PhD in Statistics

Joint position – Pertz Lab (Institute of Cell Biology) & Ginsbourger Group (Institute of Mathematical Statistics & Actuarial Science) We are recruiting a highly motivated PhD student to join a fully collaborative doctoral project at the interface of machine learning, statistics, and live-cell biology. The position is co-supervised by Prof. Olivier Pertz (Cell Biology) and Prof. David Ginsbourger (Statistics), and the student will be equally embedded in both research environments. Project aims: autonomous “self-driving” microscopes that: build statistical models of biological dynamics in real time; predict the most informative next experiment; execute it automatically on living cells. Key methods mentioned: Gaussian Processes (heteroscedastic & multivariate); Operator-valued and deep kernels; Active Bayesian experimental design; Physics-informed neural networks; Closed-loop control of biological systems. The position includes a small teaching duty in Statistics → includes enhanced salary compared to standard PhD funding in Switzerland.