"Research Officer (RO)/ Assistant Research Officer (ARO)"

Ref.: 532151

Work type: Full-time

Department: School of Public Health (22400)

Categories: Senior Research Staff & Post-doctoral Fellow

Applications are invited for appointment as Research Officer (RO)/ Assistant Research Officer (ARO) in Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health (Ref.: 532151), to commence on 1 November 2025 for up to one year on temporary basis, or two to three years on fixed-term basis, with the possibility of renewal subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability.

Applicants should hold a PhD degree in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health or related disciplines from a leading research institution. A minimum of 5 years of relevant research/postdoctoral experience is required, including proven proficiency in developing artificial intelligence (AI) models using both online and offline large language models (LLMs) such as GPT, Qwen, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, and Gemma. Familiarity with Linux environments is essential, along with advanced Python programming skills for processing annotated data, implementing fine-tuning techniques (e.g., Chain-of-Thought, Retrieval Augmented Generation), and optimizing outputs through cross-referencing and ensemble strategies. Experience in developing oncology-focused natural language processing (NLP) models with related publications will be advantageous. Strong quantitative research capabilities are critical, including extracting and analysing large electronic health records from the Hospital Authority using R, STATA, or SAS, and conducting costing/cost-effectiveness analyses. Applicants must have hands-on experience in securing competitive grants as principal investigators or co-investigators, managing patient recruitment, preparing IRB applications, and drafting press releases. Exceptional bilingual communication skills (English and Chinese) and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams are essential. Those with lower qualifications or less experience may be appointed as ARO.

The appointee will implement AI models using diverse LLMs to analyse unstructured clinical notes from public sources and the Hospital Authority. Key responsibilities include supporting the development of AI clinical decision support systems for practical clinical use, participating in territory-wide epidemiological studies to evaluate intervention/vaccine effectiveness using electronic health records, and assisting in project coordination. Operational duties encompass overseeing patient recruitment/follow-up, preparing IRB submissions, drafting manuscripts and press releases, and contributing to grant applications from conception to execution. The role requires active liaison with clinical co-investigators and stakeholders to ensure project alignment. Enquiries about the duties of the post should be sent to audreyh@hku.hk.

A highly competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience will be offered, in addition to annual leave and medical/dental benefits. The appointment on fixed terms will attract a contract-end gratuity and University contribution to a retirement benefits scheme at 10% of basic salary for ARO, and 15% for RO. Housing benefits will also be provided to RO on a fixed-term appointment as applicable.

The University only accepts online applications for the above post. Applicants should apply online and upload an up-to-date CV. Review of applications will start on June 19, 2025, and continue until September 4, 2025, or until the post is filled, whichever is earlier.