Postdoctoral Research Assistant in AI

University of Oxford; Oxford; On-site; GBP 39,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Oxford invites applications for a fixed-term Research role within the PANDAI programme, an Horizon Europe-funded initiative advancing AI for pandemic preparedness.

You will develop and evaluate novel ML methods on large multimodal datasets, publish findings, and collaborate with international partners while contributing to policy-relevant tools.

The role requires a PhD in a quantitative field, strong Python skills, and a track record of independent research.

Qualifications

• PhD/DPhil in a quantitative field; strong research track record.
• Strong Python programming skills and experience with ML frameworks.
• Experience with large-scale real-world datasets and publications or conference presentations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and evaluate novel AI/ML methods using large multimodal datasets.
• Collaborate with international partners and publish technical reports and funding proposals.
• Present research findings at conferences and stakeholder events; contribute to policy-relevant tools.

Skills

Python

Machine Learning

Data analysis

Education

PhD/DPhil in machine learning, AI, computer science, epidemiology, or related quantitative field

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Job description

Location:Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health and Information Discovery, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LF

Salary: Research Grade 7: Salary in range £39,424 - £47,779 per annum (pro rata). This is inclusive of a pensionable Oxford University Weighting of £1,730 per year (pro rata).

The PANDAI (European Pandemics AI Observatory) programme is a Horizon Europe-funded international research initiative developing advanced artificial intelligence methods for pandemic preparedness, outbreak detection, forecasting, risk assessment, monitoring, and public health response across Europe and beyond. Working alongside leading academic institutions, healthcare organisations, public health agencies, technology partners, and the World Health Organization. This is an exciting opportunity to join a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary research environment at the forefront of AI and global public health.

In this role, you will develop and evaluate novel AI and machine learning methods using large-scale multimodal datasets, contributing to epidemiology-informed foundation models, predictive analytics, and generative AI approaches for pandemic preparedness and response. You will collaborate with international partners across Europe and beyond, analyse complex health and surveillance data, contribute to scientific publications, technical reports and funding proposals, and present your research at conferences and stakeholder events. Alongside managing your own research activities, you will work closely with researchers, clinicians, epidemiologists, and public health professionals to develop robust, transparent, and reproducible AI tools that support public health policy and decision-making.

To be successful in this role, you will hold (or be close to completing) a PhD/DPhil in machine learning, artificial intelligence, computer science, epidemiology, health data science, or a related quantitative discipline. You must have experience with conducting independent research in AI or data science. You will have strong programming skills in Python and modern machine learning frameworks, experience working with large-scale real-world datasets, and a track record of contributing to scientific publications or conference presentations.

This position is offered full time on a fixed term contract until 30 April 2029 and is funded by The European Union under Horizon Europe.

Only applications received before 12 midday on 21 September 2026 will be considered.