Job description

A 3-year full-time position as PhD Research Fellow in Ophthalmology is available at the Center for Eye Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo (UiO), Norway. The project is on “Mathematical risk-stratification and application of artificial intelligence for efficient screening and monitoring of diabetic retinopathy in Oslo, Norway”.

The candidate for this position will work towards implementing a pilot diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening and monitoring program based upon a mathematical risk-stratification algorithm in the Oslo region in Norway, and apply artificial intelligence (AI) to ‘mine’ for data from such a program to develop an improved algorithm. Furthermore, the candidate will evaluate the current DR status, risk factors, screening history, ethnic- and socio-economic factors in DM patients referred to Dep. of Ophthalmology UiO/OUH using natural language processing (NLP, a fast data extraction method) applied to electronic patient records; compare and validate the existing and mathematical risk-stratification algorithm with a newly developed, improved risk-stratification algorithm based upon the AI analysis; evaluate the cost-benefit of running an AI/NLP-based DR screening and monitoring program in the Oslo region, Norway.

Most of the work of this project is located at the Center for Eye Research in the Research Group of Professor Goran Petrovski, and in collaboration with Associate Professor Lilja Øvrelid (Research Group for Language Technology, Department of Informatics, UiO) and Dr. Thomas Smedsrud, PI of the BigMed project at OUH.

More about the position

The fellowship will be for a period of 3 years and will include some administrative duties related to the project at the Center for Eye Research. The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.

The research fellow must take part in the University’s/ Faculty’s/ Department’s approved PhD program and is expected to complete the project

within the set fellowship period. The main purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.

The fellowship requires admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Medicine. The application to the PhD programme must be submitted to the department no later than two months after taking up the position. For more information see:

https://www.med.uio.no/english/research/phd/index.html

Qualification requirements

The Center for Eye Research has a strategic ambition of being a leader in eye- and vision- related research in Norway and internationally. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this and they are expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

• Master’s degree or equivalent in informatics or health economy
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• Experience with medical research, biomedical informatics or health economy applications, preferably in ophthalmology

Grade requirements:

The norm is as follows:

• The average grade point for courses included in the Bachelor’s degree must be C or better in the Norwegian educational system
• The average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree must be B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• The Master’s thesis must have the grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/application/application.html

We offer

• Salary NOK 497 600 – 552 800 per annum depending on qualifications in a position as PhD Research fellow (position code 1017)
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
• Vibrant international academic environment
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include

• Application letter
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Copies of the original Master’s degree diploma, transcripts of records and letters of recommendation
• Documentation of English proficiency
• A brief account (one page, as a separate file) of the applicant’s interest and motivation for applying for the position
• List of up to 3 publications and academic work 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)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “Apply for this job”. 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).

When evaluating the application, emphasis will be given to the eventuelt “project description” and the applicant’s academic and personal prerequisites to carry out the project. Applicants may be called in for an interview.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

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.

The appointment may be shortened/given a more limited scope within the framework of the applicable guidelines on account of any previous employment in academic positions.

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

Contact information

• Professor Goran Petrovski, goran.petrovski@medisin.uio.no

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