University of New South Wales
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UNSW Scientia PhD Scholarship Scheme
Fully Funded PhD in Precision Medicine for Low Back Pain Using Causal Inference and Machine Learning University of New South Wales in Australia
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Biostatistics
Funding
Fully funded PhD with a tax-free stipend of $39,991 per annum for 3.5 years, plus a $25,000 Global Mobility Grant for international research and travel. The advert does not specify separate tuition coverage.
Deadline
Nov 20, 2026
Country
Australia
University
University of New South Wales
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About this position
This fully funded PhD will investigate precision medicine for low back pain, with the aim of improving how healthcare decisions are made and identifying which treatments work best for particular patients.
The project will combine causal inference and machine learning across nationwide health databases and clinical trial data. The student will develop research expertise in data-driven treatment evaluation, health data analytics and methods for understanding variation in treatment outcomes.
Research will be conducted at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) in Sydney, an affiliated medical research institute of the University of New South Wales, within the Centre for Pain IMPACT. The student will work collaboratively with clinicians, researchers and people with lived experience of pain.
Supervision will be provided by Professor James H McAuley and Dr Harrison Hansford, with co-supervision from Associate Professor Issa Dahabreh of the CAUSALab at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The research environment includes opportunities to collaborate with global experts and spend time with the CAUSALab team in Boston.
The project is designed for a health graduate who is curious about data and wants to contribute to clinically meaningful research in pain, precision medicine and healthcare decision-making.
Funding details
Fully funded PhD with a tax-free stipend of $39,991 per annum for 3.5 years, plus a $25,000 Global Mobility Grant for international research and travel. The advert does not specify separate tuition coverage.
What's required
Applicants must be domestic applicants and hold an appropriate Bachelor degree with First or Upper Second Class Honours, a completed Master by Research, or an equivalent qualification recognised by the UNSW Faculty Higher Degree Committee. Applicants should be health graduates who are interested in data, healthcare decision-making, precision medicine and low back pain; relevant research experience, data analytics, statistical analysis, programming or related research-methods experience may be relevant.
How to apply
Eligible applicants should email Primary Supervisor James McAuley at [email protected] with a CV, official academic transcripts, a brief introduction, and an explanation of their interest in the project. If he agrees to supervise, applicants will be invited to submit a formal UNSW application. Applications close at 11:59 PM on 20 November 2026.
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