Karolinska Institutet, Institutet för miljömedicin

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.

We are recruiting a student for doctoral education.

For more information regarding doctoral (PhD) education, see: http://www.ki.se/doctoral.

Research group
The unit for Work Environment Health consists of several research groups the common aim to explore areas central to toxicological risk assessment, with focus on the work environment. The research range from basic, mechanistic research in cell systems, over computer modeling and applied research with human volunteers to practical applications. The research group led by Assoc. Prof. Mattias Öberg has a focus on risk assessment and science-to-policy, a truly multi-disciplinary research field, linked to a large network of contacts among Swedish and international agencies and organizations.

The doctoral education project and the duties of the student
Safe chemicals and pharmaceuticals are corner stones for a sustainable development in accordance with the objectives for UN Agenda 2030. The current regulatory approach to ensure safe chemicals are based on mainly pathology based experimental dose-response data. To characterize risk and to improve safe use of chemicals it is crucial to understand and develop tools that accurately and precisely describe dose-response relationships and to assess and express uncertainty. The PhD student will study new computational models of dose-response, i.e. Benchmark dose (BMD) modeling, and link this to probabilistic models of exposure. Although most work will utilize computer based modelling, the research project may involve bioanalytical labwork as well as direct contact with laboratory animals. The PhD student will be involved in all parts of the research process, but also have an active role in societal interaction and education.

Entry requirements for doctoral education at KI
To be eligible for doctoral education, the following requirements have to be met:

General entry requirements
A person meets the general entry requirements for doctoral/third-cycle/PhD education (according to Higher Education Ordinance Chapt 7, section 39) if he/she:

  1. has been awarded advanced/second-cycle/master qualification (i.e. master degree) or
  2. has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle/master level, or
  1. has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

For more information regarding the general entry requirements, please see:
https://ki.se/en/phd/entry-requirements-eligibility-for-doctoral-education

Specific entry requirements 
Proficiency in English equivalent to the course English B/English 6 at Swedish upper secondary school. Applicants who meet the general entry requirements (1 or 2 above) from a university in one of the Nordic countries fulfill the English language requirement.

For information on how other applicants can certify their English proficiency (such as through IELTS or TOEFL, previous upper secondary or university level studies), please see:
https://ki.se/en/phd/entry-requirements-eligibility-for-doctoral-education

Proficiency in Swedish is also warranted.

Skills and personal qualities
A candidate must have a basic academic education with a relevant link to Toxicology that includes formal training about dose-response analysis and regulatory toxicology. In addition, the following merits are desirable:

• Experience of handling toxic chemicals in laboratory environment
• Experience of regulatory testing in vivo
• Experience of Benchmark dose analysis
• Experience of 3R, alternatives to laboratory animals

As a person, a successful candidate need to be open minded, creative, well organized and with a high sense of personal responsibility. Social skills and experience from an international environment are preferable since the project will be performed in close collaboration with experts and researchers in Sweden and abroad.

Assessment criteria
A selection will be made among qualified applicants on the basis of the ability to benefit from doctoral education. Karolinska Institutet uses the following bases of assessment:

- Documented subject knowledge of relevance to the area of research

- Analytical skill

- Other documented knowledge or experience that may be relevant to doctoral studies in the subject.

The qualifications of the applicants will be evaluated on an overall basis.

Terms and conditions
All doctoral students at KI receive financial support during their doctoral education and employment on a doctoral studentship is the most common sort of support.

Application process
The application must contain the following documents in Swedish or English:

  • A personal letter and a curriculum vitae
  • Academic degree diplomas, transcripts of records in original language and, if applicable, authorised translations
  • Copies of degree projects and any previous publications
  • Proof of English proficiency as stated in the specific requirement above

All documents certifying the entry requirements must be scans of originals (scans of copies or certified copies will not be accepted). The scanned documents must be in color and both the front and the back of the documents must be scanned. Please note that there are specific documentation requirements for a number countries, please read the instructions at:

https://ki.se/en/phd/entry-requirements-eligibility-for-doctoral-education

The application and supporting documents are to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system.

Type of employment PhD placement
Contract type Full time
First day of employment According to agreement
Salary Monthly payment
Reference number 2-2629/2018
Contact
  • Mattias Öberg, Assoc. Professor, 073-7121454 / mattias.oberg@ki.se
Union representative
  • Niklas Andersson, OFR, 08-524 874 19 / niklas.andersson@ki.se
  • Henry Wölling, SEKO, 08-524 840 80 / henry.wolling@ki.se
Published 08.May.2018
Last application date 23.May.2018 11:59 PM CEST

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