PhD Studentship - Agentic AI and Cognitive Work in Healthcare: Reshaping Cognitive and Emotional Work in Clinical Decision Making

Research Context & Problem

Healthcare is entering a new phase of digital transformation, where AI is evolving beyond decision-support tools into increasingly autonomous agentic systems that generate recommendations, prioritise actions, and shape clinical workflows. While these technologies promise gains in efficiency and accuracy, far less is known about how they reconfigure the cognitive and emotional demands of clinical work. This PhD project investigates how collaboration with agentic AI may alter clinician reasoning, cognitive load, emotional regulation, trust, and professional agency, with implications for workforce sustainability and safe, high-quality care.

This project focuses on the human consequences of AI adoption in high-stakes environments, examining the cognitive, behavioural and organisational implications of human–AI collaboration.

The Research Opportunity & Development

This interdisciplinary project sits at the intersection of healthcare operations, work psychology, and human–AI collaboration.

As the successful candidate, you will:

• Contribute to Theory: Advance research on agentic AI and cognitive work, focusing on decision-making, cognitive load, emotion regulation, and wellbeing in healthcare.
• Conduct Innovative Research: Develop an empirical research strategy that may include qualitative, experimental, intervention-based, and statistical approaches.
• Join an Immersive Research Environment: You will be integrated into leading interdisciplinary research communities at Sheffield, including Supply Chain, Operations and Logistics Applied Research Centre (SOLARC) and the Institute of Work Psychology (IWP), within a triple-accredited (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA) research culture.

Supervision & Training

You will be supervised by an interdisciplinary team with expertise spanning healthcare operations, work psychology, and organisational interventions:

• Dr. Emilia Vann Yaroson (SOLARC): Expertise in healthcare operations and digital transformation.
• Dr. Cristian Vasquez (IWP): Expertise in wellbeing interventions, with a particular focus on process evaluation of interventions across individual, group, leader and organisational levels.
• Professor Jeremy Dawson (IWP): Expertise in work psychology, healthcare management, wellbeing, and intervention research across various levels.
• As a PhD researcher at Sheffield, you will undertake the Doctoral Development Programme (DDP), a flexible training scheme designed to develop research leadership and professional skills.

Candidate Profile

We are seeking an intellectually curious and motivated candidate with a strong academic background in healthcare management, business analytics, organisational behaviour, psychology, information systems, computer science, or a related field. The ideal applicant will demonstrate:

• Interest in human–AI collaboration, digital transformation, cognitive work, wellbeing in healthcare settings.
• Capacity for rigorous research, including qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods and intervention-based approaches.
• Strong analytical, communication, and interdisciplinary engagement skills.

Entry Requirements and Application

Applicants should have (or expect to obtain) a 1st or 2:1 UK Honours degree and a Masters degree at Merit or above (or equivalent). English language proficiency (IELTS 7.0 overall with 6.5 in each component, if applicable).

Applicants are required to develop a full research proposal (up to 3,000 words) based on the project brief provided in this advert. The proposal should involve the use of multiple methods. Please submit your application via the University of Sheffield’s online portal. When applying, please select 'Management School' and clearly state the project title: “Agentic AI and Cognitive Work in Healthcare: Reshaping Cognitive and Emotional Work in Clinical Decision Making”.

Informal Enquiries: For further information, please contact Emilia Vann Yaroson (e.v.yaroson@sheffield.ac.uk) or Cristian Vasquez (c.vasquez@sheffield.ac.uk) or Jeremy Dawson (j.f.dawson@sheffield.ac.uk).

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