Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Precision Psychiatry - (Viral MI)

Job description

An exciting 3-year postdoc position in psychiatry is open at the Centre for Precision Psychiatry, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo.

The position is for a postdoctoral researcher working on the project “Profiling vulnerability and resilience for mental illness following viral infections: translating epidemiology to deep-phenotyping”, which is part of a larger project of investigating mental disorders using population cohorts and novel analysis methods. The position is funded by The Research Council of Norway based on a call from the Network of European Funding for Neuroscience Research, established under the ERA-NET scheme of the European Commission (ERA-NET NEURON). The project is a collaboration with research groups in Italy (coordinator), Israel, Belgium and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), and involves analyzing unique data from the Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), linked with genetic data and national registry data, as well as data from a psychosis project, related to infections and mental disorders. 

It is essential for the candidate to have experience with registry data, preferably also MoBa data, and proficiency in statistical programming, such as in R. The role includes collaboration and coordinating research efforts with partners, conducting statistical analyses and coordinating analyses across cohorts, presenting findings at conferences and to relevant groups, and writing scientific articles.

More about the position

The appointment is a fulltime position and is made for a period of three years.

The main purpose of the fellowship is to qualify researchers for work in higher academic positions within their disciplines.

 

Task description:

• Participate in project design
• Develop analysis plans and prepare data for analysis
• Perform statistical analyses, including utilizing novel statistical genetics tools
• Write scientific papers
• Present findings at international research conferences and in popular media 
• Maintain and develop own research skills by participation in seminars, research meetings, and short courses, as appropriate
• Collaborate closely with other team members at the centre, NIPH, and with collaborators at the other sites
• Ensure that all work adheres to the research governance, data protection and confidentiality protocols
• Other tasks needed by the Centre, such as refinement and quality control of data files

Qualification requirements

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree/PhD in psychiatry, psychology, neuroscience, bioinformatics, or epidemiology. The doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Appointment is dependent on the public defence of the doctoral thesis being approved
• University coursework in human biology. Applicants with research experience with biological data may also be considered
• Strong publication record, including papers in international peer-reviewed journals as first author
• Excellent statistical and quantitative skills 
• Demonstrable expertise in the use of programming-based analytical software (e.g. Stata, R, MatLab, Python) for data management and statistical analysis

• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English and a Scandinavian language

  The following qualifications will also count in the assessment of the applicants:
• Quality of previous scientific work
• Education and/or research and/or clinical experience in the field of mental health
• Particular interest in or coursework on epidemiological methods
• Proficiency in statistics
• Experience in analyzing genetic data
• Experience with analysis of large data sets

Personal skills

• Strong collaborative skills and a proactive attitude 
• Good organizational skills and attentiveness to detail
• Ability to work efficiently and deliver results
• Ability to plan and prioritize workload 
• Track record of independent work and to take responsibility for project completion
• Ambitious and highly motivated for pursuing a career in science.

We offer

• A unique opportunity to investigate associations between infections and mental health outcomes
• A friendly, professional and stimulating working environment with highly qualified national and international collaborators
• Access to unique data sources such as the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study and national registries
• Salary NOK 579 700 – 658 300 per annum depending on qualifications in position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow (position code 1352)
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include

• A personal cover letter (max 1 page) stating motivations for this position and summarizing scientific work and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity)
• Copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only)
• A complete list of publications
• List of reference persons: 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented, academic qualifications as well as the candidates motivation and personal suitability. Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

It is expected that the successful candidate will be able to complete the project in the course of the period of employment.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Fellow period at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.