Postdoctoral Researcher in environmental epidemiology

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

The Institute of Environmental Medicine (IMM) is a department at Karolinska Institutet and an interdisciplinary research institution within the broad field of environmental medicine. IMM conducts cutting edge research within the areas of environmental and occupational medicine, toxicology, physiology, epidemiology, and biostatistics with the aim to clarify how environmental and lifestyle factors affect our health and which role genes have. IMM also serves as a scientific advisor to public authorities within the area of environmental medicine and IMM scientists participate in national and international expert groups.

The research group

The epidemiological research at IMM is focused on advancing knowledge about disease etiology and prognosis with an emphasis on environmental and lifestyle factors, and on methodological development and stringency. The unit of Environmental Epidemiology has a strong track record of successful national and international large-scale studies in environmental epidemiology investigating health effects of ambient air pollution, community noise and green structure as well as other ambient and indoor environmental exposures. In a multidisciplinary environment we collaborate with leading research groups worldwide using advanced study designs to provide robust research data and inform public health policy. In working with us you will benefit from a rich research network, high-quality cohorts with extensive environmental and health data and the pleasure of working in a group with strong epidemiological and biostatistical skills. Further, we frequently participate in environmental health risk assessments for national as well as international organizations and authorities. These assessments are often based on research conducted within the unit.

Your mission

The postdoctoral researcher will be involved in a research program with the overall aim to study the impact of urban living on wellbeing and health. The project applies advanced quantitative epidemiological methods to study associations between exposure to various environmental factors and public health. Qualitative methods will also be included to explore experiences on how environmental factors influence health. A particular aim is to assess how overcrowding and inadequate housing, combined with socioeconomic disadvantage, affect children’s health, development, and school performance. This part of the program combines a large-scale register study with an intervention for children with asthma and allergies. Aims are to (1) analyze links between overcrowding and children’s physical and mental wellbeing and school outcomes, (2) evaluate whether home visits can mitigate negative housing effects, and (3) inform healthy housing design through dialogue with parents and stakeholders in environmental health and urban planning. The qualitative part will consist of parental focus-groups interviews and aim to explore indoors- and outdoors impact on children’s health in vulnerable areas. More information about the program can be found here. 

Your profile

To be eligible for employment as a postdoctoral researcher, a PhD or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a Swedish PhD is required. This eligibility requirement must be fulfilled at the latest at the time of the employment decision. Completion of your doctoral degree within the last three years is considered an advantage. If there are special reasons, your degree may have been completed earlier. Eligibility for this position includes a PhD degree within medicine, public health, epidemiology or related field.

The successful applicant has:

• Documented knowledge of epidemiological methods and experience of epidemiological research, preferably within the field of environmental, public, or pediatric health.
• Excellent data management skills and a solid knowledge of statistical software (e.g. STATA or

R), preferably also experience of register linkages.

• High level of proficiency in statistical analyses of quantitative health outcome data.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English.
• An ability to collaborate with colleagues within and beyond the group.
• Is organized, responsible, efficient, and flexible in dealing with unpredictability and changes.

Additional merits include proficiency in Swedish and documented experience in planning, organizing, and conducting fieldwork or qualitative research projects. We place great emphasis on personal qualities, and the applicant will need to feel comfortable with working in teams and demonstrate good collaboration and communication skills. This is of particular importance since the work will involve contact with children and parents of various origins. The applicant also needs to be independent enough to formulate new hypotheses and critically examine the results.

What do we offer?

A creative and inspiring environment with wide-ranging expertise and interests. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. At Karolinska Institutet, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. At KI, you get to meet researchers working with a wide range of specialisms and methods, giving you ample opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience with the various scientific fields within medicine and health. It is the crossover collaborations, which have pushed KI to where it is today, at the forefront of global research. Several of the people you meet in healthcare are educated at KI. A close relationship with the health care providers is important for creating groundbreaking top quality education and research. Karolinska Institutet is also a state university, which entitles you to several benefits through our collective agreement.

Location: Solna

Unit of environmental epidemiology | Karolinska Institutet

 Choose to work at KI – Ten reasons why

Terms and conditions

The position is a 2-year fixed-term position with the possibility of extension.

Application

An employment application must contain the following documents in English or Swedish:

• PhD certificate
• A complete resumé, including date of the thesis defence, title of the thesis, previous academic positions, academic title, current position, academic distinctions, and committee work
• A complete list of publications
• A summary of current work (no more than one page)

The application is to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system.

Want to make a difference? Join us and contribute to better health for all!