Postdoc position in psychiatric genetic epidemiology

The Department of Clinical Medicine at Faculty of Health at Aarhus University invites applications for a position as Postdoc in the field of psychiatric genetic epidemiology as per 1 September 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter. The position is a fixed-term full-time position for 3 years.

As a postdoc at the Department of Clinical Medicine, you will be part of what is probably the largest health science research department in Denmark. Our clinical research covers all the medical specialities and takes place in close collaboration with the university hospital and the regional hospitals in the Central Denmark Region. We have approx. 30,000 square metres of modern research facilities for experimental surgery and medicine, animal facilities and also advanced scanners at our disposal. The department has overall responsibility for the Master's degree programs in medicine and in molecular medicine. At the department we are approx. 670 academic employees, 500 PhD students and 160 technical/administrative employees who are cooperating across disciplines. As a postdoc, you will be working at Aarhus University Hospital or another hospital in the Central Denmark Region. You can read more about the department here and about the faculty here.
About the research project
The goal of this research project is to explore the genetic underpinnings of psychiatric comorbidity in severe mental illness. The position is funded by an external grant from The Lundbeck Foundation. You will be joining the Psychiatric Epidemiology and Genetics research group at the Department of Affective Disorders (ADAPEG) at Aarhus University, Denmark. You will work closely with Dr. Katherine Musliner, as well as other members of the group and other staff from Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital. In the ADAPEG research group, we study the distribution and determinants of severe psychiatric disorders treated in hospital-based settings, with an emphasis on the role of genetics in the onset, course and outcome of psychiatric disorders as well as the interplay between genes and environment as risk factors for severe psychiatric disorders.
This research project will involve working with the Danish National Registers and the iPSYCH sample. iPSYCH is a national project founded in 2012 by six leading researchers in the fields of psychiatry and genetics. The purpose of iPSYCH is to find the causes and create the basis for better treatment and prevention of five of the most serious mental disorders: autism, ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. By examining genes and risk factors in more than 130,000 Danes – both those who suffer from mental disorders and those who do not – we shed light on the interaction between heredity factors and the environment, which for some people result in them developing a mental disorder. Today iPSYCH is one of the world’s largest studies of the genetic and environmental causes of mental disorders and it involves more than 150 researchers within psychiatry, genetics and register-based research. You can read more about the iPSYCH project here.
Your job responsibilities
As Postdoc in ADAPEG your position is primarily research-based but may also involve teaching assignments. You will contribute to the development of the department through research of high international quality. In your daily work, you will work closely with colleagues on your project, where you will receive supervision and guidance. Your main tasks will consist of independent research of high international quality, including publication. You will report to the project PI Dr. Katherine Musliner and the head of the research unit, Dr. Søren D. Østergaard.
Your competences
You have academic qualifications at PhD level, for example within the following areas: epidemiology, biostatistics, public health, data science, medicine, health sciences, genetics, psychology, or similar.
As a person, you have good interpersonal skills, are inclusive and team-oriented and able to contribute to a good work environment. We expect you to be fluent in oral and written English.
In order to be assessed as qualified for a Postdoc position, you must meet these academic criteria.
Questions about the position
If you have any questions about the position, please contact Dr. Katherine Musliner at [email protected].
Your place of work will be the Research Unit of the Department of Affective Disorders, which has offices at Aarhus University Hospital, Palle-Juul Jensens Boulevard 175, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark and additional research offices at Børglumvej 4, 8200 Risskov, Denmark.
We expect to conduct interviews in July/August 2024. Either in-person or online interviews are acceptable.

Terms of employment

• Appointment as a postdoc requires academic qualifications at PhD level.
• Further information on the appointment procedure can be found in the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.
• The appointment is in accordance with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne).
• Remuneration is in accordance with the above, and the Salary agreement catalogue for staff at Health.
• The yearly base salary for a fulltime postdoc is between DKK 484.214,84 and DKK 538.720,20 depending on the years of working experience after achieved MSc degree. The base salary includes a position related supplement and pension (17.1 %). Additional supplement(s) for special qualifications can be negotiated. Authorisation supplemement(s) will be granted, if relevant for the position. Your local eligible trade union representative at Aarhus University negotiates your salary on your behalf.
• Researchers recruited from abroad are offered a special researcher tax scheme with a lower tax rate.
• Further information on qualification requirements and job description can be found in the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff

Application
Your application must include the following:

• Motivated application
• Curriculum Vitae
• Diploma
• Template for applicant - postdoc
• A list of publications
• A teaching portfolio. We refer to Guideline on the use of teaching portfolios
• A maximum of five of the publications of greatest relevance to the job may be submitted (optional)
• Research plan can be uploaded (optional)
• Coauthor statement(s) can be uploaded (optional)
• References/recommendations can be uploaded separately in the e-recruitment system (optional)

We refer to the faculty’s Guidelines for applicants.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.
Letter of reference
If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.
International applicant?
Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including assistance with relocation and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about the International Staff Office and the range of services here. Aarhus University also has a Junior Researcher Association and offers career development support. You can read more about these resources here.

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.

Aarhus University
Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/

Department: Afdeling for Depression og Angst/Department of Affective Disorders

Deadline: 20 June 2024

Location: Aarhus N Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 175