King’s College London invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) in AI for Equitable Disease Modelling to join the GeoAI for Health Equity Lab (GAHEL, pronounced “gail”) led by Dr. Sabrina Li. The PDRA will contribute to Dr. Li’s UKRI-funded Future Leaders Fellowship project which focusses on integrating equity considerations into infectious disease modelling and surveillance, starting with the UK. The PDRA will be based in the Department of Geography, but will have access to training and support from King’s Health Partners Digital Health Hub, King’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and the Digital Futures Institute. The PDRA will also have access to research and career development from King’s Centre for Research Staff Development. The postholder will work closely with Dr. Li and in collaboration with national and international interdisciplinary partners based at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, and John Hopkins University (USA).

The PDRA will lead the development of new computational and mathematical models to quantify and predict infectious disease risk, particularly for identifying high risk individuals and groups. The PDRA will translate conceptual frameworks into mathematical models of complex cross-scale disease dynamics across different epidemiological scenarios. A key responsibility is to test key assumptions about differential disease risk by integrating high-resolution socio-ecological, environmental, and novel health data from individual and population sources. This research will advance our understanding of how major infectious diseases of concern in the UK emerge, spread, and unequally affect different individuals and population groups.

Outcomes of this research will help advance the development of more equitable, spatial data-driven approaches to public health surveillance and pandemic preparedness, with direct links to public health policy. The findings will inform the development of a real-time spatial AI system to improve early detection and risk prediction, to protect vulnerable populations in the UK and in the future globally.

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a 3.5-years fixed-term contract with a potential opportunity to extend.
Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development.

Essential criteria
-PhD in applied mathematics, statistics, engineering, computational biology, econometrics, or a related discipline.
Experience in developing complex models using real-world data, with strong programming proficiency in R or Python and version control systems like Git. Familiarity with spatial and statistical libraries (e.g. INLA, PyMC, scikit-learn, GeoPandas).
-Proven ability to work independently.
-Track record in publishing peer-reviewed papers.
-Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively within teams, with a strong commitment to fostering a fair and inclusive work environment.
-Excellent written and oral communication skills, including to diverse audiences.

Desirable criteria
-Experience managing stakeholder relationships and working in a practitioner/policy context.
-Experience working on interdisciplinary research projects.