PhD in Computer Science: Reinforcement Learning for Public Health Decision Support Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in Belgium

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) invites applications for a PhD position in Computer Science, focusing on Reinforcement Learning for Public Health Decision Support in Emerging Arbovirus Prevention. The Artificial Intelligence Lab in the Department of Computer Science is launching a new interdisciplinary project led by Professor Pieter Libin, in collaboration with Hasselt University and Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma. The project addresses the growing public health risks posed by mosquito-borne arboviruses such as Zika and Oropouche in Europe, aiming to develop a data-driven framework for invasion risk assessment and optimization of mitigation and surveillance strategies.

As a PhD researcher, you will lead the development of novel reinforcement learning algorithms and contribute to the broader modelling and policy framework. Your research will focus on multi-criteria reinforcement learning, uncertainty-aware decision-making, and explainable reinforcement learning for large-scale public health applications. Key responsibilities include designing methods that exploit the geographical structure of metapopulation models, investigating uncertainty-aware policy learning, developing explainable RL methods to communicate learned policies to policymakers, collaborating on epidemiological models, and contributing to studies on mosquito control, vaccination policies, and surveillance strategies. You will also publish your results in leading conferences and journals and present your work internationally.

The position is based at the Brussels Humanities, Sciences & Engineering Campus (Elsene). VUB offers a full-time PhD scholarship for 12 months, extendable up to 48 months upon positive evaluation. The grant is linked to government scales, and you will benefit from extensive homeworking options, telework allowance, cost-free hospitalisation insurance, full reimbursement of public transport commute, affordable campus meals, excellent sports facilities, nursery discounts, and access to learning platforms. The university values diversity and inclusion, providing an open and supportive environment for all staff.

Applicants must hold a Master’s degree in Computer Science, preferably with a specialization in machine learning, and demonstrate strong interest and skills in reinforcement learning, AI method development, programming, and computational work. Enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research linking AI and public health and strong English communication skills are essential. Experience with reinforcement learning, explainable AI, probabilistic modelling, simulation, or computational epidemiology is advantageous. Applicants must not have worked as an assistant paid from operating resources for more than 12 months. Non-EEA nationals must meet permit and residence requirements for VUB.

The application deadline is 1 May 2026. To apply, submit your CV, motivation letter, and diploma (not required for VUB alumni) via the online portal. The selection process includes an initial review of your application file followed by a job interview. For questions about the job content, contact Prof. Pieter Libin at [email protected]. For more information about working at VUB and the EUTOPIA alliance, visit jobs.vub.be and eutopia-university.eu.