Topic:

As part of a research project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, we are starting the development of a digital intervention to help parents living with an adolescent suffering from anorexia to better manage their daily relationship. This intervention consists of an interactive simulation, immersing users in everyday situations, aiming at teaching how to interact appropriately with persons suffering from the disorder.
The uniqueness of our solution is to generate dynamic and personalized learning environments for the acquisition of relational and social skills. We aim to generate dynamically both the events taking place in the "narrative simulation" and the actions available to the user. More specifically, we will seek to finely personalize the initial situation and the course of the simulation according to the context (location, professions, family structure, etc.) and the patient’s behavioral characteristics.

The recruited post-doc will help to coordinate the numerous activities necessary for this project and support the PhD student involved in designing and implementing the interactive simulation.

He or she will have to:
• Plan the activities
• Ensure the realization of tasks on due time by the different team members
• Provide support to the PhD to guide him/her in his/her research
• Act as a facilitator between the psychological and technical part
• Challenge the technical decisions taken in the project
• Ensure a coherent user experience for the learners (lead game design)
• Manage the iterative testing of the system, in coordination with users
• Support the development of specific modules
• Support research activities within the project, such as protocol design
• Participate to scientific publications.

Desired profile:

• PhD in the field of Artificial Intelligence (e.g. Autonomous Agents), Computer Science (e.g. Serious Games), Human-Computer Interface, or a title deemed equivalent
• Knowledge of Artificial Intelligence: rule engines (especially Drools), excellent abstraction skills
• Computer skills: Java programming, client server software architecture, HTTP protocol, relational database. Knowledge of Unity, OAuth, docker and CI/CD is an advantage.
• Knowledge of narrative theory, educational games, graphic design, medical informatics is an advantage
• High level of independence, curiosity, and thoroughness
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary context
• Good relational skills
• Good organizational skills
• Writing skills
• Academic track of publication in peer reviewed journal
• Fluency in English, good level in French

Conditions:

80,000 Swiss francs (gross salary).
Duration: one year.

Application procedure:

Candidates will send by 31 April 2023, by e-mail, a file including
• A detailed Curriculum Vitae
• A letter of motivation
• References: former colleagues/leaders who can be contacted

Contact address (requests for information, sending of the file): nicolas.szilas[_at_]unige.ch

The examination of applications starts immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

The candidate will work closely with the project team, including three other researchers and two PhD student in an international (Switzerland, Denmark) and interdisciplinary (computing, interactive narrative, psychology) context.