Closing date: 19 July 2021

Uppsala University is a comprehensive research-intensive university with a strong international standing. Our ultimate goal is to conduct education and research of the highest quality and relevance to make a long-term difference in society. Our most important assets are all the individuals whose curiosity and dedication make Uppsala University one of Sweden’s most exciting workplaces. Uppsala University has over 45,000 students, more than 7,000 employees and a turnover of around SEK 7 billion.

Uppsala University hereby declares a vacancy as Researcher 100% for investigating Parents’ and healthcare professionals’ preferences regarding screening and genetic testing of newborns at the Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences.

The Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences has extensive research conducted by our 11 research groups in the subject areas such as public health science, care science and bioethics. We are a total of about 200 employees. The Center for Research Ethics and Bioethics at the department is an interdisciplinary research environment with 25 junior and senior researchers. We are involved in projects related to bioethics, clinical ethics, research ethics, neuroethics, medical law, perceptions about communication of genetic risk information and research on patients’ preferences.

The advertised research position refers to a full-time part of an international research project that aims to use qualitative and quantitative methods to study parents ‘and health care professionals’ preferences regarding screening and genetic testing of newborns for rare diagnoses and attempts to identify patients with symptoms via their electronic medical records and an algorithm. The effect of the information on the parents will be examined with an instrument that measures Empowerment, which will be validated for use in Germany and Italy. The advertised research position is limited in time to two years.

Duties: The tasks consist of, in collaboration with other researchers in the research team on health preference research at the Center for Research Ethics & Bioethics, planning and implementing the project, compiling and analyzing research data and writing manuscripts for scientific articles. Collaboration will take place with clinics, primarily in Germany and Italy, as well as preference researchers in Rotterdam. The research team around preference research is involved in several different projects and they help each.

Requirements: For employment as a researcher, you must have a doctoral degree, or a foreign degree which is deemed to correspond to a doctoral degree, in medical sciences, or public health science or psychology or health economics. Knowledge and ability to use both qualitative methods such as interviews and focus groups as well as quantitative methods where one seeks quantifiable and generalizable results, e.g. epidemiological studies, is a requirement.

Additional qualifications: Knowledge in statistics is an advantage. Ability for independent research work is essential. Great emphasis will be placed on personal suitability and ability to work together.

Selection: For this position, selection will mainly be based on the applicant’s scientific competence. Administrative skills are important and will be taken into account. The ability to collaborate with the surrounding community and to inform the public about research and development is an important merit. The university seeks to recruit a person who in the combined evaluation of competence, skills and documented qualifications is judged to be best suited to perform and develop the work that exists and to contribute to a positive development of the center.

Scientific competence is mainly assessed by the quality and quantity of the scientific publications with regard to depth and breadth.

Salary: Individual salary.

Starting date: 2021-09-01 or as otherwise agreed.

Type of employment: Temporary position ending in 2 years.

Scope of employment: 100%.

For further information about the position please contact: Senior Professor Mats Hansson 0763-41 20 50, mats.hanssonATcrb.uu.se.

For more information and to apply, visit Researcher on preferences related to newborn screening – Uppsala University, Sweden (uu.se)

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