The Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM) at University of
Bern performs research in a range of disciplines relevant to public health
(www.ispm.ch). Groups cut across divisions, facilitating an
interdisciplinary approach to research in the fields of clinical
epidemiology, social and behavioural health, biostatistics, and
international and environmental health.
The Paediatric Epidemiology Research Group conducts population-based
and clinical studies in child health, focusing on respiratory disorders and
cancer.
We are looking for a highly motivated
Asthma and chronic cough are common in childhood. While most children have transient
problems, others develop chronic disease continuing into adulthood. It is difficult to predict which
children are at risk of a chronic course. In a collaborative project with the Children’s hospitals in
Aarau, Basel, Bern, Chur, Lausanne, Luzern, St.Gallen, and Zurich we created a national clinical
prospective cohort including now 3000 children visiting respiratory outpatient clinics: the Swiss
Paediatric Airway Cohort (SPAC).
In your PhD, you will help to manage and shape the SPAC study. Together with other PhD and
Master students, you will collect parental questionnaires and results from medical investigations
(lung function and allergy tests) from the clinics, and send follow-up questionnaires to families. You
will have an active role in managing the study by communicating with paediatricians and patients,
organising mailings and supervising research assistants.
You will use this unique database to answer relevant research questions on childhood asthma
and cough .In a team of epidemiologists, clinicians, statisticians and PhD students, you will learn
different statistical approaches to distinguish disease phenotypes, and predict disease course,
present your results at international meetings and publish them in peer-reviewed journals.
The job is an ideal preparation for a research career in a clinical setting (paediatric teaching
hospital), in a University, or in a public health institution ,and counts as medical training in
Paediatrics or Public Health. Teaching is organised via the graduate schools of the University of Bern
(www.gcb.unibe.ch and www.ghs.unibe.ch).
Applicants should have a university degree (MD, MSc or equivalent) in medicine or a related field
(biology, biostatistics, public health, psychology etc.) and astrong interest in child health and
epidemiology .Previous experience in paediatric pulmonology is of advantage. You should be keen
to learn statistical methods. The position requires fluency in both German and English, knowledge
of French would be an asset.
The position is available immediately .PhD salary rates of the Swiss National Science Foundation
apply. If you look for an exciting PhD position in a highly motivated team, please send your CV with
motivation letter to Prof. Dr. med. Claudia Kuehni (claudia.kuehni@ispm.unibe.ch) and Cristina
Ardura-Garcia (cristina.ardura@ispm.unibe.ch). For further information, please contact us by e-
mail. Please send you application as soon as possible, ideally by August 23rd 2021.