The Paris Brain Institute - Institut du Cerveau is an internationally renowned institute dedicated to advancing understanding of the brain and improving brain health across the whole spectrum of neurological and psychiatric disorders. It is home to 29 research teams bringing together over 1000 personnel, including 150 tenured researchers, 200 technical staff and 300 students and post-docs. The Institute is highly multidisciplinary with expertise including basic neuroscience, clinical neurology, population neuroscience, mathematics and computer science. It has 12 cutting-edge core facilities for data generation across various scales and modalities (genomics, proteomics, imaging, behavior...). The Institute is located on the campus of the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital, in downtown Paris, the largest hospital in Europe for brain disorders and many hospital clinicians are also investigators of the Institute.  

As part of its scientific strategy development plan, Paris Brain Institute has recently launched an ambitious center for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data science, currently gathering about 100 people with the objective of scaling up to 150. The aim of the Center is to make the Paris Brain Institute an international hub in AI and data science for neuroscience, resulting in disruptive methodological advances and in major breakthroughs in understanding, preventing, and treating brain disorders. The Paris Brain Institute AI Center is housed in a modern building, a 5-minute walk from the main building.

 
The Paris Brain Institute seeks to recruit Junior Group Leaders in the fields of AI, data science and computational sciences to address key challenges in brain health and neuroscience. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: 

• AI and data science for omics data 

• AI for drug discovery and repositioning 

• Computational modelling and AI for cognitive science 

• Data science approaches for epidemiology 

• Integration of multimodal data 

• “NeuroAI” research at the interface of AI and neuroscience  

• Validation and benchmarking of AI systems 

Specifications of the recruitment 

• The Junior Group Leader is a principal investigator recruited for five years. They will be offered a competitive salary. 

• The Junior Group Leader will be awarded an attractive start-up package for kick-starting their group, allowing for the recruitment of personnel, travel expenses and the purchase of computers. 

• In addition, the Junior Group Leader is encouraged to apply for external funding to further develop their group and demonstrate their ability to secure competitive funding. To that purpose, they will be supported by the Paris Brain Institute grants office. 

• Junior Group Leaders will be offered mentoring support, including advice on grant opportunities, integration within the Institute, and career development, including potential paths toward permanent positions. 

In addition, France has a world-class healthcare and social security system, including: comprehensive coverage for you and your family, pediatric care and generous parental leave policies, support for a healthy work-life balance. Paris Brain Institute staff will be dedicated to helping you navigate these benefits and ensure a smooth transition to life in Paris. 

We believe that diverse perspectives drive innovation, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable environment. If you’re ready to take the next step in your career, we encourage you to apply—especially women and underrepresented minorities. As a member of the Alba Network, Paris Brain Institute champions equity and diversity in all its research and support activities. We are dedicated to providing a safe, welcoming, and inclusive workplace, backed by our gender equity committee. 

About the Paris Brain Institute ecosystem 

Paris Brain Institute is supported by a private not-for-profit foundation working in synergy with French public bodies, and affiliated with Sorbonne Université, CNRS and Inserm. It also has two joint research teams with Inria, the National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics. Paris Brain Institute is associated with clinical neuroscience departments (neurology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, etc.) of the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital (AP-HP), as well as with a large network of public and industrial partners. Paris Brain Institute is dedicated to fundamental, translational and clinical research in neuroscience, and fosters improved quality of care and education. Moreover, a clinical investigation center and a start-up incubator are hosted in-house. The Paris Brain Institute is located alongside 13 National Reference Centers for rare neurological diseases at the Pitié-Salpêtrière. Paris Brain Institute is part of an international network of partnerships promoting research, mobility and knowledge exchange around the world.  It is a founding member of the CURE-ND European alliance bringing together leading institutions from France, Germany (DZNE), the UK (UK-DRI) and Belgium (Mission Lucidity).  

To be eligible, the applicant must: 

• Hold a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree 

• Have an international dimension, namely the applicant should meet one of the two following conditions: 

• has obtained their PhD outside France 

OR 

• has spent at least 18 months outside France after their PhD when the call opens 

The following are not requirements, but we are typically looking for applicants with:  

• Proven excellence in scientific research, demonstrated by publications in international, peer-reviewed journals and/or conferences 

• Track record of innovative research in the design and/or use of AI, data science and/or computational approaches 

• Strong motivation to pursue a research program addressing new challenges in AI, data science and/or computational science to advance neuroscience and brain health 

• Collaborative mindset and eagerness to leverage synergies within Paris Brain Institute and its network 

• Not more than 7 years of academic age  

• "Academic age" is the number of years after the date of the PhD defense, from which can be deducted durations related to matters such as maternity, paternity, or parental leave, illness, national service, clinical activities etc. Please refer to the application template for specific details. 

Enquiries 
For any questions, potential applicants can reach out to the Paris Brain Institute Center for AI and data science at center.ai.datascience@icm-institute.org. Enquiries may, for instance, concern the position, the Center, the Institute, or the application process. 

Application  
Applications must be submitted through this platform, where the applicant can also find the application templates : https://institut-du-cerveau.wiin.io/en/applications/call-for-juniorgroupleaders

Application deadline:  April 26th, 2026, 23h59 CET. 

Approximate schedule  

• End of May 2026 – First shortlisting and notification of potential interview date 

• Early July 2026 – On-site interviews at the Paris Brain Institute (Paris, France) 

• July 2026 – Notification of result 

• From October 2026 – Start of the position (starting date is negotiable)