Job description

Position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow available at Department of Pharmacy at Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Oslo. Starting date no later than 01.10.2020.

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

More about the position

The candidate will be working on the HEALTHx2 project, funded by the Research Council of Norway under the FRIMEDBIO framework (see here: https://prosjektbanken.forskningsradet.no/#/project/NFR/288696). The HEALTHx2 project aims to generating and disseminating evidence about the effectiveness and reproductive safety of antidepressant medication in pregnancy and after childbirth. Involvement of patient stakeholders is central in the project, and qualitative methods are additionally applied to understand women’s decisional conflicts about antidepressant treatment in the perinatal period.

The project is primarily based on observational data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) linked to national health registries in Norway, augmented by large-scale biological data on mother-child-father trios within the MoBagenetics infrastructure. The project is additionally based on epidemiological and biological data from other European countries.

The candidate will be involved in several studies using advanced epidemiological methods to study effectiveness of antidepressant treatment in perinatal women with depression, anxiety, or eating disorders. One additional project will specifically aim to study the reproductive safety of antidepressant medication in pregnancy with focus on offspring longer-term metabolic and psychopathology risks. The combination of cutting-edge epidemiological methods with biobank and genetic data is unique, and this will give the candidate the opportunity to build diverse competencies and skills. The candidate will also be involved in the qualitative component of the HEALTHx2 study, and she/he will be working in close collaboration with patient stakeholders.

The candidate will become part of the PharmacoEpidemiology and Drug Safety Research Group (PharmaSafe: www.mn.uio.no/farmasi/english/research/groups/pharma-safe/index.html) headed by Professor Nordeng at the Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo. The project will be performed in close collaboration with national and international partners in HEALTHx2 consortium.

The candidate will have the opportunity to spend a research stay abroad at one of the research institutions involved in the project.

The main purpose of a postdoctoral fellowship is to provide the candidates with enhanced skills to pursue a scientific top position within or beyond academia. To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are required to submit a professional development plan no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period.

Qualification requirements

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition is 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.

Required qualifications:

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in epidemiology, biostatistics, medicine, or pharmacy. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis and public defence are eligible for appointment
• Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English is required

The following qualifications will count in the assessment of the applicants:

• Research experience within pharmacoepidemiology and analysis of large-scale data sets
• Experience in analyzing large-scale biological data
• Competence in the application of advanced epidemiological methods and/or biostatistics, and good knowledge of statistical programs (e.g. STATA, R, SAS).
• High motivation for a research career, documented primarily via original publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals

Personal skills

• Ability to work independently as well as in multidisciplinary teams
• Ability to give and receive constructive scientific criticism
• Resourceful, structured, and results-oriented

We offer

• Salary NOK 523 200 – 605 500 per annum depending on qualifications in position as Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (position code 1352)
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
• Professionally stimulating working environment
• Vibrant international academic environment
• Postdoctoral development programmes
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include:

• 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 and 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)

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).

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented, academic qualifications, the project description (whenever this is required in the call for applicants), and the quality of the project 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.

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

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contact information

For further information please contact:

• Dr Angela Lupattelli, phone: +47 22845549, e-mail: angela.lupattelli@farmasi.uio.no

For technical questions about the recruitment system, please contact HR Adviser Therese Ringvold, telefon +47 22851606, e-mail: therese.ringvold@mn.uio.no

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