Mission and Goals
Data science and AI for cancer research
The Institute for Computational Cancer Biology (ICCB) at the University Hospital Cologne was founded in 2022 to advance cancer research through computational methods and to train and educate the next generation of computational cancer scientists.
We are part of the Cancer Research Center Cologne Essen (CCCE) funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Our mission is to develop bespoke statistical methods, machine learning approaches, algorithms and models to decipher tumour heterogeneity and cancer evolution and improve our understanding of the wealth of genomic, transcriptomic, epigenomic and imaging data collected in cancer research.
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About us
News
November 04, 2026
Computational PhD student in Cancer Genomics
About the project
As a successful candidate you will develop algorithms and models to investigate cancer evolution and chromosomal instability. A focus lies on the development of AI methods for improved phylogenetic reconstructions and feature space embeddings from complex genomics data. You will be part of CLONETRAC, a collaborative consortium with the aim of tracking the clonal dynamics of cancer through treatment at the single-cell level, funded by the Bruno and Helene Jöster Foundation. You will be embedded in a thriving interdisciplinary and collaborative team of computational biologists, computer scientists and clinicians at the University Hospital of Cologne.
About you
Ideal candidates will have a Masters degree in Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Bioinformatics or a related field. A strong background in theoretical and/or applied machine learning and AI, and a strong interest in medical research is expected. Prior experience in cancer genomics is a plus. Successful candidates will show a strong work ethic and should be enthusiastic about working in a highly interdisciplinary environment. Excellent communication skills and the ability to work in a team are required.
For further reading and our recent works see:
| Kaufmann et al. 2022, Genome Biology | Kaufmann et al. 2026, bioRxiv |
About the position
We offer a competitive salary according to German E13 TVL 75%. Contracts are limited to 3 years with the possibility of prolongation. Applications should be submitted online here. For inquiries, please email Prof. Roland Schwarz. The position is to be filled as soon as possible; applications will be considered initially until December 6.
August 12, 2026
Our Python framework for cell-free DNA fragmentomics pyfraglib is now available on bioRxiv
pyfraglib provides an integrated framework for systematic extraction and analysis of cfDNA fragmentomic features, including fragment size distributions, end-motif profiles, genomic fragmentation patterns, and cohort-level statistical analyses, alongside an in silico fragment simulation module.
By combining these capabilities within a single, modular and reproducible framework, pyfraglib facilitates standardized cfDNA fragmentomics workflows and supports method development, benchmarking, and biological investigation across diverse datasets.
pyfraglib´s available for use on GitHub.
June 19, 2026
Successful Summer Retreat in Jünkerath
This year's summer lab retreat brought us again to the beautiful Glaadter Hütte in Jünkerath.
We used the inspiring atmosphere of the Eifel to continue our successful hackathon event from last winter, developing new innovative ideas, prototyping new computational tools, and tackling challenging scientific questions.
Beyond the coding and grant writing sessions, there was plenty of time for scientific discussions, networking, and some outdoor group activities.
Sponsors and Partners
Funder
University Hospital and University of Cologne
Funder
Cancer Research Center Cologne Essen (CCCE)
funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Strategic partner
Berlin Institute for the Foundations of Learning and Data (BIFOLD)
funded by the German Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).
