Project: IASO – Intelligent AI Systems for Surgical OperationsSupervisor: Professor Charalambos PoulinDepartment: Computer Science and Software Engineering, Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer ScienceUniversity: Concordia University, Montreal, CanadaStart Dates: Winter 2026 (January) or Summer 2026 (May)Funding: MSc Scholarship: 15% CAD per year for 2 years PhD Fellowship: 23K CAD per year for 3 years Postdoc Fellowship: 40K CAD per year for 2 years Project Overview IASO is an NSERC Alliance project in partnership with THINK Surgical, advancing real-time sensing and spatial intelligence for robotic surgical systems. Focus on camera calibration, 3D reconstruction, deep learning, multisensor fusion, and AI-driven surgical assistance. Students will develop algorithms for dynamic and cluttered surgical environments, improving calibration, perception, and interaction among optical, depth, and inertial modalities. Role Description Design and implement real-time multi-camera calibration and tracking algorithms. Develop multi-sensor fusion pipelines integrating RGB, depth, and IMU data using SLAM, particle filters, or factor-graph optimization. Build and train deep neural networks (CNNs, Transformers, NeRF, diffusion models) for 3D reconstruction and surface registration. Implement AI-driven calibration correction under varying motion and lighting conditions. Conduct quantitative evaluation on synthetic (Blender, Unreal Engine) and real datasets. Deploy algorithms on GPU/embedded platforms for robotic integration at THINK Surgical. Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams (CS + biomedical engineers) and co-author publications in CVPR, ICCV, ICRA, MICCAI. Requirements Bachelor’s, MSc, or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical/Software Engineering, or related discipline. Experience in computer vision, deep learning, 3D geometry, camera models, epipolar geometry, and bundle adjustment. Programming proficiency in Python and C++, practical experience with PyTorch or TensorFlow. Experience with OpenCV, Open3D, PCL, ROS, or NVIDIA Isaac SDK. Familiarity with structure-from-motion, visual SLAM, multi-view stereo, and rendering engines (Unreal, Blender, Unity). GPU acceleration and CUDA development experience. Strong analytical, experimental, and scientific writing skills. Opportunities Contribute to cutting-edge AI-driven surgical systems research. Access to advanced GPU clusters, motion-capture facilities, and custom imaging testbeds. Supervision by internationally recognized researcher Prof. Charalambos Poulin. Publish in top-tier conferences and collaborate with industrial partners. Competitive funding, technical training, conference travel, and interdisciplinary collaboration. How to Apply Submit a single PDF including: Letter of intent aligned with project and research domain Academic CV Transcripts Names and contact info of 3 referees Publications (if any) Include links to GitHub, personal projects, or portfolios. Email Subject: IASQ_YourName_MSc/PhD/Postdoc Contact: Alisa Makushava – alisa.makushava@concordia.ca Deadline: Rolling basis Funded PhD Position in Community Ecology & Biogeography Supervisor: Professor Jean-Philippe LessardDepartment: Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, CanadaStart Date: August 2026Funding: Stipend with TA/RA opportunities Research Focus Community ecology, biogeography, biodiversity, ecological networks, global change biology. Investigating species range dynamics, climate change effects, nutrient cycling, carbon storage, and plant-animal/microbial interactions. Combining theoretical, empirical, and quantitative approaches, with a focus on insect ecology and ecosystem processes. Key Research Questions Determinants of species range limits and dynamics under environmental change. Rules governing assembly of ecological networks (plant-pollinator, host-parasite, microbial). Role of ants and soil arthropods in nutrient cycling and carbon storage. Requirements Strong academic background in ecology, biogeography, or evolutionary biology. Proficiency in R or another scientific programming language for data analysis and modeling. Experience with large datasets, quantitative analysis, and fieldwork. Knowledge of ecological modeling and spatial analysis (e.g., QGIS). Understanding of insect physiology, metabolism, or biochemistry is an asset. Potential and motivation to secure external funding or fellowships is advantageous. How to Apply Submit documents in a single PDF including: Cover letter Academic CV Unofficial transcripts Names and contact info of 2 referees Publications or other supporting materials Email Subject: CommunityEcology_YourName Deadline: January 8, 2026 Contact: Alisa Makushava – alisa.makushava@concordia.ca Both programs welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds, including the Global South, and encourage minority candidates to apply. For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram , WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn and Telegram Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the offering organization. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.