Postdoctoral Fellow AI and PA

The University of Edinburgh - CMVM / MGPHS / USHER Institute

Full time: 35 hours per week

Fixed Term contract: available from 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2031

Location: Usher Institute, Edinburgh Bioquarter

We will also consider requests for hybrid working (on a non-contractual basis) that combines a mix of remote and regular (weekly) on-campus working. The Usher Institute expects a minimum of 40% on campus working.

The Opportunity: Medicine without Doctors is a six-year Wellcome-funded project exploring the changing authority of medical practices through four case studies: LGBTQ+ health, artificial intelligence, abortion care and the physician associate. The project is underpinned by two theoretical pillars: the sociology of care and the philosophy of voice. To do this work, the project brings together a multidisciplinary and sector-spanning team of investigators, from philosophy, socio-legal studies, STS, history, sociology and design, with the aim of creating new, interdisciplinary knowledge. In this project, we are also excited to develop and draw on play methodologies collaboratively.

We are looking for a Postdoctoral Fellow to undertake work in relation to the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Physician Associate (PA) components of the project. In collaboration with Dr Nayha Sethi (line manager) and Dr Lukas Engelmann (co-I), the postholder will be responsible for developing their own 5-year research project which compliments and combines two of the project’s case studies: Artificial Intelligence and Physician Associates. The postholder is asked to develop a research project that creatively cuts across these unfolding challenges to medical authority and which should align with the Medicine without Doctors wider aims and methodologies, including a focus on project themes care and voice, and creative methodologies.

Informal enquiries may be directed to Dr Nayha Sethi, Senior Lecturer, Nayha.Sethi@ed.ac.uk.

More information about Medicine without Doctors can be found here.

Your skills and attributes for success:

• A PhD awarded in a relevant discipline (e.g. law, social sciences, history, science and technology studies, empirical bioethics or other relevant fields engaging with qualitative research and law and/policy)
• Knowledge and understanding of current issues in medicine and health systems
• Experience of designing and undertaking qualitative research including organising, conducting, collecting, managing and analysing data from interviews, focus groups, surveys, or other forms of data collection)
• Experience of working independently and collaboratively to deliver projects
• Experience of or willingness to engage with community stakeholders as part of the research process