Senior Postdoctoral Research Scientist in AI for Outbreak Response

University of Oxford; Oxford; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Oxford is seeking a Senior Postdoctoral Research Scientist in AI for Outbreak Response to join the Data Analytics and Epidemiology group at the Pandemic Sciences Institute.

You will develop ML models for disease forecasting and scenario exploration, with data from epidemiological, genomic, and behavioural sources, and translate outputs into actionable insights for public health decision-making.

Qualifications

• PhD/DPhil in a quantitative discipline (epidemiology, statistics, computational biology) with post-qualification research experience.
• Strong proficiency in Python, R, or similar; experience building ML models for forecasting and uncertainty.
• Experience with reproducible computational pipelines and software development.
• Experience communicating complex results to non-technical audiences; knowledge of dashboards/visualisations is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Develop and validate machine learning models for disease forecasting and simulation.
• Build and evaluate scenario exploration tools across multi-modal data.
• Develop decision-support tools and integrate them into public health workflows.
• Collaborate with public health partners in Africa to tailor models to local contexts and provide training.

Skills

Python

R

Machine learning

Epidemiology

Statistics

Computational biology

Reinforcement learning

Phylodynamics

Data visualization

Education

PhD/DPhil in a quantitative field (epidemiology, statistics, computational biology)

Tools

Git

Docker

Job description

Location: Pandemic Sciences Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health and Information Discovery, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LF. Additionally, Pandemic Sciences Institute, Life and Minds Building, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3EL

Salary: Research Grade 8: £49,119 - £58,265 with a discretionary range to £65,336 p.a. (pro rata). This is inclusive of a pensionable Oxford University Weighting of £1,730 per year (pro rata).

We are seeking to appoint a Senior Postdoctoral Research Scientist in AI for Outbreak Response to join the Data Analytics and Epidemiology group at the Pandemic Sciences Institute. Working with Professor Moritz Kraemer, you will contribute to ORCAS (Outbreak Response and Control with AI Support), an international consortium developing AI-driven tools to enable more timely and cost-effective responses to infectious disease outbreaks in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The research will focus on disease forecasting, scenario modelling, and optimal decision making for public health interventions and surveillance.

You will be responsible for developing and validating machine learning models for disease forecasting and simulation models for scenario exploration, utilising large-scale data across a range of modalities (e.g., epidemiological, genomic, behavioural). You will contribute to the development of decision-support tools that translate model outputs into actionable insights, and the integration of these tools into existing public health workflows. You will also work closely with public health partners in Nigeria and the DRC to understand their needs, adapt models to local contexts, and support their use through co-design workshops and training.

It is essential that you hold a PhD/DPhil with post-qualification research experience in a relevant quantitative discipline, such as epidemiology, statistics, or computational biology. You should have experience developing and deploying machine learning models for disease forecasting and scenario modelling, strong proficiency in Python, R, and/or other programming languages, and experience building reproducible computational pipelines and software. Experience analysing large-scale data and evaluating machine learning models with uncertainty quantification are also essential. Experience with reinforcement learning, phylogenetics/phylodynamics, and developing user-facing dashboards or visualisations to communicate complex scientific findings to non-technical audience would also be advantageous.

This position is offered full time on a fixed term contract until 31 March 2028 and is funded by The Gates Foundation.