PhD Position in AI-Enhanced Epidemiological Modeling and Control Pázmány Péter Catholic University in Hungary

PhD opportunity at Pázmány Péter Catholic University (PPKE), Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, Budapest, Hungary, within the Horizon Europe project AURORAI (Advancing Pandemic Preparedness and Response through High-Quality Data and AI).

The project sits at the intersection of AI, epidemiological modeling, control theory, machine learning, and agent-based modeling. The successful candidate will work on behaviour-aware, AI-enhanced outbreak prediction using the PanSIM microsimulation framework, combining Python-based ML methods with the C++ simulation core and scaling from city-level to national-level dynamics using HPC.

Supervision and collaboration involve Prof. Gábor Szederkényi, Prof. Attila Csikász-Nagy, Prof. István Reguly, and Dr. Péter Polcz, in a 14-partner European consortium spanning academic, clinical, and industrial partners. The role includes designing reinforcement learning and model predictive control strategies, integrating demographic and mobility data, and contributing to scientific publications and conference presentations.

Eligibility highlights: applicants should have a Master’s degree or equivalent in Control Engineering, Machine Learning/Data Science, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Bioengineering, or a related field; strong mathematical foundations; proficiency in Python and ML ecosystems; and English proficiency. A working knowledge of C++ is required or expected to be learned quickly. Desirable experience includes mathematical epidemiology, population dynamics, ABMs, HPC, and parallelization.

Funding: fully funded PhD for 3–4 years, with a competitive stipend of approximately €1,500–2,100/month, plus access to HPC resources, travel support, and possible research stays.

Application deadline: 31 May 2026. Start date: September 2026. Applicants should submit a single PDF by email to [email protected] including CV, cover letter, and 1–2 academic references.