Opportunities

Join the lab

Mar 14, 2026 opportunity

Join SUNLab to understand and shape the future of cities using large-scale human behavior data. Opportunities available periodically.

The Social Urban Networks Lab (SUNLab) at Northeastern University’s Network Science Institute (NetSI) is building a team of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers to work on data-driven problems at the intersection of urban science, network science, and computational social science.

We use large-scale datasets of human behavior—mobility traces, digital activity, labor and economic data—to understand and shape how cities respond to inequality, climate, health, and technological disruption.

Research themes

SUNLab projects currently focus on several connected areas:

Across all themes, our work is data-driven, network-based, and translational: we collaborate with industry, government, and communities, and we aim to turn research into tools, policy insights, and real-world impact.

PhD positions

We recruit PhD students through Northeastern’s Network Science PhD Program. As a PhD student in SUNLab you will work with large-scale behavioral data, develop models of cities and social systems, and collaborate closely with our team and external partners.

We’re looking for students with strong quantitative and programming skills (e.g. Python or R), experience or interest in network / data / urban science, and enthusiasm for doing impactful, collaborative research.

Postdoc positions

We also recruit postdoctoral researchers to join SUNLab at NetSI.

As a postdoc, you will lead and co-lead research projects on SUNLab’s core topics (inequality, resilience, health, mobility, and labor), work with large-scale behavioral data, and collaborate closely with our interdisciplinary team and external partners.

We’re looking for researchers with a quantitative PhD, strong data and programming skills, and experience (or strong interest) in network / data / urban science.

What we look for (both PhD and postdoc)

Across both levels, we look for people who:

  • Enjoy working with data and networks to understand cities and societies.
  • Are comfortable with coding and quantitative analysis.
  • Want to do collaborative, impact-oriented research with partners beyond academia.

How to express interest

If you are interested in PhD or postdoc positions with SUNLab, email Esteban Moro (Director of SUNLab) at e.moroegido@northeastern.edu with:

  • A short cover letter (who you are, what you’d like to work on, and whether you are interested in a PhD or postdoc role).
  • Your CV.

For PhD positions, you will also need to submit a formal application to Northeastern’s Network Science PhD Program following the official deadlines.

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