Thinking about a PhD in Sweden? Two external pages written by professors in my department are worth reading before reaching out. The first is Internships and PhD studies in Sweden (by Prof. Torkar), which covers practical information about doing a PhD in Sweden. The second is a handy write-up (by Prof. Tran) outlining what applying/interviewing for a PhD here in Sweden is typically like. While there are slight differences, our application process generally looks similar.

Postdoc positions

We are currently not recruiting at the postdoc level, check back in late 2026/2027 for openings.

PhD positions

We are currently not recruiting at the PhD level.

Research assistant positions

We are currently not recruiting any research assistants.

MSc positions

We are currently searching for MSc thesis students (30 credits) for Spring 2027. These projects are open to Chalmers or GU students only.

The AI Laboratory for Molecular Engineering (ailab.bio) develops machine learning methods to design molecules and materials for sustainable applications in health and energy. Our work spans generative models, synthesis planning, property prediction, agentic AI, and benchmarking. Several thesis projects are available for Spring 2027, and can be shaped around your background and interests. Projects are available in the following areas:

• Drug discovery: machine learning for targeted protein degradation (PROTACs, molecular glues, degradation activity, ternary complexes); generative molecular design and reinforcement learning for multi-objective optimization; synthesis planning and synthesizability-constrained generation; ADME and toxicity prediction in low-data and multi-task settings; chemical language models; peptide engineering.
• Materials and sustainability: generative design of battery and polymer electrolytes; fluorine-free surfactants and PFAS alternatives; crystal structure prediction from experimental characterization data; evaluation of generative models for crystals; polymer informatics.
• Methods and evaluation: molecular foundation models, benchmarking and fine-tuning; uncertainty quantification; generative models for molecular conformers; agentic AI and large language models for scientific data extraction and evaluation; benchmark design and statistical evaluation.

Working in our team. All our code is released on GitHub, and the datasets we create are public. You can expect weekly one-to-one supervision, a co-supervisor from the group, and an open invitation to our group meetings, subgroup meetings by research theme, seminars, and other group events. A desk in the department (EDIT building) and GPU resources through NAISS are provided. Our supervision practices are described openly in our group guide.

Who should apply. Projects are ideally suited to a pair of students, though individual students can also be accommodated depending on the project. Previous experience with Python is required, and familiarity with PyTorch, RDKit, or molecular simulation tools is desirable but can be acquired during the project. Knowledge of chemistry, biology, or materials science is a merit but not a strict requirement for most projects; we have supervised students coming from computer science with no chemistry, and from chemistry with little programming.

How to apply. Send a CV, transcript, and a short cover letter stating which project areas interest you and why, together with your thesis partner’s name if you have one, to Rocío at rocio.mercado@chalmers.se. Applications are reviewed as they arrive, and informal questions are welcome. To learn more, see our recent publications and code.

More general information:

• MSc students from universities outside Sweden who are interested in either a short research stint in AIME, or in doing their MSc thesis project with us, are welcome to reach out. Note, however, that the easiest way for you to do a research stay in the group is through the Erasmus program, so please read up on what the guidelines are at your university and keep in mind any relevant deadlines (you typically have to apply many months ahead of when you want to do your research stay).

Undergraduate positions

Doing research as an undergraduate is not only a fun way to learn about topics which interest you, but can also help you decide if you want to pursue a career in research (e.g., are you considering pursuing a PhD?). Interested Chalmers or GU undergraduates are welcome to reach out to us about potential research opportunities in the group!

Other inquiries

• If you are interested in joining the group but see no available postings, feel free to contact Rocío with a CV as well as a quick introduction to yourself and your research interests. It is possible that we may apply for funding together (see Research Fellowships).
• If you would like to apply to a PhD but do not yet have an MSc degree, please see the the list of masters programs available in our department here.

Gothenburg is a wonderful place to live. Here’s a photo of the city at sunset taken from the Skansen Kronan in the summer:

Last updated: September 22, 2026.