PhD position in health sciences specialising in e-health

Welcome to Linnaeus University! Here you'll meet 2 200 staff members and 40 000 students, all united in following the vision to set knowledge in motion for a sustainable societal development. With us, research and education are conducted with an eye towards the future. Our proximity to the business world, both locally and globally, gives us a wide reach and the ability to create change that makes an impact. All that's needed is a place where ideas have the space to meet and grow. That's what we've created – and you are invited.

Change starts here!

The Faculty of Health and Life Sciences is one of five faculties at Linnaeus University. We provide education, conduct research and engage in collaboration within the fields of health, healthcare and the natural sciences.

The Department of Medicine and Optometry has 24 members of staff and conducts research and teaching in e-health, medicine and optometry. The department is home to the eHealth Institute, a dynamic, interdisciplinary knowledge and learning environment that coordinates e-health activities across the university and carries out research and evaluation projects focused on user and citizen benefit. The eHealth Institute collaborates with a wide range of external partners, including regions, municipalities, research institutes, universities and companies, as well as internally with the Linnaeus University Centre Data Intensive Sciences and Applications (DISA) and the knowledge environments Sustainable Health and Digital Transformations. In addition, the eHealth Institute offers master's programmes, freestanding courses and contract education in e-health.

Subject area for the position: Health sciences specialising in e-health
Location: Kalmar.
Term and hours: The doctoral studentship is limited in time in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance (Chapter 5, Section 7). The studentship is full-time.

Under the Higher Education Ordinance, a doctoral studentship must be held on a full-time basis. At the request of the doctoral student, the appointment may be part time, but no less than 50 per cent of full-time employment. Please note that a doctoral student employed at 50 per cent may not undertake any duties other than those related to their own doctoral education as part of the appointment.
Starting date: Starting date as agreed upon.

Job description
We are seeking an ambitious and motivated doctoral student with a strong interest in e-health and digital health services, AI including large language models, and interdisciplinary work.

The doctoral studentship forms part of Samverkan e-hälsa, a long-term collaboration between Linnaeus University and Region Kalmar County, aimed at promoting the development of e-health at regional, national and international levels. The purpose of this collaboration is to establish a strong environment for research and education in e-health that can support the continued, much-needed development of e-health in healthcare.

The doctoral student will contribute to the development of the research environment for this collaborative project and will be part of the Graduate School in Health Informatics and e-Health.

The doctoral student will be expected to:

• follow their individual study plan, participate in mandatory courses and seminars, and report their progress regularly to their supervisors and the department
• plan, conduct and publish scientific studies as part of the project, in close collaboration with their supervisors and research group
• play an active role in the interdisciplinary research environment at the eHealth Institute and within Samverkan e-hälsa
• apply and further develop expertise in quantitative and qualitative analytical methods and, where relevant, AI-based methods
• carry out data collection, which may include qualitative interviews with patients or healthcare professionals
• present research at national and international conferences
• actively participate in the graduate school, which is a key academic and social community for doctoral students in the field
• contribute to teaching, supervision and administration for up to 20 per cent of their working hours, in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance.

The Higher Education Ordinance states that anyone who is employed as a doctoral student shall primarily devote themselves to their own studies, although they may, to a limited extent, also work with education, research and administration. Before a doctorate has been awarded, such work must not exceed 20% of full-time work.

The doctoral studentship may be combined with other professional duties, either in a clinical setting or in industry.

Eligibility
The Higher Education Ordinance (Chapter 7, Section 35) states that in order to be admitted to third-cycle education, the applicant must:

1. meet the general entry requirements as well as any specific entry requirements set by the relevant higher education institution
2. be considered to have the abilities required to be able to benefit from the education that they are given.

The general entry requirements are met by applicants who

• have been awarded a degree at the second-cycle level
• have at least 240 credits of passed courses, of which at least 60 credits are at the second-cycle level; or
• have acquired essentially equivalent knowledge in some other way, in or outside Sweden.

The specific entry requirements are met by applicants who

• have a good command of Swedish, or be able to acquire sufficient proficiency in Swedish within one year, as the duties may include conducting qualitative interviews with Swedish patients and healthcare professionals
• have a good command of spoken and written English.

Desirable qualifications include:

• documented research experience in e-health, digital health or a related field
• experience of, or a documented interest in, machine learning, AI methods or large language models (LLMs) in clinical or health-related contexts
• a background in health sciences, medicine, psychology, informatics, biomedical engineering, computer science or a related discipline relevant to interdisciplinary e-health research
• clinical experience in a healthcare setting
• a record of scientific publication.

Assessment criteria
The assessment criteria are used to assess the applicant's prospects of successfully completing the doctoral programme. Particular emphasis will be placed on the candidate’s motivation, potential to complete doctoral studies, and personal suitability for the position. The candidate must be well organised and able to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.

Your application must include:

• your curriculum vitae
• degree certificate(s), academic transcripts and any other relevant certificates
• your master's thesis
• your complete list of publications
• a personal statement (maximum two pages) describing: (1) any previous research experience; (2) your interest in pursuing doctoral studies; and (3) a brief outline of a research idea in e-health
• contact details for at least two referees.

Interviews and work samples will form part of the selection process.

Further information is available on the webpage for doctoral studies in health sciences.

Contact
Principal Investigator: Fotios Papadopoulos, fotios.papadopoulos@lnu.se
Head of department: Pauline Johansson, pauline.johansson@lnu.se
HR partner: Stina Andersson, stina.andersson@lnu.se

Linnaeus University has the ambition to utilize the qualities that an even gender distribution and diversity brings to the organization. Please apply by clicking on the "Apply" button at the bottom of the ad. Applicants are requested to the application resolving CV, cover letter , a copy of a relevant essay , grades and certificates and other relevant documents. All documents must be attached to digital in the application. The application and other documents shall be marked with the reference number. All documents cited must be received by the University no later than 23.59 (Local time in Sweden) on the closing day.

Linnaeus University is an employer that meets the requirements of the European Charter for Researchers and follows the recruitment guidelines. Therefore, the university has received the HR Excellence in Research award.