Researcher in prostate cancer screening and biomarkers

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NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim.

At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

You can find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

About the Job

The Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, NTNU, has a vacancy for a full time (100 %) researcher position for three years, with the possibility of extension to four years. 

You will be based in the CIMORe research environment at NTNU, located at Øya Campus as part of the integrated university hospital. Here, interdisciplinary cancer research, advanced imaging, and molecular analysis are brought together in a collaborative and dynamic setting. You will join a strong interdisciplinary research environment working to advance evidence‑based, personalized prostate cancer diagnostics and treatment in Norway. 

The position is part of a large, newly funded project (The Norwegian Cancer Society) that exploits the unique HUNT cohort to develop age‑adjusted PSA reference values, polygenic risk score–based models, and integrated lifetime‑risk prediction tools for prostate cancer. 

Your immediate leader is the project leader (Professor, Dept. of Circulation and Medical Imaging).

Duties of the position

The researcher will play a central role across all Work Packages in close collaboration with project partners. 

• Database management for the integration of biological, genetic, and registry‑based data from the HUNT3 cohort and national health registries
• Statistical analyses to establish age‑adjusted PSA reference values
• Developing and evaluating models incorporating polygenic risk scores (PRS), lifestyle factors, PSA variability and Mendelian Randomization for risk prediction of significant prostate cancer
• Attend international conferences, workshops and courses
• Contribute to academic publishing
• Participate in academic outreach activities
   

Required selection criteria

• A PhD in biostatistics, epidemiology, computational biology or medical statistics or equivalent
• Strong skills in statistical modelling and analysis of complex biomedical or population‑based data
• Experience with analysis large datasets, preferably cohort data, registry data, or genomic data
• Experience with survival modelling, risk prediction models, and/or Mendelian Randomization
• Competence in R, Python or similar analytical environments
• Good written and oral English

Preferred selection criteria

• Experience from work in multidisciplinary teams
• Knowledge of prostate cancer, PSA biology and cancer screening
• Good written and oral Norwegian

Personal characteristics

• Reliable
• Proactive and problem-solving attitude
• Eager to collaborate within and across sections and disciplines
• Self-motivated and able to work independently
• Organized and structured

• Motivated by scientific rigor and societal impact

  Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer

• exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
• an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
• favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• employee benefits

Salary and conditions

As a researcher (code 1109) you are normally paid depending on qualifications and seniority. As required by law, 2% of this salary will be deducted and paid into the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU.   

After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work. 

For the necessary professional and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis. 

About the application

Your application and supporting documentation must be in English. 

The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. The documents must be in Norwegian/a Scandinavian language or English. 

Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates and diplomas upon request.

If, for any reason, you have taken a career break or have had an atypical career and wish to disclose this in your application, the selection committee will take this into account, recognizing that the quantity of your research may be reduced as a result.

Your application must include:

• CV, diplomas, and certificates
• Academic works – published or unpublished – that you wish to be considered during assessment of your application (up to 5 items)
• A description of the scientific works you consider most relevant, which you particularly wish to be factored into the assessment
• A complete publication list
• Details of projects for which you have served as project manager, including information on financing, duration, and scope
• Names and contact information for three relevant referees

It is important that you both document and reflect on your competence. You are encouraged to use the NTNUs competence matrix as a guide for  documentation of your competence.

Joint work will also be considered. If it is difficult to identify your specific input to a joint project, you must include evidence of your contributions. 

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates. Open scientific practice will be recognized.

NTNU is obliged by the evaluation criteria for research quality in accordance with The San Fransisco Declaration on Research Assessment – DORA and The obligations in the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment ( CoARA) on responsible assessment of research and recognition of a wider range of academic contributions to science and society. This means that we will pay particular attention to the quality and academic range demonstrated by your scientific work to date. We will also pay attention to research leadership and participation in research projects. Your scientific work from the last five years will be given the most weight.

Your application will be considered by a committee at the department. Candidates of interest will be invited to an interview.

General information

Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values ​​are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse, and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals.   

We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education.  

If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability, and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time. 

At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have a number of measures to promote equality. (delete if not applicable) 

As an employee at NTNU, you must continually maintain and improve your professional development and be flexible regarding any organizational changes.

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you want to reserve yourself from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the reservation is not accepted.

For the sake of transparency, candidates will be given expert evaluations of their own and other candidates. As an applicant you are considered part of the process and are stipulated by rules of confidentiality. 

If you have any questions regarding the position, please contact Professor Tone Frost Bathen, e-mail: tone.f.bathen@ntnu.no  

If you have questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact HR Advisor Sissel Sollien, e-mail: sissel.sollien@ntnu.no

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.