PhD-position at the University of Ulm, Germany (ENDOTRAIN) (DC9)

PhD position

There is a vacancy for a PhD Research Fellow in Data Integrity for Digital Health & Medical Wearables (DC9) at the University of Ulm, Germany. The position is funded by the European Commission through the MSCA Doctoral Network Endotrain (Grant No: 101227148) and coordinated by the University of Bergen, Norway.

Supervisors: Prof. Walter Karlen

Location: University of Ulm, Germany

Duration: 3 years 

Start date: August 2026 at latest

The PhD position is based at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Ulm, Germany. 

We Offer You: 

• A World-Class Environment: Access to a leading research environment specializing in hardware/software for medical wearables, translational endocrinology, and machine learning for medical time-series. 
• Cutting-Edge Resources: Benefit from state-of-the-art High-Performance Computing (HPC) facilities, unique multimodal datasets, and advanced wearable technologies. 
• Global Collaboration: Extensive technical and physiological training, and the opportunity to build a professional network through world-leading international collaborations. 

 Join us to translate complex biomedical data into actionable clinical intelligence and shape the future of personalized medicine! 

About the project/work tasks:

19 PhD Fellowships available in Digital Endocrinology in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network (ENDOTRAIN).Join Europe’s first doctoral network in digital endocrinology – integrating AI, sensor technology, omics, and clinical medicine to transform diagnosis and treatment of adrenal diseases. 

Digital medicine is entering a new era where human “digital twins” and sensor-based monitoring allow personalised diagnosis and treatment. ENDOTRAIN will train a new generation of interdisciplinary experts who merge clinical endocrinology, AI, data science, engineering, ethics and law into an integrated field of digital endocrinology. The programme focuses on adrenal disorders as a case study for advancing digital health in Europe.

This project is part of Work Package 2: Technologies for Multimodal Data of ENDOTRAIN, collaborating closely with an international network of clinical and technical experts across the ENDOTRAIN consortium. This includes mandatory secondments to maximize your practical exposure and network. 

Remote clinical trials, powered by continuous data from medical wearables, promise to unlock new insights into complex diseases. However, integrating and synchronizing diverse, high-volume datasets, from dynamic hormone profiles to wearable biosensors (heart rate, actigraphy, temperature), is a significant hurdle. Data quality loss is manifold, threatening the validity of groundbreaking medical discoveries 

Your Mission: Architecting Data Integrity and Workflows for Endocrine Digital Twins

As a PhD candidate, your goal is to ensure the integrity, synchronization, and seamless integration of this vital multimodal data. You will be at the forefront of developing the automated, robust, and scalable infrastructure required for advanced analysis and modeling. 

  Key Project Aims – Your Roadmap to Innovation: 

• Data Platform Creation: Design and maintain a state-of-the-art platform to seamlessly integrate complex hormonal data, high-resolution wearable sensor streams, and endocrine test outcomes. 
• Intelligent Artifact Detection: Develop cutting-edge Machine Learning algorithms to automatically identify, flag, and mitigate data artifacts and quality issues in real-time. 
• Supporting Digital Twins: Play a crucial role in developing the next generation of computer platforms that support the prevention, diagnosis, and management of endocrine diseases. 

Research Fields: 

Health Informatics, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, Endocrinology, Digital Health, Medical Sensors, Cyber-physical Systems.   

Secondments: 

• University of Rome (I): AI-based virtual twins for monitoring, disease classification, and decision support in clinical practice
• Leitwert AG (CH): Health middleware

Qualifications and personal qualities:

We are seeking highly motivated candidates with: 

• A first-class degree in Electrical, Biomedical, or Communications Engineering,  Computer or Data Science or a closely related discipline with a strong mathematical and data management component (Master’s level or equivalent),
• A solid background in signal processing and machine learning
• Knowledge of embedded systems, cloud and edge computing is an advantage 
• Excellent programming skills (Python, Matlab or C),
• Good dominion of biomedical signals and human physiology is desirable,
• Strong interest in translational endocrinology and digital health technologies
• Excellent command of written and spoken English and communication skills (oral and written). 

Applicants must fulfil eligibility criteria for Germany-based PhD positions and be willing to participate in training activities across Europe. 

For further details, please visit our webpages: Data Integrity for Digital Health & Medical Wearables (DC9) and the programme webpage: Endotrain Doctoral Training Network | UiB

Salary and benefits

A funded scholarship is available for a EU or non-EU candidate in competition with all other PhD applications. 

The scholarship will cover tuition fees, training support, travel and secondments, and a stipend at standard rates for 3 years. Salary range (gross): 55'000 euros/year 

The candidate will also have access to opportunities for international networking, industry exposure, and career development.

Application procedure

All applications must be submitted via the Jobbnorge portal 

Your application must include the mandatory attachments from the ENDOTRAIN webpages - including "1. Application form" - "2. CV" - "3. Mobility declaration" - "4. Motivation Letter"

Eligibility (MSCA Doctoral Network rules)

• Applicants can be of any nationality. 
• Must not have resided or carried out a main activity in the host country for more than 12 months in the past 36 months before start of the PhD.
• Must hold a master’s degree (or equivalent) enabling doctoral studies.
• Must not already hold a doctoral degree.
• English proficiency required - transcripts of diplomas in English must be uploaded in Jobbnorge. 
• In the "Jobbnorge-CV": Only fill in the basics of your 1) personal details, 2) short information about your degrees (in the field "Education / academic qualifications") - in order to minimise repetition with the CV attachment.
• It is a condition of employment that the master's degree has been awarded (documentation must be provided). If you have not yet completed your master's degree, you can apply provided completion of the final master exam before the position start date. Please submit a statement from your institution confirming the expected date of award of your master's degree. 

For HR related questions contact the host institutions for the position you are applying.

General information

Contact

Informal enquiries should be addressed to Prof. Walter Karlen via email: bmt@uni-ulm.de.

For questions about the ENDOTRAIN programme, please contact Programme Manager Elizabeth Farmer (elizabeth.farmer@uib.no) 

For HR-related questions, please contact HR adviser Selina Hausberg (selina.hausberg@uib.no)

Diversity and inclusion

MSCA -Endotrain has a gender equality plan where gender balance among employees is therefore a goal. We encourage women to apply. If multiple applicants have approximately equivalent qualifications, the rules pertaining to moderate gender quotas shall apply. It is also a goal to recruit people with immigrant backgrounds. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position. 

Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met. 

About MSCA Doctoral Networks 

The MSCA Doctoral Networks aim to train creative, entrepreneurial, innovative and resilient doctoral candidates, able to face current and future challenges and to convert knowledge and ideas into products and services for economic and social benefit. The MSCA Doctoral Networks raise the attractiveness and excellence of doctoral training in Europe. Read More about the MSCA Doctoral Networks.