ETH Zurich is one of the leading universities of the world with a strong focus on science and engineering. In 2010 it established the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC) in collaboration with the National Research Foundation (NRF) to do interdisciplinary research on pressing problems.

The centre currently runs several research programmes with the Future Cities Laboratory (FCL) as one of the programmes. It is home to a community of over 100 PhD, postdoctoral and Professorial researchers working on diverse themes related to sustainable cities and resilient infrastructure systems. In the course of their work, researchers actively collaborate with universities, research institutes, industry, and government agencies with the aim of offering practical solutions.

Project background

The Population Mental Health Risk Prediction via Linkage of Multi-Modal Spatiotemporal Environmental Data To Population-Representative, Longitudinal Clinical Measures of Individual Mental Health (PRISMS) project is a multi institutional and multi disciplinary project with clinicians from the Singapore Institute for Clinical Science in A*STAR.

By 2050, approximately 70% of the global population is expected to live in urban environments, making it increasingly important to understand how the built environment affects health outcomes, particularly mental well-being. The emerging concept of neurourbanism focuses on the interdisciplinary study of how urban design influences psychology and mental health. Urbanization inevitably clashes with the conservation of natural spaces, leading to extensive research on the psychological benefits of exposure to nature. However, other aspects of the built environment, including the design of communal spaces, traffic noise pollution and heat stress are also intricately tied to mental well-being and should not be overlooked. In addition, definitions of mental well-being vary widely across studies and are often narrowly framed in terms of the absence of mental and mood disorders. As a growing population lives in the urban environment, it is crucial for us to gain a more holistic understanding of how various elements of the built environment affect both positive and negative mental well-being to support the development of healthy cities.

This project bridges the research gap between different facets of the built environment and both positive and negative aspects of mental well-being by embarking on a comprehensive investigation into the impact of the urban built environment on mental well-being in Singapore.

Lead PI: Evelyn Loo (SICS, A*STAR)

Job description

We are seeking a postdoctoral researcher to join a multidisciplinary and collaborative research project focused on the built environment and mental well-being. This role involves studying how urban factors, such as neighbourhood design, heat stress, and noise, affect both positive and negative dimensions of mental well-being in children and adults. The successful candidate will contribute to the analysis of longitudinal cohort studies and work closely with clinicians and other researchers from diverse fields. The position is jointly supervised by Dr. Srilalitha Gopalakrishnan (Singapore-ETH Centre) and Assistant Professor Filip Biljecki (National University of Singapore).

Key Responsibilities:

1. Co-developing the research towards Milestone 3. Including but not limited to:

• Designing and developing deep learning models to support research objectives (e.g., geo-spatial data science, segmentation of street view imagery).
• Contributing to the development of applications, features, datasets, and use cases based on publicly available street-view imagery and data from longitudinal cohort studies.
• Presenting research findings to international audiences and visiting stakeholders.
• Co-authoring and publishing journal / conference papers.

2. Supporting the broader research programme, which involves:

• Actively contributing to project meetings.
• Contributing to the preparation of academic papers and other scholarly output.
• Presenting the project internally and externally and preparing material for such presentations.
• Assisting other researchers in the project with their work as needed.

Requirements

Mandatory Requirements:

You have:

• PhD in Urban Sciences or any other related field
• Proven experience with machine learning tools and workflows, such as Hugging face, Keras, Torch.
• Research experience in conducting, analysing, and producing scholarly works from experiments.
• Proficiency in Python programming and familiarity with developer tools (e.g., git, AWS)

You are:

• Self-motivated and capable of working independently
• An experienced programmer, who can quickly adapt to new programming languages or software design approaches as needed.
• A collaborative team player who contributes constructively and supports colleagues
• Interested in topics related to the research project.
• Inquisitive and enthusiastic about exploring new concepts, methods and technologies, with the capability to identify and quickly learn the most suitable tools for research on the go.

An effective communicator who is:

• Proactive: able to raise issues, set goals, and follow through
• Rational: able to express ideas and reasoning clearly
• Interpersonal: open to giving and receiving constructive feedback
• Proficient in English at an academic working level

Significantly Beneficial Attributes:

• Detail-oriented and meticulous in your work.
• A developed GitHub repository that demonstrates your past or ongoing work, and skills.
• A strong interest in developing spatial data science and urban-related topics.

Desirable Attributes:

• The ability to present your work and progress in an engaging and effective way.

Why SEC is your employer of choice?

• Accredited with 5 Tripartite Standards by Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) Singapore.
• A diverse workplace with 32 nationalities, offering ample opportunities for mutual learning.
• Positive and inclusive working environment.
• 25 days of annual leave for fixed-term contracts.
• 1 day of Birthday Leave.
• Annual dental benefits.
• Committed to being a supportive employer as you prioritize your physical and mental wellness.
• Comprehensive healthcare insurance coverage.
• Flexible hybrid work arrangement (up to 2 days per week from home).
• Abundant networking opportunities across various disciplines.
• Accredited with NS mark certification.

Curious? So are we.

We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents:

• A short cover letter explaining your interest in the project and position.
• Your CV, specifically tailored to this position including Github repository or website of previous projects.
• Writing sample of academic writings where you are a co-author or first-author.

Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.

Work location: 1 Create Way, CREATE Tower, Singapore 138602 (NUS University Town)

Further information about The Singapore-ETH Centre can be found on our website: https://sec.ethz.ch/

For further information, please contact: Dr. Srilalitha Gopalakrishnan (Singapore-ETH Centre) at srilalitha.gopalakrishnan@sec.ethz.ch or Asst. Prof. Filip Biljecki (NUS) at filip@nus.edu.sg

The Singapore-ETH Centre is an equal opportunity and family-friendly employer. All candidates will be evaluated on their merits and qualifications, without regards to gender, race, age or religion.