The Machine Learning group of the Department of Computer Science of the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) is looking for a PhD student to work on one of the following topics:

• Cooperative learning and decision-making in hybrid human-AI teams
• Advancing drug repurposing in oligogenic diseases through knowledge graphs and embeddings
• Reasoning and biases, and their effect on evolving hybrid ecosystems

We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated candidate on one of these themes. You will join a multidisciplinary team of researchers that is dedicated to fundamental and strategic research in the areas of artificial intelligence, machine learning, game theory, complex systems, molecular biology and medicine. As this position is supported by the TRAIL initiative, you will also be expected to work with a Walloon research center on practical contributions, which are  aligned with one of the research topics.   

A PhD in Belgium takes up to 4 years.  The current position is already funded for the first two years. Additional funding in line with the selected topic will need to be acquired together with the promoter for this position.  

We offer:

• A stimulating and lively scientific environment
• The opportunity to carry out research at the highest international level, aiming for excellence in research with impact on society
• The opportunity to collaborate with leading research groups at different universities and companies in Belgium and abroad
• A highly competitive salary and other benefits

The starting date can be decided upon in concertation with the candidate. 

About Machine Learning group

The ULB Machine Learning Group created in 2004 by prof. Gianluca Bontempi, has grown in the last 20 years to a group of 3.5 professors with a team of around 20 researchers on average, comprising many PhD and postdoctoral researchers. MLG targets artificial intelligence and machine learning research focusing on theoretical developments, data analysis, (collective) decision-making and experimentation with applications in data science, medicine, mobility, finance, biology and others. MLG was one of the founders of the very successful Interuniversity Institute on Bioinformatics in Brussels ((IB)2), which we have managed since its beginning, the new AI for the Common Good Institute (FARI) and the TRAIL consortium that regroups the AI/ML research groups and CRA in the Walloon-Brussels region.  Over the almost 20 years of its existence, MLG has collaborated on a regular basis with companies and other entities on a variety of projects, mostly in the Brussels region. 

About IB2

The Interuniversity Institute of Bioinformatics in Brussels (IB)2 was founded in 2013, bringing together researchers from computer science, life sciences and medicine, both from ULB and VUB. The main objective of the institute is to generate scientific excellence in bioinformatics, computational biology and systems biology. (IB)2 achieves this by being a collaborative interdisciplinary research environment open to all who wish to work on fundamental and applied scientific questions for which novel bioinformatics and machine learning approaches need to be developed.

About FARI - AI for the common good

The interuniversity and interfaculty institute FARI, regrouping academic experts within or closely related to the AI field, at both the ULB and VUB, was launched in 2021.  FARI has been building bridges with public administrations, industry, and citizens, promoting sustainable AI, data & robotics with a focus on urban and public priority domains such as health, mobility, sustainable robotics, climate and energy, participatory and inclusive society. FARI aims also to advance AI research in an inclusive and responsible manner.