Open PhD positions

Position 1: Research Associate / PhD Position (Experimental Psychology & Behavioural Health)

Location: QuLiLa – Quality of Life Living Lab, Kulmbach (University of Bayreuth)

Start date: 1 December 2025 (desirable)

Contract: [3 years, 2/3 Stelle, TV-L 13]

About the Living Lab

The QuLiLa Living Lab in Kulmbach is a unique, fully sensorized set of smart apartments designed to study human behaviour, health, and wellbeing in real-life environments. Equipped with advanced monitoring of movement, physiological signals, and environmental conditions, the lab enables ecologically valid experiments at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, and digital health.

Your Role: We are seeking a motivated researcher to design and conduct experimental psychology studies on human behaviour and health within the Living Lab. You will develop and run innovative experiments, analyse multimodal data streams, and contribute to building digital biomarkers of behaviour and wellbeing. Depending on your background, you may focus on:

• Cognitive and behavioural experiments in real-life settings 
  
• Interactions between behaviour, health, and environment
• Use of wearables, sensor data, and digital phenotyping methods 
  
• Translational research linking psychology, health, and digital interventions
  
  

Your Profile

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, Behavioural Science, or related field (PhD applicants welcome) 
  
• Strong background in experimental psychology and behavioural research
• Skills in statistical analysis and/or computational methods (e.g. R, Python, Matlab) 
  
• Interest in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of psychology, health, and digital technologies
• (Optional but advantageous): Experience with sensor data, wearables, or digital health interventions
  

We Offer

• A unique research environment in the QuLiLa Living Lab, combining experimental psychology with cutting-edge digital health infrastructure 
  
• The opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary team spanning psychology, computer science, and health research
• Support for doctoral training (if applicable), career development, and international collaboration 
  
• Salary according to the German public sector scale (TV-L)
  

Position 2: Research Associate / PhD Position (Wearables, Digital Biomarkers, Data Science & Clinical Trials)

Location: [London / Bayreuth – Campus Kulmbach/ Hybrid]

Start date: 1 December 2025 (desirable)

Contract: [3 years, 2/3 Stelle, TV-L E13 or equivalent]

About Us

We develop and validate AI-derived digital biomarkers from wearable and sensor technologies to transform healthcare. Our research spans experimental and clinical studies, bridging behavioural science, medicine, and AI. Working closely with our AI/ML team, we translate multimodal health data into next-generation predictive models and decision support systems.

Your Role: We are seeking a motivated researcher to support our clinical trials in digital health while contributing actively to data science workflows. In this role, you will:

• Coordinate and support clinical trial operations, including participant recruitment, onboarding, and wearable-based data collection
• Manage multimodal data streams from wearables, apps, and environmental sensors
• Preprocess, curate, and analyse large-scale datasets (e.g. physiology, behaviour, activity, sleep, glucose monitoring)
• Collaborate closely with our AI/ML team to prepare high-quality datasets for model training and validation
• Contribute to the development and evaluation of digital biomarkers with clinical relevance
• Publish findings and contribute to grants and international collaborations
  

Your Profile

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Psychology, Neuroscience, Data Science, Biomedical Engineering, Health sciences, Computer Science, or a related discipline (PhD applicants welcome)
• Practical experience and/or interest in human studies or clinical trials
• Strong skills in data science / computational methods (Python, R, Matlab, SQL or equivalent)
• Familiarity with wearable technologies and digital health platforms
• Interest in AI/ML applications in healthcare and willingness to work closely with data scientists and clinicians
• Excellent organisational and teamwork skills
• (Desirable) Knowledge of regulatory aspects of clinical research (ethics, GDPR, GCP)

We Offer

• A unique opportunity to work at the interface of clinical research and AI-driven data science
• Close collaboration with an interdisciplinary team spanning medicine, psychology, computer science, and engineering 
  
• The chance to generate real-world impact through clinical trials and digital biomarker development
• Support for doctoral training (if applicable) and career progression
• Competitive salary based on public sector scales (TV-L or equivalent)
  

How to Apply

Please send your application (CV, cover letter, transcripts, and contact details of two referees) as a single PDF to faisal_lab@uni-bayreuth.de

In the email subject, please state “Application for PhD Position - QuLiLa” for position 1 or “Application for PhD Position – Wearables” for position 2. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and continue until the position is filled.