Data Scientist (at the rank of Assistant Research Officer) in the Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute (HKJCGHI) of the School of Public Health (Ref.: 536890), to commence as soon as possible on a one-year temporary or two-year fixed-term basis, with the possibility of renewal subject to funding availability and satisfactory performance.
HKU has partnered with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and The University of Cambridge to establish the HKJCGHI, with funding support from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. IVI is a non-profit international organization dedicated to vaccines and vaccination for global health. The Epidemiology, Public Health and Impact (EPIC) Unit of IVI coordinates HKJCGHI’s work streams in epidemiology, pandemic preparedness and capacity building.
Applicants should possess a Master’s degree in Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Public Health or a related field with a strong quantitative focus. A PhD degree in a relevant discipline would be desirable but is not required. Applicants should have 3-5 years of experience in mathematical modeling and/or statistical inference relevant to epidemiological studies of infectious diseases, with a proven track record of leading research projects and publishing in peer-reviewed journals.
Applicants should have expertise in study design, as well as in the formulation and implementation of mathematical or computational models of infectious diseases. They should also have an interest in, or experience with, integrating climate change variables, sociodemographic factors, and other area-level covariates into disease modeling. Experience working with diverse datasets, including epidemiological, surveillance, demographic, and climate data, is essential. Proficiency in programming languages such as R, Python, MATLAB, or C++ for modeling and analysis is required. Familiarity with statistical methods, machine learning techniques, and tools for data visualization would be an advantage. Experience in using agentic artificial intelligence to facilitate analysis workflows is a plus, but is not required.
The appointee will work closely with research scientists and the biostatistics team at IVI. IVI has an extensive global network of field sites and databases spanning 20 years of vaccine-related field studies. The appointee will be working with existing IVI EPIC databases from IVI projects and field sites, and will contribute to the design, development, and implementation of mathematical and computational models to simulate infectious disease transmission dynamics, progression, and intervention strategies, with a particular focus on the intersection of infectious diseases and climate change.
The appointee will incorporate climate change variables, such as extreme weather events, temperature, precipitation, and environmental factors, into models to explore the impacts of climate variability on disease dynamics. He/She will be expected to integrate epidemiological, demographic, health systems, and climate data into modeling frameworks to inform public health policies and intervention planning. He/She will lead research projects, define objectives, manage timelines, coordinate internal and external collaborators, publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals, and present at conferences and stakeholder meetings.
A highly competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience will be offered, in addition to annual leave and medical benefits. Appointee on fixed-term contract will receive a contract-end gratuity and University contribution to a retirement benefits scheme, totaling up to 10% of basic salary.
The University only accepts online application for the above post. Applicants should apply online and upload an up-to-date CV. Review of applications will start from (2 weeks from posting) and continue until October 31, 2026, or until the post is filled, whichever is earlier.
