PhD position - Multimodal machine learning to understand food structures

We are seeking a PhD candidate to apply multimodal machine learning techniques to understand the structure and functionality of food materials. The project combines high-throughput experimentation, multimodal machine learning, and food science to explore how food structures evolve from ingredients to products.

Food structure data are inherently scattered and heterogeneous, originating from diverse measurements such as imaging, spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and rheology. Each of these methods captures different scales of food structure, such as microscopic morphology, molecular organization, and physical properties, resulting in fragmented datasets that are often analyzed in isolation. This PhD project aims to integrate these multimodal data sources using multimodal machine learning approaches to create a unified, comprehensive understanding of how food structures from ingredients to food products. By linking these data streams, we seek to reveal hidden patterns and interactions within food systems that are critical for optimizing their quality and functionality.

What are you going to do?
As a PhD researcher, you will develop high-throughput experimental methods to efficiently collect multimodal measurements of food structures, enabling the generation of robust, large-scale datasets. You will then analyze the datasets via advanced machine learning techniques, such as multimodal data fusion, predictive modeling, and computer vision. The insights from predictive models are linked to key outcomes, such as consumer preferences, techno-economic performance, and life cycle analysis, improving product quality, sustainability, and cost efficiency of food production.

In your position as a PhD researcher, you will:

• develop high-throughput experimental methods to collect multimodal measurements of food structures;
• apply machine learning techniques from computer vision, deep learning, and contrastive learning to interpret complex datasets;
• publish research outcomes through publishing datasets, scientific software, research articles;
• connect and collaborate with researchers in the food sciences and in computer science.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the chair groups of Food Process Engineering & Food Quality and Design. You will work under the supervision of Yizhou Ma. You will be co-supervised by Remko Boom and Vincenzo Fogliano.

Requirements:

We welcome candidates from diverse backgrounds who are passionate about bridging the gap between food science and machine learning. You may be a food scientist with strong computational and data analysis skills, eager to apply machine learning techniques to understand food structures. Alternatively, you may come from a data science background and would like to apply your expertise to real-world food systems, with an interest in gaining hands-on experience by designing and conducting experiments to collect multimodal data. Regardless of your starting point, we are looking for a candidate who is hands-on with both hardware and software, combining experimental data collection with computational analysis to understand the complex food structures.

You also possess:

• a successfully completed MSc degree in food technology, food science, data science, chemical engineering, material science, or a related program;
• a strong commitment to advancing the understanding of food structures through experiments and predictive models;
• a strong interest in addressing "small data challenges" related to food structure measurements;
• proficiency in the Python programming language (with helps from generative AI);
• a “tool-builder” mindset with the ability to develop methods and solutions from scratch;
• a general understanding of food production processes and unit operations in food processing.

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

Salary Benefits:

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.901 ,- per month rising to € 3.707,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 20th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family. If you come with a partner, we offer a Dual Career group program organized by our Welcome Center. This program helps your partner to get familiar with the Dutch culture, labour market and assists your partner to find a job.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

38 hours per week

Droevendaalsesteeg