Research assistant within digital diagnostics at the point-of-care - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Department
At the Department of Public Health Sciences we conduct research, teaching and applied work based on public health science and epidemiology. The research is aimed at analysing health determinants on the population level, and developing and evaluating preventative structural and individualised measures, including legislation and guidelines. The field also includes health economics, health systems research and implementation research. Our activities have a strongly international flavour, and the Department's researchers are scientific advisers to authorities and other decision-makers on the regional, national and international level. The Department is divided into research groups operating within the fields of global health, public health epidemiology and social medicine with a total of 150 employees. In addition, we have around 80 PhD students. This position is located in the research group Social medicine, infectious diseases and migration.

The research group
The Social medicine, Infectious Diseases and Migration research group uses social epidemiology, qualitative methods, digital technology as well as health economy and implementation research methods to 1) identify social determinants and consequences of disease with a major focus on poverty-related infectious diseases, including TB, HIV, malaria, and Ebola 2) evaluate interventions to improve health care access and equity, develop and evaluate innovative mobile and digital technologies that improves equitable access 3) assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of tuberculosis screening programmes in high- and low-TB burden countries 4) determine health needs of migrants and evaluate health examinations of asylum seekers and refugees.

Duties
The research assistant will be involved in projects studying digital health applications, with special focus on image-based diagnostics. Research questions to be addressed relate to the accuracy of the diagnostic methods, both performed at point-of-care and through remote diagnostic assistance. Also, questions related to the impact of digital health applications on patient management and health economics will be addressed.

The research assistant is expected to work within a field project in a rural setting in Kenya related to image-based diagnostics. The aim of the project is to study and develop methods for digital decision support, particularly for assessment of microscopy-based diagnostics. The main medical applications are for digital screening for cervical cancer, malaria and soil-transmitted helminths.

The duties of the research assistant include participation in sample and data collection, both in Kenya and Sweden. The assistant will also be responsible for facilitation of daily activities at the study site in Kenya, ensure completeness of collected data, monitor the patient recruitment rate, inform the principal investigator (PI) about the status of equipment and instruments, check that consumables are available, encourage the compliance with standards of procedure and assist in scheduling weekly communication between the team in Kenya and the group members in Sweden and Finland.

Entry requirements
The person we are looking for must have a bachelor's degree in any of the fields of care, health or medicine, furthermore a degree in reproductive and sexual health is considered meritorious. The person must have experience in gynecological sampling, especially cell sampling and screening for cervical cancer. Proficient computer skills are required with good knowledge of data collection programs (RedCap or similar). The person also must have experience of working in hospital environments in low-resource countries, experience in health care in Kenya is considered a merit. The person must have good knowledge in Swedish as well as English, both orally and in writing. Basic knowledge of Swahili is considered to be meritorious.

You should have a good administrative capacity and be structured with a high sense of responsibility, have the ability to take initiative and good teamwork skills. Furthermore, you are required to work in field conditions and that you are prepared to start a stay in Kenya on short notice and stay there for the duration of the study (at least three months as of December 2018).

Application process
The application is to be submitted in Varbi recruitment system.

At Karolinska Institutet a 6-month trial period is required for all permanent appointments.