Postdoctoral Fellowship in Human-Centered AI, Health, and Participatory Design at University of Ottawa University of Ottawa in Canada

Degree Level

Postdoc

Field of study

Computer Science

Funding

This is a CIHR-funded one-year postdoctoral fellowship (renewable) at the University of Ottawa. The position is fully funded for 12 months. Specific stipend amount is not mentioned.

Deadline

Apr 1, 2026

Country

Canada

University

University of Ottawa

How do I apply for this?

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Where to contact

LinkedIn Position Link 1

Official Email

[email protected]

Keywords

Computer Science

Parkinson's Disease

Human-computer Interaction

Science And Technology Studies

Digital Health

Medical Science

Recommender System

Large Language Models

About this position

The Com&Tech Innovations Lab (CTI-Lab) at the University of Ottawa is offering a CIHR-funded postdoctoral fellowship for the PD-TIPS.AI project, which focuses on co-designing AI-driven bilingual (French/English) technologies to support self-care for individuals living with Parkinson’s Disease. The project aims to develop an AI-powered conversational recommender system capable of delivering personalized, reliable, and accessible care tips and resources, addressing the evolving medical, psychosocial, and contextual needs of patients. The research is grounded in participatory design, involving patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, and combines qualitative and quantitative methods, including co-design workshops, focus groups, usability studies, and user experience analysis. Advanced AI techniques, such as large language models and clinically validated knowledge bases, are integrated into the project.

The postdoctoral researcher will be affiliated with the CTI-Lab and the International Francophonic Research Chair on Digital Health Technologies at the University of Ottawa. The fellow will play an active role in project coordination, system co-design, data collection, qualitative analysis, and dissemination of research findings through peer-reviewed publications and knowledge mobilization activities.

Applicants must have a completed PhD in a relevant field (e.g., Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, Science & Technology Studies), strong expertise in participatory design or Human-Centered AI, and experience in user-centered research. Additional assets include experience with large language models, conversational recommender systems, graph databases, medical ontologies, and co-design projects with patient partners. Proficiency in English or French is required, with both languages being an advantage.

The position is fully funded for 12 months, starting September 2026, and is based in Ottawa, Canada. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, CV, two letters of recommendation, and a writing sample as a single PDF to Prof. Sylvie Grosjean at [email protected] by April 1, 2026. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Funding details

This is a CIHR-funded one-year postdoctoral fellowship (renewable) at the University of Ottawa. The position is fully funded for 12 months. Specific stipend amount is not mentioned.

What's required

Applicants must have a completed PhD in a relevant field such as Human-Computer Interaction, CSCW, Computer Science, Science & Technology Studies, or a related field. Strong expertise in participatory design or Human-Centered AI approaches, preferably applied to health or care contexts, is required. Candidates should have demonstrated experience in user-centered research, including study design, data collection, and analysis using qualitative and/or quantitative methods. Excellent scientific communication skills and the ability to publish in peer-reviewed journals and conferences are necessary. Proven ability to work effectively in interdisciplinary research teams is expected. Desired assets include experience with large language models, RAG architectures, conversational recommender systems, graph databases, medical ontologies, co-design projects with patient partners, and understanding of ethical and technical challenges in medical NLP. Proficiency in English or French (spoken and written) is required; proficiency in both is a strong advantage.

How to apply

Submit a complete application as a single PDF document by April 1, 2026, including a cover letter, CV, two letters of recommendation, and a writing sample. Send applications to Prof. Sylvie Grosjean at [email protected]. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until filled.