PhD Position in Empirical Ethics: Fair AI Tools for Disease Prevention

The Centre for Research Ethics and Bioethics (CRB) is an interdisciplinary centre located at the Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences at Uppsala University. The centre’s researchers hold degrees in medicine, healthcare, ethics, philosophy, and law, and examine the ethical, philosophical, and legal aspects of biomedical research and clinical practice.

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Duties
We are seeking a PhD student to join the fAIrHEALTH project, which explores the ethical aspect of fairness in AI models for disease prevention. The work combines empirical and philosophical methods and primarily involves a preference study using a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) to map how different stakeholders (the public, clinicians, decision-makers) value trade-offs between algorithmic fairness and predictive accuracy.

The project may also include a qualitative study on how people understand the concept of fairness in healthcare and in AI-based decisions, as well as an ethical analysis of how preferences can be balanced against technical limitations and risks of bias, and which ethical principles should guide the development of AI in healthcare.

This is an interdisciplinary collaboration, and the PhD student will be part of an international team with expertise in ethics, AI, epidemiology, and health economics, with a focus on preference research. The project is connected to international networks and offers opportunities to build a strong research network.

The work will include data wrangling and statistical analyses in RStudio, as well as developing DCE designs using tools such as Ngene and Sawtooth.

The project is based at the Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics (CRB) in the Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences at Uppsala University.

Requirements
Applicants must have a basic university education of at least 180 ECTS credits in medical ethics, medicine, nursing, technology, health economics, political science, public health, or another relevant subject, as well as advanced-level education (60 ECTS credits) within a relevant master’s program. Good command of English, spoken and written, is required.

Additional qualifications
University studies in ethics are considered an advantage. Experience with RStudio is also beneficial.

We are looking for someone proactive who takes initiative and can solve problems while working in a structured, quality-conscious manner. You will be part of a multidisciplinary environment where individuals with diverse qualifications and expertise collaborate to conduct innovative research.

Rules governing PhD students are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5, §§ 1-7 and in Uppsala University's rules and guidelines.

Application
Your application should include a personal letter, CV, copies of degree certificates and transcripts, your thesis, and any previous publications (for example, a bachelor’s or master’s thesis). In your personal letter, please specify: 1) your experience in participating in scientific work, 2) your reasons for pursuing doctoral studies, and 3) whether you have experience using the statistical software RStudio. You are also encouraged to briefly describe how you would like to contribute your own perspective to the PhD project beyond the DCE study described above under Duties.

Selection process
The selection of applicants is based on the following criteria: fulfillment of qualification and eligibility requirements, as well as previous experience of work and/or research in related areas. The selection of candidates is carried out by the supervisors in consultation with the department’s doctoral studies group and is confirmed by the departmental board. The Faculty’s doctoral studies committee formally admits the doctoral student. In this recruitment, the University will primarily consider the applicant who, after an overall assessment of qualifications and competence, is deemed to have the best potential to carry out and further develop the tasks included in the position.

About the employment
The employment is a temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7. Scope of employment 100%. Starting date 2026-04-01 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala. 

The doctoral education comprises four years of full‑time studies. Other duties at the department, such as teaching and administrative work, may be included in the employment (up to a maximum of 20%), which extends the doctoral period by a corresponding amount of time.

For further information about the position, please contact: Jennifer Viberg Johansson, +46 18 471 62 81, jennifer.viberg-johansson@uu.se

Please submit your application by  23 February 2026, UFV-PA 2026/92. 

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