Offline-first, trauma-informed digital mental health for Tigray war-affected youth

This PhD position at KU Leuven focuses on creating a trauma-informed digital mental health toolkit for youth impacted by the Tigray conflict. The researcher will collaborate with various institutions, including Mekelle University and Aksum University, to integrate human-computer interaction, participatory design, and responsible AI into the project. The role involves conducting research, engaging in participatory design workshops, and ensuring ethical practices in sensitive mental health contexts. Candidates are expected to contribute to both technical development and academic outputs while mentoring MSc students.

• Develop a comprehensive doctoral research plan aligned with the project's objectives.
• Facilitate formative research and conduct participatory design workshops.
• Translate co-design findings into functional requirements for the digital toolkit.
• Engage in hands-on research, focusing on prototyping and data security.
• Establish guidelines for ethical AI use and human oversight.
• Conduct usability testing and pilot studies with youth participants.
• Analyze research data using reproducible methods.
• Collaborate with multiple stakeholders across institutions.
• Publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals.
• Mentor MSc students and contribute to the Digital Mental Health curriculum.