Aalto University Open Postdoctoral and Doctoral Positions: Polarization and Mental Health
Application Deadline: 22 September 2025
Location: Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland
Unit: School of Science, Department of Computer Science
Job Categories: Postdoctoral Researchers, Doctoral Researchers
Aalto University is seeking postdoctoral and doctoral researchers to join two innovative interdisciplinary projects focused on the intersection of political polarization and mental health. These projects aim to explore how polarized content and mental health vulnerabilities interact, creating a feedback loop that exacerbates societal divides and individual well-being.
About the Projects
- POLEMIC: POLarization Entangled with Mental well-being: Integrated and Computational approach to quantifying the underlying feedback loop
The POLEMIC project investigates the dynamic relationship between political polarization and mental health, including stress, anxiety, and loneliness. By utilizing large-scale social media analysis, smartphone-based sensing, and agent-based modeling, the project examines how polarized content affects mental health and vice versa. This interdisciplinary effort combines computational social science with mental health research to better understand how online harms can be detected and mitigated, with a focus on public health, policy, and technology design. - PolWell: Mental Health & Wellbeing in the Age of Polarizing Web Content
The PolWell project addresses the fragmented online information ecosystems that amplify polarization and contribute to mental health decline. Using fine-grained web browsing data, validated psychological scales, online experiments, and qualitative interviews, the project seeks to uncover causal relationships between online polarization and various mental health indicators. The project will also test interventions aimed at fostering healthier browsing behaviors, providing actionable insights for policymakers, mental health professionals, and platform designers.
What We Offer
- Research Opportunities: Be a part of pioneering research that bridges the fields of computational social science and mental health. Collaborate with top researchers in network science, digital health, and machine learning.
- Career Development: Gain valuable mentorship, training, and career development opportunities, including the chance to mentor students or participate in teaching.
- Interdisciplinary Team: Work alongside an international and collaborative team of researchers.
- Competitive Salary:
- Postdoctoral Researchers: €4100 – €4300/month
- Doctoral Researchers: €2800 – €3500/month, depending on progress.
- International Networking: Funding for conference participation and research mobility to further expand your scientific network.
- Living in Finland: Finland offers a high quality of life, a stable environment, and a strong international community. Helsinki is a vibrant, well-connected city with excellent flight connections worldwide.
Who We’re Looking For
Doctoral Researchers
- Background: Solid experience in computational social science, ubiquitous computing, data science, or human-computer interaction.
- Skills: Proficiency in Python and an interest in interdisciplinary research.
- Bonus: Experience with social media data, mental health, network science, or natural language processing.
Postdoctoral Researchers
- Track Record: A strong research background in computational social science, digital health, or polarization.
- Expertise: In areas such as statistical methods, network science, AI/ML, HCI, or content analysis.
- Bonus: Experience with social media data, behavioral sensing, qualitative interviews, or digital phenotyping.
Both roles require candidates to be motivated, independent, and collaborative with a keen interest in interdisciplinary research.
Application Process
To apply, please submit the following documents in PDF format via Workday by 22 September 2025:
- Motivation Letter (max 1 page), including responses to the following questions:
- How do your previous studies or research work align with these projects?
- What makes you a good fit for this position?
- Do you have any preferences or limitations regarding the start date?
- CV (with link to Google Scholar or similar profile for postdocs)
- Doctoral Transcript (for doctoral applicants)
Contact Information
For research-related questions, contact the Principal Investigators:
- Talayeh Aledavood
- Juhi Kulshrestha
- Mikko Kivelä
For recruitment-related questions, reach out to:
- HR Advisor Susanna Holma: [email protected]
About Aalto University
Aalto University is renowned for its cutting-edge research and high-quality education. The Department of Computer Science is one of the largest and most prestigious in the Nordic countries, focusing on digital health, computational social science, and machine learning. The university offers an inclusive and dynamic environment for research and innovation.
For more information about the position and to apply, visit Aalto University’s Career Portal.
Join Us!
This is an exciting opportunity to be part of an innovative research team that seeks to address some of the most pressing societal challenges of our time: polarization and mental health. If you’re passionate about interdisciplinary research, computational methods, and social impact, we encourage you to apply!
APPLY NOW
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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the seeking organization. For any inquiries, please contact the hiring organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.
