PhD in Visualisation: Storytelling with Data for Improving Population Health

Funding: Tuition fees (Home) and an annual tax-free stipend of £21,000/year

Applications are invited for a PhD studentship in the Department of Computer Science. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work on an exciting interdisciplinary project and join a world-class research group in visualisation and visual analytics (the giCentre). As a PhD researcher, you will have the opportunity to work in close collaboration with a diverse group of stakeholders and researchers in the area of Population Health Management. In addition to academic networking opportunities (e.g. attending conferences, organising workshops, etc.), this project presents several networking opportunities with prospective employers through co-design activities.

In group decision making, a number of individuals collaboratively assess a competing set of alternatives to select the optimal solution for a problem. In Population Health Management (PHM), this process is complicated by factors including: the complexity of alternatives under consideration, poor data quality (e.g. timeliness, completeness, etc.), time limitations and the lack of support for adequate communication between collaborating organisations. Visualisation offers great opportunities for effective communication of information, via data stories, in order to facilitate collaboration.

In this PhD project, you will explore a combination of qualitative research methods and creative visualisation techniques to support collaboration and decision making. You will develop a new tool to support lay users in creating data stories that can inform, inspire and advocate for District-level planning that tackles health inequalities.

Eligibility and requirements 

The candidate should have a first or upper second-class degree in Computer Science or a related area.

They should demonstrate aptitude for original research.

An MSc in a relevant area would be an advantage.

Scholarship: The studentship is for 3.5 years and will provide an annual tax-free stipend of £21,000 and tuition fees (Home only). 

An extra £1,500/year salary supplement will be offered to all successful candidates from underrepresented communities. In particular, the stipend supplement will be reserved for female, LGBTQ+ and disabled applicants.

Additional income: Each student may also have the opportunity to earn around £2,200/year on an average (max. is around £4,300/year) through a teaching assistantship.

The candidate should possess a good understanding of human-centred computing and data visualisation. A candidate who demonstrates exceptional aptitude in one or more of these areas (as evidenced, for instance, through strong academic credentials or research papers) may be accorded preference. Ideally, the successful candidate should have proven skills in user experience (UX) design and full stack development. 

A doctoral candidate is expected to meet the following pre-requisites for their PhD: 

• Demonstrate a sound knowledge of their research area;
• Achieve and demonstrate significant depth in at least a few chosen sub-areas relevant to their primary research area;
• Demonstrate the ability to conduct independent research, including a critical assessment of their own and others’ research;

If you are interested in applying, please address any initial informal enquiries to:
Dr Mai Elshehaly Mai.Elshehaly@city.ac.uk or
Professor Jo Wood J.D.Wood@city.ac.uk

How to apply

Online applications should be submitted by clicking the 'Apply' button, above.

For queries regarding the application process, please contact pgr.sst.enquire@city.ac.uk

City, University of London is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in all its activities, processes, and culture for our whole community, including staff, students and visitors.

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