The Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics offers a postdoctoral fellowship within the project “Improving Surgical Staffing with Data Driven AI Solutions”. The scholarship is full-time for two years starting January 2026, or as agreed.

Project description:
To meet the healthcare challenges of the future, resources must be used more efficiently than they are today. The combination of large-scale historical data and AI offers new opportunities to achieve this. The aim of this project is to develop data-driven planning and optimization tools for surgery and post-surgery units at Norrland University Hospital. Using statistical modelling and machine learning, we aim to create a digital twin of these units, which can then be used to optimize operations.

The work involves several specific challenges: processing times may be censored, outliers are common, and it is difficult to make strong model assumptions during optimization. Another clinically important challenge is adapting predictive models for use across different hospitals.

We are looking for a highly motivated individual with a strong interest in computational science and statistics, who would like to contribute to addressing important challenges in healthcare. Our research group works in an interdisciplinary environment, closely collaborating with the healthcare system.

The scholarship is funded and administered by the Kempe Foundations. The tax-free scholarship amount amounts to a total of 750,000 SEK, which corresponds to 31,250 SEK per month. There are also good opportunities for financing research costs.

Umeå provides outstanding working and living conditions. This youthful city is situated beside a large river, surrounded by forests and lakes, and is near the sea. The area offers numerous opportunities for both indoor and outdoor activities.