Doctoral (PhD) student position in public health informatics – prevention of problem gambling

Do you want to contribute to better health for all?

To be a doctoral student means to devote oneself to a research project under supervision of experienced researchers and following an individual study plan. For a doctoral degree, the equivalent of four years of full-time doctoral education is required.

The research group

The Digital Psychiatry Lab at the Centre for psychiatry research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, is led by associate professor Philip Lindner and conducts clinical and other applied research in the field of digital psychiatry, with the goal of developing, evaluating and implementing new digital tools for the identification and treatment of mental health problems in different forms. One prominent research track of the group is the identification and prevention of problem gambling in online casinos and betting, where the digital setting allows for unique opportunities to use high-resolution Big Data and the interactive format, to detect and prevent problem gambling. The Digital Psychiatry Lab is happy to announce a doctoral student position within this track, in the field of public health informatics.

The doctoral student project and the duties of the doctoral student

The Digital Psychiatry Lab has received research funding to study the causal effects of gambling advertising using new, innovative methods and advanced quantitative analyses. The PhD student will be involved in all stages of this policy-close project, including acquiring the necessary approvals, designing the studies, processing and analysis of large and complex datasets, and scientific writing. Planned analyses include time series analysis, deep learning classification and trial statistics.

Through this, the doctoral student is expected to gain excellent and transferable skills, both soft (collaborative, project management) and hard (quantitative), all the while authoring high-quality research with a great and immediate public health impact. In tandem, the experience and skills acquired will provide the doctoral student with excellent prerequisites for a continued career in research, public health, informatics, responsible gambling, or similar. A successful doctoral student will have the opportunity to engage in other projects headed by the Digital Psychiatry Lab, to broaden their research experience even more.

What do we offer?

A creative and inspiring environment full of expertise and curiosity. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. Our vision is to pursue the development of knowledge about life and to promote a better health for all. At Karolinska Institutet, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. As a doctoral student you are offered an individual research project, a well-educated supervisor, a vast range of elective courses and the opportunity to work in a leading research group. Karolinska Institutet collaborates with prominent universities from all around the world, which ensures opportunities for international exchanges. You will be employed on a doctoral studentship which means that you receive a contractual salary. Employees also have access to our modern gym for free and receive reimbursements for medical care.

Eligibility requirements for doctoral education

In order to participate in the selection for a doctoral position, you must meet the following general (A) and specific (B) eligibility requirements at latest by the application deadline.

It is your responsibility to certify eligibility by following the instructions on the web page Entry requirements (eligibility) for doctoral education.

A) General eligibility requirement

You meet the general eligibility requirement for doctoral/third-cycle/PhD education if you:

1. have been awarded a second-cycle/advanced/master qualification (i.e. master degree), or
2. have satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the advanced/second-cycle/master level, or
3. have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.*

Follow the instructions on the web page Entry requirements (eligibility) for doctoral education.

*If you claim equivalent knowledge, follow the instructions on the web page Assessing equivalent knowledge for general eligibility for doctoral education.

B) Specific eligibility requirement

You meet the specific eligibility requirement for doctoral/third-cycle/PhD education if you:

- Show proficiency in English equivalent to the course English B/English 6 at Swedish upper secondary school.

Follow the instructions on the web page English language requirements for doctoral education.

Verification of your documents Karolinska Institutet checks the authenticity of your documents. Karolinska Institutet reserves the right to revoke admission if supporting documents are discovered to be fraudulent. Submission of false documents is a violation of Swedish law and is considered grounds for legal action.

(A) and (B) can only be certified by the documentation requirement for doctoral education.

Skills and personal qualities

For this interdisciplinary project, we will consider talented, organized, flexible, highly motivated individuals from a range of project-relevant backgrounds.

Necessary

• An educational background in one or several of the following fields: psychology (clinical or other applied), public health, epidemiology, informatics, computer science, statistics, data science, social work, or quantitative sociology
• Solid quantitative skills, including data processing and statistical analysis, with both the drive and the ability to quickly pick up new quantitative skills
• Skilled in project management and an excellent collaborator
• Very god knowledge in English, both speaking och writing

Desirable

• Educational background in Data Science and/or statistics
• Can read and write Swedish sufficiently to comprehend laws and regulations without requiring translation, or demonstrated capacity to quickly learn new languages
• Previous experience of conducting research, especially of relevance to the project at hand
• Educational background and/or work experience within psychiatry or the addiction field, especially in the context of problem gambling
• Knowledge of the Swedish and Nordic gambling market and relevant legislation and regulations

Terms and conditions

The doctoral student will be employed on a doctoral studentship maximum 4 years full-time.

Application process

Submit your application and supporting documents through the Varbi recruitment system. Use the button in the top right corner and follow the instructions. We prefer that your application is written in English, but you can also apply in Swedish.

Your application must contain the following documents:

- A personal letter and a curriculum vitae
- Degree projects and previous publications, if any
- Any other documentation showing the desirable skills and personal qualities described above
- Documents certifying your general eligibility (see A above)
- Documents certifying your specific eligibility (see B above)

Selection

A selection will be made among eligible applicants on the basis of the ability to benefit from doctoral education. The qualifications of the applicants will be evaluated on an overall basis.

Karolinska Institutet uses the following bases of assessment:

- Documented subject knowledge of relevance to the area of research
- Analytical skill
- Other documented knowledge or experience that may be relevant to doctoral studies in the subject.

All applicants will be informed when the recruitment is completed.

Read more about the research group you will be part of
Read more about the Centre for Psychiatry Research

Want to make a difference? Join us and contribute to better health for all!