Postdoctoral Researcher Explainable AI and Foundation Models for CT Imaging

Welcome to Maastricht University!
Are you motivated to advance trustworthy artificial intelligence in medical imaging? In this postdoctoral position, you will work on explainable AI and foundation models for CT imaging, combining methodological innovation with clinical relevance and real-world impact. 

Postdoctoral Researcher Explainable AI and Foundation Models for CT Imaging

Our goal: To develop and validate novel AI methods that enhance explainability and interpretability in medical imaging. Within this project, we focus on diffusion-based approaches and the development, training and external validation of foundation models for CT imaging, with a strong emphasis on methodological rigor and translational relevance. 

Your colleagues: You will join the Department of Precision Medicine at Maastricht University, embedded within GROW and the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML). You will work in an interdisciplinary environment connecting AI researchers, medical imaging scientists and clinical partners. 

In this role, you contribute to cutting-edge methodological research while ensuring clinical relevance and reproducibility. Your work bridges artificial intelligence, medical imaging and precision medicine. 

What you do

• Develop and evaluate new explainable AI methods for medical imaging, with a focus on diffusion-based models 
• Design, train and externally validate foundation models for CT imaging 
• Work with large-scale and heterogeneous imaging datasets 
• Ensure robust experimental design and reproducible research practices 
• Publish in leading international journals and conferences 
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary academic and clinical partners 
• Contribute to student supervision, grant development and knowledge sharing when relevant 

Are you ready to help shape the future of explainable AI in medical imaging? Then we would love to meet you. 

What you bring 
We’re not looking for checkboxes; we’re interested in who you are and what you bring. Do you recognize yourself in this?

• PhD degree in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Medical Image Analysis, Applied Mathematics or a related field 
• Experience with deep learning for image analysis, preferably in medical imaging 
• Experience with generative modelling, ideally diffusion models 
• Familiarity with CT imaging workflows or radiological image-analysis pipelines 
• Ability to develop reproducible research code in Python, preferably using PyTorch 
• Experience with explainable AI, uncertainty estimation or trustworthy AI 
• Experience with foundation models, self-supervised learning or large-scale pretraining 
• Experience with external validation on multi-centre imaging data 
• Experience with student supervision and scientific publishing 
  

What we offer
At Maastricht University, you’ll work in an international, open, and engaged environment. We offer:

• A 36-month contract (1,0 fte). Preferred start date: 1 October 2026 
• A gross monthly salary between €3546,00 and €5538,00 (based on full-time employment of 38 hours per week). 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus.
• 29 vacation days (based on full-time), four additional days off (Carnival Monday and Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day), and the possibility to accrue up to 12 extra days through compensation hours.
• Flexible working hours, a home office allowance, and the option to work from home.
• Freedom and space to shape your work independently and develop your ideas.
• A close-knit community of colleagues to collaborate and grow with.
• A solid pension plan via ABP, company fitness schemes, and access to various university sports facilities.
• An inspiring work environment in the heart of Europe.

About the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML)
FHML is committed to health in the broadest sense: from molecule to human, and from healthcare to prevention. We train healthcare professionals and researchers through innovative educational programmes and conduct groundbreaking research in health and well-being. As part of Maastricht UMC+ (MUMC+), our international and interdisciplinary community forms a unique collaboration between university and academic hospital, where education, research, and care come together.

Interested?
Want to know more about this position or what it’s like to work at our university? Reach out to Zohaib Salahuddin via z.salahuddin@maastrichtuniversity.nl. The end date of the publication is 15 May 2026.

Apply now via the button below. We look forward to getting to know you!

About Maastricht University
At Maastricht University, we collaboratively seek solutions to help move the world forward. We do this with 23,300 students and 5,400 employees across 5 regional locations, 6 faculties, and more than 70 research institutes. We encourage you to push boundaries and discover new opportunities for yourself and the world around you. Together, we can find the answers for tomorrow.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

At Maastricht University, we prefer to contact potential candidates directly. We therefore kindly ask that no agencies or intermediaries submit offers or approaches.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.