Doctoral (PhD) student position investigating the effects of artificial blue light on behavior, thoughts, and emotion in the subway system.

Do you want to contribute to improving human health?

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

Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics (LIME) conducts research where Medicine meets Social Sciences, Humanities and Technology. The research areas of the department units are broad and encompasses health economics and policy, cultural medicine, learning in health care, informatics, implementation, health informatics, medical management, health care ethics and suicide research and prevention. This PhD student position is part of the suicide research and prevention area. Due to the broad scope of the department, there are ample opportunities to learn from the state-of-the-art in different research fields and participate in collaboration between research units. The department is situated at campus Solna.

NASP is a collaborative center that consists of several units, all of which are organized under two main institutional frameworks: Karolinska Institutet (KI) and Stockholm County Health Care Area (SLSO) at Region Stockholm. NASP is also a WHO collaborating center for research, method development, and education in suicide prevention. The unit has a total of 51 employees of which currently five are PhD students. The center research areas stretch from psychiatry, psychology, epidemiology, to genetics and molecular biology.

The doctoral student project and the duties of the doctoral student

The overarching research aim is to explore psychological and behavioural effects of artificial blue light (B-LED) exposure on behaviours, emotions and thoughts with the aim to prevent suicide in the subway system. The project will include experimental, observational, qualitative and survey methods to broadly investigate mechanisms behind differences in responses during B-LED exposure and control conditions. The scientific framework includes suicide research, environmental psychology, psychophysiology and Bayesian statistical modelling. The doctoral student is expected to become an independent scientist during the studies and to be a main contributor in the data collection, analysis and reporting of the scientific results. The scientific work and academic courses will be formalized in relation to learning objectives in an individual study plan which the student needs to follow in a professional way during the whole four-year study period.

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

Necessary

• The applicant must have completed relevant education, in psychology, and show a strong interest in suicide research.
• The applicant must have documented research experience, in suicide research and in psychology.
• The applicant must have documented knowledge or training in suicide research, environmental psychology, and Bayesian statistical modelling.
• The applicant must be fluent in English, both spoken and written.
• The applicant must be able to read and understand Swedish sufficiently to comprehend laws and regulations without requiring translation
• The applicant must have documented ability to work well both in a team and independently from international environments.

Desirable

• Programming skills in R
• Documented research experience of relevance to the project at hand
• Familiarity with literature search, review, and summary of scientific articles.
• A strong interest in data-driven research and interdisciplinary science, including bioinformatics, systems biology, machine learning, or biostatistics, with a focus on practical applications and problem-solving.

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 Suicide and mental health lab

Read more about LIME

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