Ready to shape the future of AI in life science?

The next call for DDLS Fellows is opening soon, offering an outstanding opportunity for ambitious young researchers to establish their own internationally competitive research groups. This round has a stronger focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning, targeting scientists eager to push the boundaries at the intersection of data and life sciences.

The DDLS program is a 12-year initiative hosted by SciLifeLab and funded with SEK 3.3 billion by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. It aims to train and recruit the next generation of life scientists, build a strong computational and data science base, strengthen national collaborations, and bridge the research communities of life sciences and data sciences while fostering partnerships with industry, healthcare, and international actors. The program spans across four data-driven research areas: epidemiology and biology of infection, cell and molecular biology, evolution and biodiversity, and precision medicine and diagnostics.

The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation announced on 7 November 2024 that it is strengthening the SciLifeLab & Wallenberg National Program for Data-Driven Life Science (DDLS) with SEK 200 million to fund eleven new DDLS Fellows, this time with a stronger focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Recruitment of eleven new DDLS Fellows

Jan Ellenberg, Director of SciLifeLab and the DDLS program, welcomes the generous additional support by KAW and highlights how this new cohort marks an important step into the future for the program.

“The third cohort of DDLS fellows will be the first to embrace the AI revolution from the start in an ‘AI first’ manner. We are excited to see forward-looking developments of the next generation of life science AI tools and models. These are likely to transition from ‘black box’ to increasingly ‘white box’ and scientific models and thus interface very strongly with complementary computational biology and machine learning approaches already being developed by their colleagues in the DDLS program.”

The new Fellows are expected to break new ground in artificial intelligence and computational life science, tackling questions that have remained unanswered for decades and providing the tools that will empower researchers across Sweden. They will also be central to shaping this future, both through their own research and by building a new collective strength in life science AI in Sweden.

Opportunities for international researchers

The DDLS fellowship offers generous support to build up a new research team with guaranteed funding for five years at a similar level as the most prestigious junior PI start-up packages internationally, such as ERC. Asked why an international researcher should consider moving to Sweden for this program, Ellenberg points to the unique research environment.

“SciLifeLab and the Data-Driven Life Science Program provide a uniquely strong environment for AI and computational research in life science internationally. Being part of a new community of 50 young PIs that has access to the large and rapidly growing data treasure produced in the SciLifeLab infrastructure with the most cutting-edge molecular and imaging technologies is a unique opportunity. In addition, SciLifeLab’s integrated data services and Sweden’s strong national e-infrastructure with the Berzelius supercomputer ensure that these young groups can operate technically at the cutting edge and at scale and focus their effort entirely on novelty and excellence in research.”

Perfect timing

According to Ellenberg, the timing of this new AI-focused recruitment could not be better.

“DDLS started in 2020, before the AI revolution when there was no AlphaFold and no ChatGPT. Today, AI is changing life science fundamentally and very fast. It is rapidly accelerating how we can mine the vast amounts of existing knowledge, and we can use this ability to design better research projects and guide and automate new data production at an increasingly large scale. In addition, AI is often an ideal tool to extract the knowledge from large and variable data sets, the norm in modern life science, as illustrated by AlphaFold. This transition is fundamental for life science internationally,” he concludes.

Do you have what it takes to become one of our newest DDLS Fellows? Keep your eyes open and visit our career page on September 15!

SciLifeLab career page ->
Read more about the DDLS program ->