Postdoctoral Researcher – Urban Analytics and Geospatial AI

ETH Zurich is one of the leading universities of the world with a strong focus on science and engineering. In 2010 it established the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC) in collaboration with the National Research Foundation (NRF) to do interdisciplinary research on pressing problems.

The centre currently runs several research programmes with the Future Cities Laboratory (FCL) as one of the programmes. It is home to a community of over 100 PhD, postdoctoral and Professorial researchers working on diverse themes related to sustainable cities and resilient infrastructure systems. In the course of their work, researchers actively collaborate with universities, research institutes, industry, and government agencies with the aim of offering practical solutions.

Project Background

The Population Mental Health Risk Prediction via Linkage of Multi-Modal Spatiotemporal Environmental Data To Population-Representative, Longitudinal Clinical Measures of Individual Mental Health (PRISMS) project is a multi institutional and multi disciplinary project with clinicians from the Singapore Institute for Clinical Science in A*STAR.

The majority of the global population resides in built urban environments, with the proportion poised to reach ~70 % by 2050. As a result, it is increasingly important to examine the impact of the built environment on health outcomes, including mental well-being. The emerging concept of neurourbanism describes the interdisciplinary study of the urban built environment and mental well-being. Urbanization inevitably clashes with the conservation of natural spaces, leading to extensive research on the psychological benefits of exposure to nature. However, other aspects of the built environment including the design of communal spaces, traffic noise pollution and heat stress are also intricately tied to mental well-being and should not be overlooked. Moreover, the constructs used to define mental well-being differ greatly among studies and often only revolve around the absence of mental and mood disorders. As a growing population lives in the urban environment, it is crucial for us to gain a more holistic understanding of how various elements of the built environment affect both positive and negative mental well-being to support the development of healthy cities.

This project bridges the research gap between different facets of the built environment and both positive and negative aspects of mental well-being by embarking on a comprehensive investigation into the impact of the urban built environment on mental well-being in Singapore.

Lead PI: Evelyn Loo (SICS, A*STAR).

Job Description

As a postdoctoral researcher, you will be involved in a multidisciplinary and collaborative research study on the built environment and mental well-being. You will investigate how the urban environment, such as neighbourhood design, heat stress, and noise pollution, can influence the positive and negative aspects of mental well-being in families. You will also be involved in longitudinal cohort studies and collaborations with clinicians and researchers from various disciplines. You will do this under the guidance of Dr. Srilalitha Gopalakrishnan (Singapore-ETH Centre) and Asst. Prof. Filip Biljecki (National University of Singapore).

Your key responsibilities will be:

1. Co-developing the research of work package 1. This work includes, a.o.:

• Developing deep learning models for the project’s research (e.g., geo-spatial data science, street view imagery segmentations).
• Co-developing applications, features, datasets, and use cases on public datasets of street-view imagery and longitudinal cohort studies.
• Co-developing and publishing journal and/or conference articles.
• Presenting your research to international audiences and visitors.

2. Supporting the module research efforts in general. This includes, a.o.:

• Participating in and contributing to team meetings.
• Assisting researchers across the project in their activities.
• Contributing to the preparation of academic papers and other forms of academic output.
• Presenting the project internally and externally, and preparing material for such presentations.

Profile

Mandatory Requirements:

You have:

• Demonstrable experience with machine learning tools and workflows (e.g., Hugging face, Keras, Torch, etc).
• Research experience in conducting end-to-end experiments and academic writing.
• Experience writing Python programs and using developer tools (e.g., git, AWS, etc).

You are:

• Self-motivated and independent
• An experienced programmer, able to easily adopt new programming languages or software design methods for particular purposes.
• A good communicator:
  • Proactive: you can signal issues, set and commit to targets.
  • Rational: you can clearly articulate ideas and thoughts.
  • Interpersonal: you are able to take and provide constructive feedback.
  • A professional working proficiency in English is required.
• A team player: collaborative and constructive, and always open to help team members.
• Interested in topics related to the research project.
• Curious and passionate to explore new concepts, methods and technologies. You have the capability to identify and quickly learn the most suitable tools for research on the go.

Significantly Beneficial Attributes:

• Detail-oriented and meticulous in your work.
• A developed GitHub repository that demonstrates your past or ongoing work, and skills.
• A strong interest in developing spatial data science and urban-related topics.

Desirable Attributes:

• The ability to present your work and progress in an engaging and effective way.

We Offer

• Accredited with 5 Tripartite Standards by Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) Singapore.
• A diverse workplace with 32 nationalities, offering ample opportunities for mutual learning.
• Positive and inclusive working environment.
• 25 days of annual leave for fixed-term contracts.
• 1 day of Birthday Leave.
• Annual dental benefits.
• Committed to being a supportive employer as you prioritize your physical and mental wellness.
• Comprehensive healthcare insurance coverage.
• Flexible hybrid work arrangement (up to 2 days per week from home).
• Abundant networking opportunities across various disciplines.
• Accredited with NS mark certification.

The Singapore-ETH Centre is an equal opportunity and family-friendly employer. All candidates will be evaluated on their merits and qualifications, without regards to gender, race, age or religion.