Fully funded PhD position (fees + stipend) for UK/EU students on machine learning for physiological data analysis and decision support system

We are pleased to announce a PhD studentship for UK/EU students in the recently funded Horizon 2020 project “NEVERMIND: Neuro-behavioural predictive and personalised modelling of depressive symptoms during primary somatic diseases with ICT-enabled self-management procedures”.
The project sets out to empower people who suffer from symptoms of depression related to a serious disease (such as cardiovascular disease or cancer) enabling them to manage their mental health on a day-to-day basis. We will equip patients with a smartphone and a lightweight sensitized shirt to collect data about their mental and physical health, and then provide effective feedback for the self-management of their mental condition.
The Essex team is leading the development of the real-time data analysis and decision support system. Within the team, the PhD candidate will undertake original research in flourishing areas of machine learning, for example “transfer learning”, with main application to the data collected during the project but also exploring applications to other domains.
The successful applicant will be supervised by Dr Luca Citi and Prof Riccardo Poli. Applicants should have a good honours BSc or BEng degree (1st class or high 2:1, or equivalent) in electronic engineering, computer engineering, computer science, statistics, mathematics, or related subjects. An MSc with Merit or Distinction is desirable (but not essential for students with a first class degree). Strong analytical and mathematical skills are required, as well as good programming skills. Knowledge of machine learning and signal processing is desirable but not essential.
The studentship is offered for three years starting October 2016 or January 2017 and is open to UK or EU applicants only. It covers fees plus a stipend at £15,500 per annum. Prospective EU candidates may check essex.ac.uk/about/eu.aspx for the most recent updates on the impact of European Union referendum vote.
Expressions of interest, indicating nationality and funding status, together with a CV and the names and contact details of two referees should be sent to Dr Luca Citi (e-mail: lciti-AT-essex.ac.uk). The position will be open until it is filled.