Wicked Problems Scholars

PhD Scholarship in AI, Digital Health, and Policy Innovation at Flinders University (Adelaide, Australia).

This post advertises a fully funded PhD opportunity with a research team at Flinders University. The project sits at the intersection of computer science, artificial intelligence, digital health, public health, policy innovation, and statistics. The successful candidate will work on an AI-driven digital twin to analyse the Wicked Problems dataset and generate policy insights about how cost-of-living pressures affect Australians’ access to healthcare.

The research will examine more than 90,000 open-text responses together with linked survey data to understand lived experiences, behavioural drivers, community perspectives, healthcare barriers, financial stress, and trust in institutions. These findings will be used to define behavioural rules, system interactions, and parameters for scenario planning. The project also integrates health utilisation patterns, demographic factors, and economic indicators to simulate how policy reforms interact with economic stress and influence service demand.

The supervisory team includes Asara Senaratne, Matthew Stephenson, Niranjan Bidargaddi, and Selina Tually. The post asks interested candidates to email a CV and cover letter to Asara Senaratne before 12 April 2026. The cover letter should explain relevant qualifications, research experience, and reasons for applying.

This opportunity is best suited to applicants with interests in AI, digital twins, health data analysis, healthcare access, behavioural science, and policy-oriented research.