Unai Fischer Abaigar

Hi, I’m Unai! I’m a PhD Student in Statistics at the LMU Munich, where I focus on applying (causal) machine learning to high-stakes decision-making. I have a strong interest in the societal implications of algorithmic decision-making in the public sector, particularly in the context of using machine learning to tackle resource allocation problems.

I joined the Social Data Science and AI Lab as a PhD student in October 2022, supported by the Konrad Zuse School for Excellence in Reliable AI and the Munich Center for Machine Learning. I am advised by Christoph Kern and Frauke Kreuter. In the fall semester of 2024, I was a fellow at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, hosted by Cynthia Dwork and JC Perdomo at the Center for Research on Computation and Society.

I have a background in Physics with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Heidelberg University, where I specialized in dynamical systems, networks, and statistical machine learning for time series. Before my PhD, I worked as a research associate at the Hertie School Data Science Lab in Berlin, where I explored the application of machine learning to public policy and governance.

I am a co‐organizer of a 2‐month paid fellowship program where aspiring data scientists work on real‐world machine learning problems for the social good (Data Science for Social Good Munich). If you are interested in becoming a project partner feel free to reach out here.