| The Department of Information Retrieval and Information Systems (IRIS)
at the University of Nijmegen, the Decision-support Systems Group at
Utrecht University, and the Division of Acute Internal Medicine and
Infectious Disease at the University Medical Centre Utrecht (UMCU), in
collaboration with the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), have five
fully-funded positions for PhD students available, each for a duration
of four years, in two projects in the area of Bayesian networks: the
ProBayes and TimeBayes projects.
BAYESIAN NETWORKS
Bayesian networks constitute a modern knowledge-representation
formalism, based on methods from probability and graph theory,
suitable for the representation and reasoning with domain
knowledge. Both structure and underlying joint probability
distribution of a Bayesian network cannot only be learnt from data,
but also acquired from domain experts. Systems based on Bayesian
networks distinguish themselves by their capability of solving various
problems using the same Bayesian-network representation of the
knowledge involved.
APPLICANTS
Applicants must have an MSc degree or equivalent in the areas of
computing science, artificial intelligence, machine learning,
statistics, applied mathematics, applied physics, health or life
sciences. In the ProBayes project there are 2 PhD studentships
available; in the TimeBayes project there are 3 PhD studentships.
PROBAYES PROJECT (project number 02-73)
The aim of this project is to determine whether, and if so which type
of, background knowledge may help improving the quality of Bayesian
networks, both quantitatively and qualitatively, learnt from
data. This project is carried out in collaboration with clinicians and
researchers from the Netherlands Cancer Institute, who will contribute
to the project by offering datasets and biomedical knowledge. Other
groups may also become involved in the project. The ProBayes project
is funded by the Exact Sciences part of the Netherlands Organisation
for Scientific Research.
TIMEBAYES PROJECT (project number 02-74)
The aim of this project is to extend methods from time-series analysis
for use in Bayesian networks. The experimental context of this project
is the analysis of biomedical data in which the factor time is of
primary importance, in particular temporal data of patients with
infectious disease collected in the ICU of the University Medical
Centre Utrecht. However, the developed methods and techniques will
also be studied for other temporal data. The TimeBayes project is
funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific
Research/TOKEN2000.
INVOLVED DEPARTMENTS AND INFORMAL ENQUIRIES
(1) IRIS
The research of the Department of Information Retrieval and
Information systems (http://www.cs.kun.nl/~peterl) of the University
of Nijmegen is focused on formal methods for the design,
specification, analysis and validation of information and knowledge
systems. Information and knowledge modelling, knowledge extraction
and data-mining, decision support systems using AI methods, play a
central role in the department's research. Two of the PhD students
with an exact science background and one PhD student with a background
in health or life sciences will be employed by IRIS.
Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr Peter Lucas (tel +31
24365 2611/3456; e-mail: [email protected]).
(2) Decision-support Group
The Decision-support Group (http://www.cs.uu.nl/groups/DSS) at Utrecht
University carries out research into methods and techniques for
decision support, using Bayesian and decision networks as their main
vehicle. One of the exact science PhD students will be employed
by this group.
Informal enquiries can be directed to Prof.dr.ir Linda C. van der Gaag
(tel +31 302534113, e-mail: [email protected])
(3) Division on Acute Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease
This division of the University Medical Centre Utrecht is
responsible for patient care and research in internal medicine
and infectious disease. One of PhD students with a background in
health or life sciences will be employed by this
division.
Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr Marc Bonten, MD (tel +31
30250911, beeper 1591, e-mail: [email protected])
All five PhD studentships are full time and for a period of four
years. Salary in the first year is 1581 euro per month, increasing to
2257 euro per month in the fourth year. There are no student fees.
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