Assistant Professor in Public Health Sciences

Join a global community of excellence

Are you a bold, creative researcher ready to shape the future of medical science? Karolinska Institutet (KI), one of the world’s foremost medical universities, is launching a major recruitment initiative in 2025. KI is seeking 20 outstanding early- career researchers to join us as Assistant Professors in a wide range of subject areas.

At KI, we foster a vibrant, international research environment where curiosity, innovation, and excellence thrive. We are looking for inspiring, driven, and visionary scientists with exceptional research achievements and the potential to become future leaders in their fields.   

The Department of Global Public Health is seeking a driven researcher to join our dynamic team. We offer an exceptional environment for conducting world-leading public health research, including access to national health registries, close collaboration with the healthcare system, and long-standing international partnerships.

Our department hosts Sweden's largest concentration of public health researchers. We are dedicated to high-quality research that enhances the understanding of how structural and individual factors affect population health and identifies effective health promotion and disease prevention interventions. Our rigorous methodological approaches include an array of qualitative and quantitative methods as well as randomised controlled trials, among others. With an extensive tradition of innovative and interdisciplinary research ranging from health habits to health systems, our projects address global health challenges such as health equity, sustainable development, disaster preparedness and mental health.

Many researchers at the department serve as scientific advisors to various health authorities, government agencies and other decision-makers at regional, national, and international levels. Additionally, our department has a strong global profile and is responsible for three international master's programmes, in which researchers take an active teaching role. The department has 12 research groups, approximately 120 doctoral students, and about 140 employees.

What do we offer?

If you meet our requirements and propose a groundbreaking research project, we are prepared to employ you as an Assistant Professor for six years and support you with a generous funding package of SEK 12 million to cover your salary and other research costs. KI offers the opportunity to be promoted from a time-limited (six-year) position as Assistant Professor to permanent employment as Senior Lecturer. You can read more about it here.

At KI, you’ll be part of an interdisciplinary research community. Our researchers work across a wide range of fields and methodologies within medicine and health, creating rich opportunities for knowledge exchange and cross-disciplinary collaboration. You’ll also benefit from close connections with healthcare providers, ensuring your research remains closely aligned with real-world clinical practice.

As a state university, KI offers a comprehensive benefits package governed by collective agreements. These include annual salary reviews, supplementary insurance, and opportunities to participate in institutional decision-making.

We also understand that a successful research career is supported by a strong personal foundation. That’s why we are committed to supporting not only our researchers but also their partners and families, recognising the vital role they play in your life and well-being.

Learn more about what KI and Sweden can offer, and the different calls!

Location: Solna

Description of the subject area 

Public health research focuses on investigating and addressing health-related issues and concerns at the population level. It is an interdisciplinary research field that examines the significance of social structure, working life, the environment, and healthcare systems for population health, as well as the efficiency of health and medical care. This field also includes studies on the effects of health policy measures and the impact of public health initiatives on the health of different population groups.

Your mission 

This Assistant Professor position offers a unique opportunity to build a strong academic profile—primarily by developing your independence as a researcher, while also gaining valuable teaching and pedagogical experience.

You will independently conduct and further develop your line of research within the field of public health sciences, building a dynamic, preferably interdisciplinary, profile that is well-suited to address today's public health challenges. In addition, you will be expected to successfully attract national and international funding and publish in highly ranked scientific journals. The opportunity to supervise doctoral students and postdocs as well as participate in our master's programmes as a teacher, supervisor and examiner will also be available.

You will also collaborate with other researchers in the field at KI, nationally and internationally. Moreover, we highly value your contribution to the methodological development of your line of research from a global public health perspective.

Eligibility requirements 

To be eligible for an appointment as Assistant Professor, you must demonstrate good scientific skills according to KI’s eligibility criteria as follows:

• A PhD (or equivalent degree) in a relevant subject area
• At least two peer-reviewed original scientific publications as first or last author, in addition to the doctoral thesis

Priority is given to those who were awarded a PhD (or attained equivalent competence) no more than seven years prior to the expiry of the deadline for the application.

Those who have been awarded a doctoral degree or attained equivalent research competence earlier will also be considered if there are special circumstances for absence from research (deductible time), such as: parental leave, long-term illness, positions of trust in trade union organizations or mandatory service in total defence.

The circumstances, dates and extent must be clearly specified in the application and verified by relevant documentation.

For this call, exceptions are made from all pedagogical requirements specified in the instructions regarding the Appointment procedure for teachers at KI. However, you must complete three weeks of higher education pedagogical courses in accordance with the Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions’ recommendations, no later than two years after starting your employment as an Assistant Professor (unless you can certify that you have completed equivalent training before starting the position).

Candidates will be evaluated based on both scientific and pedagogical qualifications, with greater emphasis placed on scientific excellence. The full set of assessment criteria is outlined in the  instructions regarding the Appointment Procedure for Teachers at KI.

Particularly meritorious is:

• the scientific quality, originality, and feasibility of your research plan within the relevant subject area
• documented experience in research environments outside KI, with special consideration given to international research experience

These criteria reflect our commitment to fostering globally competitive researchers who contribute to high-impact science and academic excellence.

It is further meritorious that you have demonstrated

• Significant contributions to highly ranked scientific publications in the field of public health sciences. 
• Experience in applying various research designs and analysis methods.
• Leadership experience in the conduct of research studies, preferably in diverse contexts.
• The ability to lead in interdisciplinary research projects.

The criteria listed will form part of the overall assessment of the applicant. All criteria will be assessed but they should not individually be seen as requirements.

Offers will be extended to the best candidate based on an overall assessment of the applicant’s expertise and merits in relation to the subject area.

Application guidelines

All applicants are expected to follow the application instructions carefully. Failure to comply with the guidelines or misrepresentation of qualifications may negatively impact on the evaluation of your application.

The application should consist of the following documents, written in English:

• A personal letter (maximum 1 page)
• Application form, including your research project (the form can be found here)
• Up to ten published papers and optionally one manuscript, in PDF format
• PhD certificate
• If you have a PhD that is older than seven years and want to claim deductible time, you must attach a certificate of deductible time in Swedish or English.

Welcome to apply no later than September 2nd, 2025 (time 23.59 CEST).

For more information about the calls, conditions regarding funding and employment, see here.

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