Sumi Helal

Funded PhD opportunity at Ulster University (Belfast Campus), School of Computing, in AI , digital healthcare , and time series analysis . The project is titled Time series analysis in the forecasting of trends in digital medical technologies and is supported by the Future Medicines Institute (FMI) . This studentship focuses on data- and knowledge-driven forecasting methods for emerging digital medical technologies and clinical trends. The research mentions natively fine-tuned Large Language Models (LLMs) , multi-source healthcare signals, advanced forecasting architectures, and alignment with the Centre for Digital Healthcare Technology (CDHT) and Northern Ireland’s Future Medicines Institute ecosystem. The position is a fully funded 3-year PhD with full tuition fees covered and a £21,805/year stipend . The preferred start date is 2 November 2026 . Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree (2:1) or a Master’s with Distinction in Computer Science , Data Science , AI , or a closely related discipline. Strong interest in time-series modeling , deep learning , LLMs , and digital health is preferred. Eligibility is restricted to UK/Irish nationals or those with settled/pre-settled status / indefinite leave to remain, with 3-year EEA/UK/Swiss residency. Supervisory team: Prof. Chris Nugent , Dr. Rashid Kamal , Dr. Shuai Zhang , and Prof. Sumi Helal . Apply via the Ulster University Doctoral College portal by 3 September 2026, 4:00 PM BST .