Postdoctoral Fellow – Human-Robot Interaction (Computer Science)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Human-Robot Interaction (Computer Science)

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Innovation in Dementia and Aging (IDEA) Lab | School of Nursing | Faculty of Applied Science

Duration : Two years

Funding : CAD $129,000

Job Description

Care robots have potential to offer useful support in Long Term Care. We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Fellow with a strong computer science or engineering background to lead the technical development and real-world implementation of autonomous mobile robot assistants in long‑term care (LTC) settings. The Fellow will work at the intersection of robotics, human‑robot interaction (HRI), user‑centred design, and implementation science in close collaboration with industry partners and people with lived experience. Under the supervision of Dr. Lillian Hung, Canada Research Chair in Senior Care and Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, the Fellow will contribute to a two‑year collaborative research project focused on co‑designing visual and auditory communication modalities that enable robots to clearly convey intent, actions, and decision logic to older adults, family caregivers, and healthcare staff. The project prioritizes technical robustness, usability, transparency, and workflow compatibility, ensuring robotic assistants can be responsibly and effectively integrated into everyday LTC care environments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and modify robot in collaboration with industry partner
• Refine robot communication and interaction systems (visual, auditory, multimodal)
• Integrate UX / UI features with autonomous mobile robot platforms
• Conduct usability testing, system evaluation, and iterative debugging in real‑world settings
• Lead and support deployment of the robot in an LTC home
• Deliver technical training for staff and project partners
• Collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data related to system performance and user interaction
• Contribute to technical documentation, academic publications, and knowledge translation activities
• Mentor graduate and undergraduate students working on technical components of the project

Qualifications

The candidate must have a PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Human–Computer Interaction, or a closely related field (completed within the past five years). The candidate will demonstrate evidence of strong research knowledge, skills and attitudes, and an interest in the subject matter. The ideal background includes familiarity with UX / UI implementation for interactive systems (e.g., multimodal interfaces, visualization, audio feedback).

Application

Interested individuals should email their curriculum vitae, a research statement, and a sample of publications to Dr. Lillian Hung (lillian.hung@ubc.ca) at the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia. The position will remain open until filled.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and / or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.

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