Postdoctoral Research in Human-Centered AI Behavior in Medicine (m/f/d)

Postdoctoral Research in Human-Centered AI Behavior in Medicine (m/f/d)

Job-ID: V000016254
Field of application: Medizinische Fakultät
Location: Heidelberg
Job Category: Science and teaching
Working hours: full-time (100%)
Published: 24.09.2026
Limitation: Temporary (2 Jahen)
Contract: TV-L

Are you passionate about understanding how artificial intelligence behaves and how it can be optimized to deliver meaningful impact in medicine? Join an interdisciplinary research environment at one of Germany’s leading medical institutions and contribute to cutting-edge research at the intersection of AI, psychology, behavioral science, and healthcare. Working with state-of-the-art large language models (LLMs) and vision-language models (VLMs), you will investigate AI behavior, develop innovative evaluation methods, and translate scientific insights into real-world applications that improve healthcare outcomes and user experiences. You will collaborate with researchers, clinicians, and data scientists while enjoying outstanding technical resources, scientific freedom, and opportunities for professional growth.

Your Responsibilities

• Design and conduct large-scale experimental studies with LLMs and VLMs using automated inference, prompting strategies, and reproducible evaluation pipelines
• Develop computational methods for the behavioral and psychological characterization of AI systems, including standardized assessments and behavioral experiments
• Leverage multimodal AI technologies to analyze complex image and real-world datasets and identify clinically and psychologically relevant patterns
• Lead independent scientific research projects covering study design, data processing, statistical analyses, model evaluation, and interpretation of findings
• Investigate and optimize user experience and objective performance of AI systems in healthcare and medical applications together with interdisciplinary partners
• Publish high-impact research in peer-reviewed journals, present findings at international conferences, and actively contribute to scientific dissemination
• Support grant applications, supervise junior researchers and students, and contribute to teaching activities in AI and data science for medicine

Your Profile

• PhD in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Data Science, Computational Cognitive Science, Medical Informatics, or a comparable quantitative discipline
• Proven hands-on experience working with LLMs, foundation models, multimodal AI systems, or related machine-learning technologies
• Strong programming expertise in Python and experience with frameworks such as PyTorch, Hugging Face Transformers, or equivalent tools
• Demonstrated ability to develop scalable, automated, and reproducible computational experiments and data pipelines
• Experience analyzing complex experimental data and large-scale datasets using advanced quantitative and statistical methods
• Track record of independent scientific research demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications or comparable research achievements
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
• A collaborative, analytical, and self-driven mindset with enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research

What we offer

• On-site working with state-of-the-art technology and facilities
• Flexible working hours
• A family-friendly working environment
• Collectively agreed remuneration according to TV-L E13, attractive company pension scheme (VBL)
• 30 days vacation
• Sustainable travel: job ticket
• Family-friendly working environment: cooperative arrangements for childcare, subsidy for child vacation care, advice for employees with relatives in need of care
• Wide range of health, prevention and sports offers

Contact & Application

For questions regarding this position, please contact the responsible hiring team via phone and email.

Drive the future of AI in medicine!

We look forward to receiving your online application.

Medizinische Fakultät
Dr. Silvia Barbosa Head of Operations
Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.3
69120 Heidelberg
[email protected]

Note: The UKHD is subject to the provisions of the Infektionsschutzgesetz. Therefore, a valid measles immunity certificate is required for all persons employed at the UKHD.

The UKHD embraces diversity and values diversity.
Regardless of age, gender, sexual identity, disability, origin or religion, we offer everyone the same opportunities. If one gender is underrepresented in a particular area, we place particular emphasis on counteracting this imbalance. If they have the same aptitude, qualifications and professional performance, we give priority to people with severe disabilities when considering them for vacancies.