The POPE group is conducting epidemiologic research focused on how conditions early in life influence fetus, child and adolescent health. The approximately 20 people in the POPE group work with the Danish National Registries, the Danish National Birth Cohort, and contribute to several international birth cohort collaboration efforts.

The aim of this PhD project is to develop algorithms to predict for whom eating disorder symptoms will resolve, persist or progress across adolescence. The primary data source is the Danish National birth Cohort, with approximately 95 000 individuals that have been followed from prenatal life until early adulthood. On these individuals, massive data is available from reports by the mothers and the individuals themselves collected longitudinally, as well as from linkage with the national registries. Symptoms of eating disorders were collected at 11 and 18 years of age, and diagnosis of eating disorders will be retrieved from the National Patient Registry.

In this project the student should develop and apply methods that integrates statistics and machine learning methods to optimize the risk prediction of eating disorders. This involves identifying hitherto unknown risk factors and developing a more nuanced understanding of the spectrum of eating disorders and their precursors. Similarly, the student will work on methods for dynamic prediction modelling, where individuals are measured irregularly over time, and where time-dependent variables and potential confounders may change over time. Statistical programming will be an integral part of the project.

Principal supervisor: Associate professor, Katrine Strandberg-Larsen, Department of Public Health, E-mail: Ksla@sund.ku.dk, Direct Phone: +45 35326078.

Start: 1st September 2019

Duration: 3 years as a PhD student

Your key tasks as a PhD student at SUND are:

• Carry through an independent research project under supervision

• Complete PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS points

• Participate in active research environments including a stay at another research team preferably abroad

• Teach and disseminate your knowledge

• Publish scientific papers

• Write a PhD thesis on the grounds of your project

The successful applicant for this Ph.D. fellowship will be a statistician with a strong background in both mathematics and statistics, i.e., a candidate degree in for example mathematics or engineering sciences. Accordingly, we require documented skills within both theoretical and applied statistics and additional experience with epidemiological research, as well as and use of registry data. Further, high-level computational statistics will be valued highly.

Other important criteria are:

• The grade point average achieved

• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project

• Previous publications

• Relevant work experience

• Other professional activities

• Curious mind-set with a strong interest in statistics, machine learning and epidemiology, and the development of eating disorders.

• Language skills

The place of employment is at Section of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include access to several unique national as well as international data infrastructures.

The employment as PhD fellow is full time and for 3 years.

It is conditioned upon the applicant’s success¬ful enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant before 1st September 2019.

The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the Faculty’s rules on achieving the degree. Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agree¬ment between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary begins around 26.886 DKK /approx. 3.601EUR (October 2018-level) plus pension.

For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.

General information about PhD study at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences is available at the Graduate School’s website: https://healthsciences.ku.dk/phd/guidelines/

Your application must be submitted electronically by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. The application must include the following documents in PDF format:

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page)

2. CV incl. education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position

3. Master of Science diploma and transcript of records. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor will do

4. Publication list (if possible)

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor.

The assessor makes a non-prioritized assessment of the academic qualifications and experience with respect to the above-mentioned area of research, techniques, skills and other requirements listed in the advertisement.

Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

You can read about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

Interviews are expected to be held in week 15