Unai Fischer Abaigar

Hi, I’m Unai! I’m a PhD student in Statistics at the University of Munich (LMU), where I study the foundations of prediction systems used to guide resource allocations in the public sector. A core theme of my research is thinking holistically about decision-making systems, examining not just the predictive algorithms themselves but how they are designed, deployed, and integrated into broader decision-making processes.

I joined the Social Data Science and AI Lab in October 2022, supported by the Konrad Zuse School for Excellence in Reliable AI and the Munich Center for Machine Learning. I’m advised by Christoph Kern and Frauke Kreuter. In fall 2024, I was a visiting fellow at Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, hosted by Cynthia Dwork and Juan Carlos Perdomo.

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 machine learning applications in public policy and governance.

I co-organize Data Science for Social Good Munich, a 2-month paid fellowship program where aspiring data scientists tackle real-world machine learning challenges for social impact. If you’re interested in partnering with us on a project, please reach out here.