The Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (MPIB) in Martinsried near Munich is one of the world’s leading international research institutions in the fields of biochemistry, cell and structural biology, and biomedical research. With around 27 scientific departments and research groups and about 680 employees, the MPIB is one of the largest institutes of the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science.

The Department of Machine Learning and Systems Biology, headed by Prof. Dr. Karsten Borgwardt, invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow (m/f/d) in Graph Learning.

Project overview

This position offers a rare opportunity to contribute to the future of machine learning for graph-structured data. While machine learning has transformed fields such as computer vision and natural language processing, graph-structured data remain a rich frontier for methodological innovation, with many fundamental challenges and exciting opportunities ahead. The successful candidate will pioneer new algorithms for graph-structured data, revisit classical graph problems through the lens of modern machine learning, and help define the next generation of generative models for graphs. As part of Karsten Borgwardt's Department of Machine Learning and Systems Biology, these methodological advances will provide the foundation for a broad range of downstream analyses while also being applied directly to frontier problems in biology using unique, large-scale experimental datasets generated across the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry.

Qualifications

The successful applicant will hold a Ph.D. in computer science, machine learning, bioinformatics, or related fields. The applicant should have a strong interest and prior experience in developing machine learning methods, ideally with a background in graph-based or geometric deep learning. Written and oral command of English is essential.

Research environment

The Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, was founded in 1973 with the aim of understanding fundamental mechanisms of biochemistry, cell and structural biology, biophysics, and molecular medicine. Machine learning and bioinformatics play an increasingly important role in this endeavor. The institute is part of a strong network of research institutions in the southwest of Munich and provides outstanding research opportunities for its scientists.

Payment will be according to qualifications and in accordance with TVöD (German public service tariff scale). The initial appointment is for two years, with the possibility of extension.

Informal inquiries are welcome and should be sent to borgwardt-office@biochem.mpg.de.

The Max-Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals. Furthermore, the Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of women in research and explicitly encourages women to apply.

Are you interested?

Then please upload your complete application documents, containing a one-page letter with a personal statement describing your scientific accomplishments and your interests in our department and its research, your CV and bibliography, as well as contact information for at least two references, in electronic form via our application portal.

Application deadline: September 30, 2026.

Interviews will be held in October and November 2026. The successful candidate is expected to start the position between December 2026 and June 2027, with an earlier start date preferred whenever possible.