Job Description

We are opening one PhD position (F) to develop clinically useful AI for uveitis care, in the Medical AI group of Idiap. You will build and validate an AI-based medical device that automatically analyzes fluorescein angiography to grade retinal inflammation and support treatment decisions--leveraging transformers, self/weakly supervised learning, domain adaptation, and longitudinal modeling--working with a unique HOJG dataset (>40k FA images) and clinical partners in Lausanne, Lucerne, and Grenoble. This is an opportunity to work end-to-end--from model design to clinical integration--with ophthalmologists, to publish in top venues, and to translate methods into real-world impact. We start from a working prototype that already detects multiple inflammatory signs, which you'll extend toward robust, regulated deployment. Appointment is contingent on admission to EPFL's EDEE doctoral program. For this specific position, eligibility is restricted to women (F) because the external funding instrument financing the post mandates it. This constraint applies only to this opening and does not alter Idiap's equal-opportunity principles. Within the eligible pool, selection is based solely on merit and qualifications. Idiap does not discriminate on any other basis protected by law. Application deadline: 15th November 2025
Essential requirements:
- BSc and MSc in computer science, electrical/biomedical engineering, or related field - Strong Python and PyTorch; solid software engineering (git, testing, reproducibility) - Hands-on experience training deep learning models for images (CNNs/ViT) - Experience building data/learning pipelines at scale; comfort with GPUs - Ability to collaborate with clinicians; clear scientific writing; good command of English (spoken and written) - Motivation for clinical translation and rigorous evaluation - Previous published articles, software, and datasets are a plus - Admission to EPFL's EDEE doctoral program is required (appointment is gated by EDEE acceptance)
The IDIAP Research Institute has been among the leaders in Switzerland in artificial and cognitive intelligence since 1991. Voice and visual recognition, natural language processing, machine learning, human-machine interaction and robotics are some of the research fields at the Institute. Based in Martigny, in the Swiss Alps, Idiap is involved in research projects at local, national and international levels in both fundamental and applied research settings. The Institute is affiliated with the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL). At Idiap we place great emphasis on diversity and we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. For this specific position, eligibility is restricted to women (F) because the external funding instrument financing the post mandates it. This constraint applies only to this opening and does not alter Idiap's equal-opportunity principles. Within the eligible pool, selection is based solely on merit and qualifications. Idiap does not discriminate on any other basis protected by law.
BAC+8

Skills Required