Descripción de la oferta
If you are passionate about translational research in surgery, artificial intelligence applied to health, and science with real clinical impact, we invite you to join the Translational Research and Innovation in General and Digestive Surgery Group (GITIC) at the Health Research Institute of La Paz University Hospital (IdiPAZ), Madrid.
THE PROJECT
The project “Adaptation of predictive models for risk assessment and surgical planning using patientreported outcomes and machine learning” (PI25/00466) will develop and validate AI/ML models to:
• Predict perioperative risk and complications.
• Estimate surgical times and optimize scheduling/waiting lists.
• Integrate PROMs (Patient-Reported Outcome Measures) into clinical practice.
• Implement digital tools to support clinical decision-making.
Work will be carried out with a large cohort of surgical patients, integrating clinical data, PROMs, and perioperative variables, with a focus on direct impact on patient safety, hospital efficiency, and health outcomes.
The selected candidate will perform the following tasks within the project:
• Curation and analysis of clinical data and PROMs; design of variables and analytical pipelines.
• Development and validation of ML/DL models (risk, complications, times).
• Collaboration in the development of prototypes for digital clinical support tools.
In addition to project tasks, the candidate will have the opportunity to (if the candidate wishes) :
• Technician in Experimental Surgeries. The candidate will become familiar with the surgical environment, learning the fundamentals of sterility, surgical instruments, extraction and preprocessing of biological samples, and perioperative monitoring of the experimental subject.
• Molecular diagnostic techniques. The candidate will learn the basics for gene analysis by qPCR (for quantifying changes in RNA expression previously reverse-transcribed to DNA) or in situ hybridization.
• Immunoassays. The candidate will learn and apply the fundamentals for performing protocols based on the specific binding of antibodies to biomolecules to enable their evaluation. This spans from sample collection and its optimal preservation method to executing the protocol and obtaining results. Immunoassays will include Immunohistochemistry (for both optical and fluorescence microscopy), Western blot (for quantifying changes in protein expression), ELISA (for colorimetric quantification of different biomolecules), among others.
• Omics techniques. The candidate will learn the fundamentals of proteomics and metabolomics, the interpretation of results, and their application within the different projects carried out by our research group.
Perfil buscado
We are seeking a highly motivated young scientist with strong interest in surgical research, data science for health and translational biomedical science.
The candidate must have:
• BSc in Biology, Biomedicine, Biotechnology, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics or related fields.
• Official MSc in one of the following areas (or equivalent): Bioinformatics, Biomedical Data Science, Artificial Intelligence applied to Health, Statistics/Biostatistics with a biomedical focus, Biomedical Engineering with a data analysis/AI track. Must qualify for access to a PhD program in Spain.
• Practical proficiency with at least one of these environments: Python (pandas, scikit-learn, PyTorch/TensorFlow), R (tidyverse, caret, tidymodels), and clinical data management.
• Good level of English (spoken and written).
It will be valued:
• Experience in data analysis/biostatistics and ML/AI techniques
• Management of datasets (cleaning, imputation, harmonization).
• Best practices in data science: version control, reproducible documentation.
• Laboratory experience (qPCR, ELISA, IHC, Western) and knowledge of omics.
• Participation in projects, internships, scientific communications, or publications.
LABOUR CONDITIONS
• Full-time position.
• Workplace: IdiPAZ-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Universitario La Paz.
• 4 year PhD contract (P-FIS Fellowship) associated to the project “Adaptation of predictive models for risk assessment and surgical planning using patient-reported outcomes and machine learning” (PI25/00466)- Subject to eligibility/funding according to the terms and conditions of the call for applications.
• Gross annual salary: according to AES/P-FIS regulations and institutional salary scales.
• Starting date: end of 2026.
*Candidates must be eligible for admission or enrollment in an officially accredited doctoral program at a Spanish university for the 2024-2025/2025-2026 academic year, which may be verified after the application and until the end of the appeal period.
Presentación de solicitudes
Please submit a single PDF document including:
• CV (max. 2–3 pages)
• Cover letter (max. 1 page) stating your motivation for accepting the proposal.
• Academic records for BSc and MSc degrees
• Contact details for 1–2 referees
Email submission: cirugia.idipaz@outlook.com with the subject line “P-FIS GITIC-APPLICATION-[Your Name and Surname].
Deadline: November 21, 2025; 23:59 (CEST)
