PhD Candidate PhD - Department of Health

The Department of Health at OST combines teaching, research, and development with practice. In the Move-IT Competence Center, we develop and research innovative, technology-based offerings for health promotion and proactive dementia prevention. Together with our team at OST, the startup Stepwave, and external research and practice partners, including those from physiotherapy, we address questions that improve existing care offerings and promote the quality of life of the aging population. The research field: At the center is the development and research of innovative care models with digital health offerings and exergames. You will help shape the further development of our exergame software and investigate in co-design workshops and user tests how such offerings can be developed and used according to needs. The research combines qualitative and quantitative methods (mixed methods) with close cooperation between science and practice. Findings from the research should flow directly into health promotion and proactive dementia prevention. To strengthen our team in the Move-IT Competence Center, we are looking for a committed personality as a PhD Candidate PhD, effective immediately or by arrangement. You will participate in research projects, the further development of digital health offerings, and scientific publications. Your activity is located in the Department of Health at OST. ###

Your Field of Activity

• Planning, implementation, and evaluation of research projects, especially co-design workshops and user tests for the evaluation of digital health offerings with exergames to improve health promotion and proactive dementia prevention using mixed-methods approaches
• Further development of our innovative exergame software
• Cooperation with the OST team, Stepwave, as well as external research and practice partners to address practice-relevant questions
• Participation in scientific publications and presentation of results at specialist events and conferences
• Supervision of Bachelor's and Master's theses and support of students in building scientific competencies

Your Expertise

• Master's degree in Game Design, Software Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field, e.g., Health Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, or Movement Sciences
• Ideally specialization in co-design, medical products, or digital health offerings
• Good programming skills in JavaScript, Python, Unity, or comparable technologies, as well as experience with or interest in Agentic AI
• Interest in and basic knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods, co-design, and the investigation of user experience of digital health offerings, ideally exergames
• Interest in health promotion, proactive dementia prevention, care research, and scientific working; experience with co-design in the field of geriatrics is an advantage
• Independent, structured, and cooperative way of working as well as excellent communication and teamwork skills

Your Benefits with us

Questions about the application process

Sylvia Iten
HR Business Partner
sylvia.iten@ost.ch

About OST

OST - Ostschweizer Fachhochschule is an intercantonal and interstate university of applied sciences with locations in Buchs, Rapperswil-Jona, and St.Gallen. With excellent Bachelor's and Master's degree programs as well as up-to-date continuing education, we train future-oriented specialists and managers. In the field of application-oriented research and development as well as services, we are among the leading institutions nationally.