"Assistant Professor"

As part of a major expansion of its research programs in Health Science Communications, the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa invites applications for a tenure-track position specializing in the emerging intersection of Explainable AI (XAI), Generative AI for Personalized Health Messaging, and Multimodal AI Health Communication.

We seek an innovative scholar with expertise in developing transparent and interpretable AI solutions that facilitate trust and clarity in health-related communication. The ideal candidate will have experience creating generative models to deliver personalized, culturally sensitive, and context-aware health messages. Additionally, applicants should demonstrate proficiency in multimodal AI, integrating text, image, video, and audio to enhance patient-centered health education and communication.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and expand cutting-edge research programs linking Explainable AI, generative health communication, and multimodal technologies.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams in healthcare, computer science, communication, and public health.
• Secure research funding and publish influential studies in top-tier journals and conferences.
• Mentor students and junior faculty in AI-driven health communication research.

Title of the position: Assistant Professor

Duties: Academic staff functions include, in varying proportions: Teaching, Scholarly research activities, Academic service, Undergraduate and graduate student supervision.

Terms: Vacant tenure-track position

Wage: Salary scale for an assistant professor starts at $99,377 (as of May 1, 2025)

Benefits package: The University of Ottawa provides a complete benefits package, which includes long-term disability leave, basic group life insurance, supplementary health insurance, a pension plan and optional life insurance, as well as relocation expenses.

Location of work: Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Montpetit Hall (MNT), University of Ottawa, 125 University Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 1A2, Canada.

Contact information: Frédérique Tesson, Director, Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, eiss-ishs.admin@uottawa.ca

Skills requirements:

Education: PhD or equivalent and / or Postdoctoral experience in Health Communication, Computer Science, Health Informatics, Public Health, or a closely related field.

Work experience: Demonstrated expertise and scholarly contributions in XAI, Generative AI, NLP, and multimodal machine learning methods. Track record of funded research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and peer-reviewed publications. Commitment to ethics, equity, and inclusivity in health communications and AI. Excellent communication skills in either English or French. Passive (or active) knowledge of one’s second official language (French or English) is a requirement for tenure. English-French bilingualism is an asset.

Application: Candidates should include the following in their application: A cover letter, including a statement on the level of bilingualism; An up-to-date curriculum vitae (please include any personal circumstances and/or career interruptions such as parental or sick leaves that may have impacted your research trajectory; these will be taken into consideration in the selection process); A research plan; A statement of teaching philosophy; A statement on equity, diversity, and inclusion philosophy and concrete practices (~1 page); The names of three people who may be contacted by the University for letters of reference.

Application deadline: Applications received prior to October 19, 2025, will be given first consideration. Applications received after that date will be considered until the position is filled.