Doctoral Student in Cancer Epidemiology Full-time

Doctoral Student in Cancer Epidemiology

Lund University, Medical Faculty, Department of Translational Medicine

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world's top universities. The University has around 46,000 students and 8,500 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg, and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain, and improve our world and the human condition.

The Integrative Pancreatic Cancer Research (iPanCare) group at the Department of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of Lund University, conducts research in the field of precision diagnostics and medicine of pancreatic cancer. This group is led by Associate Senior Lecturer Dr. Qiaoli Wang, as part of the SciLifeLab & Wallenberg National Program for Data-Driven Life Science (DDLS). Group members will be enrolled in the national programs of SciLifeLab and DDLS, as well as the Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine at Lund University. Attending national schools, various research activities, and retreats offered by these programs will facilitate the group members' nationwide networks and multidisciplinary collaborations. Working in a young team, group members will benefit from first-hand guidance from the principal investigator and freedom of exploring exciting projects within the research area.

We care about creating a positive, respectful, and stimulating environment. We value communication and collaboration and a workplace that promotes learning and development for all employees. Our team is an international and dynamic hub with great young talents from any levels and with different skill backgrounds including epidemiology, statistics, bioinformatics, and cancer biology. We have both “dry lab” and “wet lab” components. Currently the group consists of 2 postdoctoral researchers, 1 statistician (part-time), 1 project assistant, and several master students and medical students. Our group is located in the core Clinical Cancer Center at Malmö, Sweden.

The Department of Translational Medicine (ITM) is now announcing a vacancy for a position at the doctoral program and employment as a doctoral student within cancer epidemiology.

Doctoral program subject: Medical science

Description of the project: We are seeking a highly motivated doctoral student working on large-scale population science projects on pancreatic cancer epidemiology, with special focus on pre-diagnostic metabolic phenotypes. The research question we will address is whether pre-diagnostic metabolic dysfunctions reflected via various levels are associated with pancreatic cancer and could be implemented in future multimodal risk models. The project involves data sources from large population-based cohort, national registry-based cohort, and clinical imaging cohort. The student will learn how to conduct high-quality epidemiological studies including risk assessments, omics analyses, and advanced statistical analyses and machine-learning techniques.

Work duties and responsibilities: The main task for a doctoral student is to devote yourself to your doctoral studies, therefore you will be both admitted as a student and employed at Lund University. Your work will include conducting research studies, which involves participation in research projects as well as completion of compulsory courses within the doctoral programme. Within the research projects, you will plan studies, collect data, clean the data, perform analyses, interpret results, and present your findings in scientific publications and at national and international conferences. You are expected to actively participate in seminars and research group meetings, develop and maintain close collaboration with supervisors and colleagues, and plan, structure, and drive your work forward in accordance with your individual study plan. The position does not involve work with laboratory animals or cells.

Qualifications: General eligibility for doctoral education is fulfilled by applicants who have: completed a second-cycle (Master's) degree, or completed at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 credits are at second-cycle level, or acquired equivalent knowledge in some other way, in Sweden or abroad. Specific eligibility requirements are fulfilled by applicants who have: at least 60 higher education credits within the subject area relevant to the doctoral programme, proficiency in English corresponding to at least three years of upper secondary education. In order for students with degrees obtained outside the Nordic countries to be admitted to doctoral education at the Faculty, English language proficiency corresponding to a passing score on a TOEFL or IELTS test is required.

Specific requirements for the position: A Master's degree in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health, or a closely related field, good knowledge about epidemiology and statistics, have strong analytical and mathematical skills in large-scale datasets, research experience in cancer epidemiology or molecular epidemiology, ability to work independently, be self-motivated, initiative, creativity and collaborative, have perseverance, stability, structured working approach and a solution-oriented mindset, very good presentation and scientific writing skills.

Meritorious for the position are: hands-on experience of cohort analysis, prediction modelling, or machine learning techniques, good knowledge about pancreatic cancer epidemiology, excel in R or SAS, good publication records. Priority will be given to applicants who have graduated no more than three years before the closing date for applications.

Assessment criteria and selection: In accordance with the provisions of the Higher Education Ordinance, selection shall primarily be based on an assessment of the applicants' ability to benefit from the education. In admission decisions, the applicant's merits from previous education are normally the primary basis for assessment. In this context, breadth, depth and relevance, as well as elements of independent work, shall be taken into account.

We offer: Lund University is a governmental authority, which means you get special benefits, generous holidays, and a favorable occupational pension.

About the employment: The position is a fixed-term position for a total of four years, 100% with a start date of September 1, 2026 or as agreed. The main rule is that employment at Lund University is conducted in Sweden, so you are expected to be able to perform your work on site in Malmö.

Provisions regarding employment as a doctoral student are found in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100), Chapter 5, Sections 1-7. Provisions regarding admission to doctoral studies are found in Chapter 6, Section 3, Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100). More information is available on the university's website.

How to apply: The position is sought via the university's recruitment system. Applications should include a personal motivation letter, in which you describe how you meet the qualification requirements and why you are interested in the position. The application should also contain a diploma, CV or equivalent and anything else you wish to refer to (copies of grades, information for references, letters of recommendation, etc.).