in the area of agent-guided molecular data science, starting from February 1, 2027 (open to negotiation). This is a 2-year full-time position that is renewable twice (upon favorable evaluation), for a total period of 6 years. For non-Korean applicants, free accommodation and a yearly travel budget are foreseen.

GUGC is an equal opportunities employer.

The selected candidate will work as a Doctor-Assistant at the Center for Biosystems and Biotech Data Science of the Ghent University Global Campus in Korea, under lightweight guidance of two to three scientific supervisors.

In the role of Head Teaching Assistant, the selected candidate is expected to spend a maximum of 30% of their appointment supporting the department in teaching an undergraduate course in bioinformatics (5 ECTS, approximately 75 students), covering frequently used algorithms and data structures for pattern finding, sequence matching, sequence alignment, and genome annotation, among other topics. These activities primarily include supervising exercise sessions and computer labs, assisting in the development of new course materials (e.g., assignments and exam questions), grading assignments and exams, and supervising internships (at least two per year) and annual bachelor projects (at least one per year