PhD scholarships in sexual health epidemiology at Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen
About the Department of Epidemiology Research
The Department of Epidemiology Research employs around 35 people who carry out high-quality epidemiological health research. We offer an international and cross-disciplinary research environment encompassing medical doctors, statisticians, biologists, and public health scientists. Our research is primarily based on data from Danish national registers and cohort studies and the Danish National Biobank. Our overall goal is to produce research of the highest possible quality to create ground-breaking scientific knowledge and influence public health.
About Project SEXUS
Project SEXUS (www.projectsexus.dk) is a questionnaire- and register-based cohort study comprising a nationally representative sample of over 60,000 Danes aged 15-to-89 years. Questionnaire data cover a broad range of sexual health issues such as sexual and gender identity, sexual experiences, behaviors, problems, and attitudes, as well as sociodemographic, lifestyle-, and health-related topics. Baseline data collection took place in 2017-2018, and continuous follow-up with health information from national registers has since taken place. Project SEXUS constitutes a close research collaboration between Department of Epidemiology Research at Statens Serum Institut and Center for Sexology Research at the Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University.
About the two PhD scholarships
As PhD student in the Project SEXUS Group, you will become part of a small, dedicated cross-institutional research team that combines rich questionnaire data with detailed register data to unravel the interplay between sexuality and both physical and mental health. You will be engaged in all parts of the research cycle, from detailed project planning over fundraising to data analyses, publication in scientific journals, presentation at scientific meetings, and knowledge dissemination to a wider audience. For each scholarship, a short stay at a research institution abroad is expected.
Specifically, the research topics of the two PhD scholarships are as follows:
Project 1: Prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. The aim of this project is to find new etiological clues and explore the sexual and relational consequences of these common diseases in middle-aged and elderly men by use of health registry and laboratory data in combination with Project SEXUS questionnaire data.
Project 2: Psychological distress and psychiatric morbidity among sexual and gender identity minority (SGM) individuals. The aim of this project is to map the burden of psychological distress and mental illness among SGM individuals in Denmark and identify responsible childhood vulnerability factors and post-childhood risk factors using Project SEXUS data and information from national registers.
Each PhD scholarship runs over a three-year period starting September 1, 2024. Candidates will be employed at Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, while being matriculated as PhD students at the Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University. Each project will be supervised by professors from both institutions in close synergy with the project statistician and external collaborators.
Qualifications and background
The ideal applicants have:
- A master’s degree in public health, biostatistics, health informatics, medicine, or other relevant academic background
- Good knowledge of epidemiological research principles and methods
- A genuine academic interest in the interplay between sexual and general health
- An ambitious, positive personality with integrity and independence, thriving both individually and as a team player
- Prior hands-on experience managing and analysing large-scale datasets or/and motivation to gain statistical programming skills using R
- Fluency in English, both orally and in writing, and knowledge of a Scandinavian language would be an asset.
Both positions are covered by the terms of the collective agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and your relevant organization. In addition to the salary, a monthly contribution to a pension fund is added (17.1% of the salary).
Further information
Please contact project PI, professor Morten Frisch (mfr@ssi.dk, +45 3268 3160) (Statens Serum Institut) or professor Christian Graugaard (chgr@rn.dk, +45 2886 6560) (Aalborg University).
Application
Click “Apply” to send your job application.
Your application should be in English and should include a cover letter with your personal motivation for applying (max. two pages), your CV (max. two pages), a list of any academic publications you may have (co)authored, and a copy of relevant diplomas and grade sheets. It should be clearly stated which of the two PhD scholarships, or both, you apply for.
We expect interviews to take place in week 22 (May 27-31, 2024).
Please note in your application that you found the job at Jobindex
