Postdoctoral Research Fellow Full-time

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

The UBC mHealth Lab, in partnership with the UBC AI and Health Network, is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Fellow to advance cutting-edge research at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), natural language processing (NLP), digital health, and health equity. This position is funded by the UBC AI and Health Network Fellows Program.

Under the supervision of Dr. Richard Lester, MD, FRCPC, the Postdoctoral Fellow will lead a research program titled: Advancing Patient-Centered AI: Validating NLP Models Using Clinical and Communication Data in British Columbia. The fellow will work with a diverse set of real-world datasets—including two-way patient–provider texting collected via the WelTel platform and electronic medical record (EMR) data—from clinical partners across British Columbia. These include pediatric diabetes programs, cardiology clinics, primary care sites, and remote Indigenous communities. The Fellow will have the opportunity to develop and evaluate NLP models across multiple linguistic and cultural contexts, including low-resource and Indigenous languages, using privacy-preserving and equity-focused AI frameworks.

The UBC mHealth lab has a strong track record in global health research, with digital health projects focused on HIV, tuberculosis, maternal and child health, and chronic disease management across diverse international settings, supported by high-impact publications and long-standing partnerships. This fellowship at the mHealth lab offers an exceptional opportunity to shape the future of responsible, patient-centered AI in healthcare, contribute to impactful publications, collaborate with interdisciplinary teams across UBC and BC Health Authorities, and contribute to provincial and global leadership in ethical digital health innovation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead development and validation of NLP models using real-world clinical communication and EMR datasets
• Curate and manage diverse datasets with appropriate privacy, governance, and community-engagement protocols, particularly for Indigenous and rural data
• Adapt AI and machine translation methods for low-resource and Indigenous languages
• Evaluate model fairness, bias, and performance across diverse patient groups and care settings
• Work closely with provincial health partners, including Interior Health, BC Children's Hospital, and communities in Haida Gwaii
• Conduct qualitative and quantitative analyses related to patient-provider communication and health equity
• Contribute to knowledge translation efforts, including policy briefs, presentations, and capacity-building workshops
• Lead and co-author peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations
• Support mentorship of students and research staff within the UBC mHealth Lab

Qualifications

• PhD obtained within the last three (3) years in a relevant field (e.g., Computer Science, Computational Linguistics, Data Science or related disciplines)
• Strong experience or demonstrated interest in AI, NLP, machine learning, or digital health research
• Experience working with clinical, communication, or patient-generated datasets is an asset
• Familiarity with health equity, Indigenous health, or low-resource language technologies is highly preferred
• Ability to work collaboratively within interdisciplinary and multicultural research environments
• Strong communication, organizational, and analytical skills
• Eligibility to work in Canada
• Commitment to ethical, responsible AI development and privacy-preserving research practices

Terms of Appointment

• Full-time (1.0 FTE) Postdoctoral Fellow appointment preferred; part-time option will be considered.
• One-year funded term (February 2026 – February 2027), with possibility of extension based on performance and successful additional funding
• Salary supported by the UBC AI and Health Network Fellows Program

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

UBC is committed to employment equity and fostering an inclusive, barrier-free hiring process. We encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds, including Indigenous peoples, racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and members of LGBTQIA2S+ communities. Accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process upon request.

How to Apply

• Cover letter describing your research experience and interest in ethical AI and NLP
• Curriculum vitae
• Names and contact information for two references