Postdoctoral Researcher in Quantum Computing Bioinformatics

Join Us!

The Biosystems Data Analysis (BDA) group at the University of Amsterdam is looking for a postdoctoral researcher to develop and rigorously benchmark quantum-computing approaches for high-impact problems in bioinformatics.

This project is part of the Faculty of Science's new Quantum Simulation for Molecular and Material Design (Q-MMD) programme. You will join a growing interdisciplinary team at the cutting edge of quantum application; four Q-MMD seed projects across the Faculty of Science, together with a Lead Scientist Quantum Applications currently being recruited. This team will explore where quantum and hybrid quantum-classical methods can make a real scientific difference, build reusable expertise and create the basis for future academic and public-private collaborations.

At BDA, you will be embedded in a group whose experience is in advanced methods for biological and biomedical data.

We welcome applications from candidates with expertise in quantum computing who are motivated to cross disciplinary boundaries towards bioinformatics and computational biology. You do not need to arrive as an expert in both fields.

You will develop quantum-algorithm prototypes within existing bioinformatics workflows and benchmark them transparently against state-of-the-art classical approaches. In consultation with the project leaders and collaborators, you will focus on one or both of two complementary directions:

• protein structure-based enzyme specificity and biocatalysis, including computationally demanding tasks such as pose search in high-dimensional binding landscapes, optimisation of catalytic-pocket conformations, sampling of ligand-binding modes, and improved scoring of enzyme-substrate interactions;
• DNA sequence analysis, for example sequence alignment, assembly, distance computation, or phylogenetic inference, as applicable to microbiomes and human-microbiome interactions, such as outbreak-related strain reconstruction, or phasing and assembly of complex immune-system loci.

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

• surveying and selecting quantum or hybrid quantum-classical methods with credible potential for the chosen biological problems;
• designing reproducible proof-of-concept studies, implementing prototypes and evaluating them on suitable simulated and/or real biological datasets;
• comparing accuracy, scalability, resource requirements and scientific usefulness with strong classical baselines, and clearly identifying both opportunities and limitations;
• working closely with bioinformatics researchers, the incoming Lead Scientist Quantum Application, colleagues in the other Q-MMD seed projects as well as scientists in the wider quantum ecosystem at UvA;
• where appropriate, connecting prototypes to available quantum-computing infrastructure and hardware partners, including through the wider Amsterdam quantum ecosystem;
• taking a leading role in scientific publications, open and reusable research software, presentations and/or knowledge-transfer activities;
• helping formulate the project's valorisation strategy and develop follow-up proposals, including collaborative and public-private projects;
• contributing to the supervision of Bachelor’s and Master’s students and to an inclusive, collaborative research culture.

You are a curious and rigorous researcher who enjoys learning across disciplines. You can translate an ambitious methodological idea into a testable computational study, communicate openly about negative as well as positive results, and work effectively with collaborators who use different scientific languages.

You

• hold a PhD in bioinformatics, computational biology, computer science, quantum information/quantum computing, computational…