Postdoctoral Researcher in AI for Social Sciences and Climate Risk (80-100%)

The Digital Humanities Lab at the University of Basel invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher to join the research group led by Professor Rosa Lavelle-Hill. This position is embedded within the interdisciplinary ICARUS project, which investigates individual vulnerability, behavioral change, climate change attitudes, and risk under environmental heat stress. The project leverages psychological profiling, biological lab data, physiological time series, and sensor data to develop predictive algorithms that identify those most at risk from extreme heat and provide personalized adaptation advice. The ICARUS project aims to study the interactions between physiology, psychology, and culture to improve mitigation strategies for health threats associated with global warming. The research team combines expertise in physiology, pharmacology, photobiology, psychology, behavioral science, and artificial intelligence to create frameworks for risk identification and effective advice adherence. The project also explores how individual heat adaptation relates to climate change attitudes. As a postdoctoral researcher, you will play a leading role in designing and implementing the predictive modeling strategy. Responsibilities include developing machine-learning models for individual-level risk prediction using heterogeneous data (psychological and biological profiles, ecological momentary assessment, and time series sensing data), applying and evaluating supervised and unsupervised methods (such as regularized regression, tree-based models, ensemble methods, clustering, dimensionality reduction), and deep learning approaches. You will also develop and apply explainable AI methods to ensure interpretability and actionable insights, translate predictive models into algorithmic advising or warning frameworks, and collaborate closely with psychologists, physiologists, and other domain experts. The role includes leading and co-authoring scientific publications and contributing to open, reproducible, and well-documented research pipelines and code bases. Applicants must hold a PhD in data science, computer science, statistics, computational social science, economics, quantitative psychology, or a closely related field. Essential qualifications include expertise in machine learning, experience with high-dimensional and/or longitudinal data, excellent programming skills in Python, strong command of English, and familiarity with ethical and responsible AI. Desirable qualifications include experience harmonizing diverse datasets, explainable AI, psychological questionnaire data, biological measurement data, and comprehension of German. The position is full-time (80-100%) for at least 18 months, with the possibility of extension to the end of the project. The University of Basel offers an intellectually stimulating environment with strong international and interdisciplinary connections, support for publications, conference participation, and career development. Employment conditions follow university regulations. The University of Basel is committed to diversity and equal opportunities and encourages applications from all qualified candidates. For further information about the Digital Humanities Lab, visit https://dhlab.philhist.unibas.ch/en/ . For questions, contact Prof. Lavelle-Hill at [email protected] or the DHLab administration team at [email protected] . Applications must be submitted via the university's online portal by 16th April 2026. Please include a cover letter, CV with 5 most relevant publications, contact details of referees, and a PDF of your most relevant publication. Late applications and applications by other means will not be considered. Apply online: Application Portal