The Project SEXUS Group in the Department of Epidemiology Research at Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen is looking for highly motivated candidates for two PhD scholarships in sexual health epidemiology.
About the Department of Epidemiology Research The Department of Epidemiology Research employs around 35 people who carry out high-quality epidemiological health research. We offer an international and cross-disciplinary research environment encompassing medical doctors, statisticians, biologists, and public health scientists. Our research is primarily based on data from Danish national registers and cohort studies and the Danish National Biobank. Our overall goal is to produce research of the highest possible quality to create ground-breaking scientific knowledge and influence public health.
About Project SEXUS Project SEXUS (www.projectsexus.dk) is a questionnaire- and register-based cohort study comprising a nationally representative sample of over 60,000 Danes aged 15-to-89 years. Questionnaire data cover a broad range of sexual health issues such as sexual and gender identity, sexual experiences, behaviors, problems, and attitudes, as well as sociodemographic, lifestyle-, and health-related topics. Baseline data collection took place in 2017-2018, and continuous follow-up with health information from national registers has since taken place. Project SEXUS constitutes a close research collaboration between Department of Epidemiology Research at Statens Serum Institut and Center for Sexology Research at the Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University.
About the two PhD scholarships As PhD student in the Project SEXUS Group, you will become part of a small, dedicated cross-institutional research team that combines rich questionnaire data with detailed register data to unravel the interplay between sexuality and both physical and mental health. You will be engaged in all parts of the research cycle, from detailed project planning over fundraising to data analyses, publication in scientific journals, presentation at scientific meetings, and knowledge dissemination to a wider audience. For each scholarship, a short stay at a research institution abroad is expected.
Specifically, the research topics of the two PhD scholarships are as follows:
Project 1: Prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. The aim of this project is to find new etiological clues and explore the sexual and relational consequences of these common diseases in middle-aged and elderly men by use of health registry and laboratory data in combination with Project SEXUS questionnaire data.
Project 2: Psychological distress and psychiatric morbidity among sexual and gender identity minority (SGM) individuals. The aim of this project is to map the burden of psychological distress and mental illness among SGM individuals in Denmark and identify responsible childhood vulnerability factors and post-childhood risk factors using Project SEXUS data and information from national registers.
Each PhD scholarship runs over a three-year period starting September 1, 2024. Candidates will be employed at Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, while being matriculated as PhD students at the Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University. Each project will be supervised by professors from both institutions in close synergy with the project statistician and external collaborators.
Qualifications and background The ideal applicants have:
Conditions of employment Both positions are covered by the terms of the collective agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and your relevant organization. In addition to the salary, a monthly contribution to a pension fund is added (17.1% of the salary).
Further information Please contact project PI, professor Morten Frisch (mfr@ssi.dk, +45 3268 3160) (Statens Serum Institut) or professor Christian Graugaard (chgr@rn.dk, +45 2886 6560) (Aalborg University).
Application Click “Apply” to send your job application.
Your application should be in English and should include a cover letter with your personal motivation for applying (max. two pages), your CV (max. two pages), a list of any academic publications you may have (co)authored, and a copy of relevant diplomas and grade sheets. It should be clearly stated which of the two PhD scholarships, or both, you apply for.
We expect interviews to take place in week 22 (May 27-31, 2024).
Statens Serum Institut (SSI) hører under Indenrigs- og Sundhedsministeriet.
Vores mission er, at forebygge og bekæmpe infektionssygdomme og medfødte sygdomme gennem forskning, overvågning, diagnostik og rådgivning