Researcher in PharmacoEpidemiology and Biostatistics

About the position

Position as Researcher PharmacoEpidemiology and Biostatistics available at the Department of Pharmacy.

The position is for a period of 18 months.

Starting date as soon as possible.

Place of work is at the Department of Pharmacy at Blindern, Oslo.

Project description

We are searching for a researcher trained in one or more of the following fields: pharmacoepidemiology, epidemiology, biostatistics, and/or causal inference. The ideal candidate will have strong statistical/methods training, experience working in large health databases and an interest in working on interdisciplinary research focused on maternal and infant health. We are open to a range of experience and training: successful candidates might have a master’s degree and years of experience in analysis of health databases or hold a doctoral degree with training that includes epidemiologic or data science methods.

The researcher will work on two externally funded projects, including 1) safety and effectiveness of vaccination during pregnancy and prophylactic treatment of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in children, and 2) the “SafeTwoTreat Study: Harnessing Pharmacogenetic Data For Safer Use Of Psychotropic Medicines In Pregnancy,” which is funded by the Research Council of Norway (NFR). This position emphasizes data analysis and quality assurance, requiring close collaboration with the Principal Investigators. Responsibilities will include data cleaning and management, performing quality checks, conducting statistical analyses applying causal inference methodologies, and contributing to the writing of high-impact scientific publications.

This position focuses on data analysis and quality assurance across two research projects in perinatal pharmacoepidemiology: RSV vaccine safety and effectiveness, and the SafeTwoTreat study. The researcher will contribute to studies in collaboration with the VAC4EU network, conducting active surveillance of various vaccines, including COVID-19 and RSV vaccines. These projects aim to evaluate potential risks of side effects among the broader European population and specific groups, such as pregnant women. In addition, the candidate will be involved in the The SafeTwoTreat study, which focuses on investigating the role of pharmacogenomics in studies of prenatal exposure to psychotropic medications.

The position is part of the PharmacoEpidemiology and Drug Safety Research Group at the Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo. The research group includes 4 full time researchers, 4 adjunct positions and 7 PhD-students and postdocs making up a group of more than 20 individuals. The PharmaSafe Research group at UiO is internationally recognized, with interests spanning a broad range of areas including pharmacoepidemiology, medication safety and clinical pharmacy, with special focus on complex patient groups. The research group is multidisciplinary and has expertise within pharmacoepidemiology, biostatistics, genetics, psychiatry, pharmacotherapy and clinical pharmacy.

• Data Analysis: Run scripts and conduct thorough statistical analyses in R to extract insights from complex datasets to ensure accurate and impactful research findings.
• Data Quality and Management: Perform data quality checks to maintain the integrity of the dataset, ensuring that analyses are based on reliable and valid information.
• Causal Inference: Assist in applying observational study designs and methodologies such as causal inference to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of medical interventions. 
• Collaborative Research: Work with multidisciplinary teams to support the integration of genetic variants in studies, using Mendelian randomization to strengthen causal investigation efforts.

These studies utilize Norwegian health registry data and data from the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study. The goal of these studies is informing clinical practices and contributing to significant public health policy decisions.

Additionally, there will be ample opportunities for connecting with a wider network of scientists and career development. The project manager/primary investigator for the SafeTwoTreat study is based in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the candidate will have the opportunity to gain experience internationally, either at UNC or elsewhere. The position requires presence at work at the campus University of Oslo.

Read more here:

The PharmaSafe research group: www.mn.uio.no/farmasi/english/research/groups/pharma

What skills are important in this role?

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe's leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian master’s degree in epidemiology or biostatistics, or a related field. 
• Have a minimum of 3 years of experience within pharmacoepidemiology and large administrative health databases (e.g., Norwegian health registries, US health insurance claims, UK’s Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD)) after the completion of the master’s degree.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Strong scientific manuscript writing skills.
• Experience with data quality checks.
• Good computational and coding skills in R.

• Doctoral degree in epidemiology or biostatistics, or a related field with relevant training. 
• Experience in causal inference, genetic epidemiology, and/or pharmacoepidemiology.
• Experience working with Norwegian health registry data.
• Experience with methodologies for exposure of medications during pregnancy.
• High motivation for a research career, documented primarily via original publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals. 
• Knowledge and experience working with common data models (CDMs), such as OMOP or ConcePTION CDM.

Candidates will be evaluated holistically based on all relevant qualifications and experience. Those with master’s and doctoral degrees are encouraged to apply.

All candidates and projects will have to undergo a check versus national export, sanctions and security regulations. Candidates may be excluded based on these checks. Primary checkpoints are the Export Control regulation, the Sanctions regulation, and the national security regulation.

What are we looking for in you?

• Productive, self-driven, and collaborative.
• Strong analytic skills with great attention to detail
• Ability to work independently as well as in multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to give and receive constructive scientific criticism.

Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including personal skills.

We can offer you

• Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development.
• Committed colleagues in a good working environment. 
• Good welfare schemes.
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours.  A workplace with good development and career opportunities.
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Salary in position as Researcher, position code 1108 in salary range NOK from 560 000 - to 690 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund. 

We need different perspectives in our work

UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no.

We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues, could you be the next one?

We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.

If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps (Norwegian), we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian).

The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports. More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here. 

We hope you will apply for the position with us.

How to apply

• Cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
• CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity)
• Copies of educational certificates, academic transcript of records
• Letters of recommendation
• A complete list of publications and up to 5 academic works that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for the position".

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Formal regulations

The best qualified candidates will be invited for interviews.

According to the Norwegian Freedom and 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.

Please see Rules for the use of research posts SKO 1108, 1109, 1110 and 1183 at UiO. 

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results a.o.