Postdoc in biostatistics for nutritional epidemiology project

The National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) at University of Southern Denmark (SDU) seeks applicants for a post doc position on the ‘Zero Hidden Hunger EU’ project for a one-year position with the possibility of extension, ideally starting April 1, 2025.

‘Zero Hidden Hunger EU’ is a Horizon Europe funded research project aiming to provide estimates of the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies and their associated health costs, focused on high-risk population subgroups. The aim is to provide the best possible evidence to develop context-specific, tailored food focused solutions to ensure adequate supply of vitamins and minerals from diets from sustainable sources. The project runs over 4 years (2024-2027) and gathers 19 partners from 12 European countries in a collaboration between top universities and research centres, as well as expert non-profit organisations and the private sector.

The post doc will be responsible for estimating prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies using statistical methodology such as linear mixed models, the bootstrap and delta method, and meta analytic approaches for aggregated and individual-level data from the project database, encompassing large-scale data from approx. 15-20 countries. The work will also involve imputation of missing values and subsequent spatial modelling and mapping of prevalences and possibly also machine learning to establish prediction models of micronutrient deficiency.

The post doc is expected to explore and extend existing statistical methodology, in theory and through simulations as needed, analyse data and write scientific publications and contribute substantially to other work packages in the EU project and other tasks at NIPH, as appropriate. The post doc is also expected to interact with other project partners and to be involved in various project activities.

When evaluating applications, the following qualifications are expected:
•    A PhD degree within a relevant field (such as biostatistics, data science, or statistics)
•    In-depth experience in programming (such as defining functions, looping, and mark down scripts) and advanced statistical analyses using R
•    Excellent communication skills in spoken and written English
•    Documented experience with writing and publishing scientific papers in relevant, international peer-reviewed scientific journals

It will be considered an advantage to have:
•    Documented research experience in the fields of biostatistics, data science, nutritional epidemiology, and/or related fields 
•    Experience with large-scale data analysis in a food or nutrition context

Research environment
The successful candidate will be joining the research group of Geographical and Register-based Epidemiology at NIPH, SDU, in Copenhagen. The research group consists of epidemiologists and statisticians, involved in a wide range of research projects related to climate, health, and the environment. Moreover, the post doc will be joining the ‘Zero Hidden Hunger EU’ project as task leader on several designated tasks in work package 4. 

Suitable candidates will be invited for an online or on-site informal interview, as appropriate, after the application deadline.

Further Information and contact
Professor Christian Ritz, National Institute of Public Health, Phone: +45 65 50 96 96, email: [email protected]. 

Application deadline
February 15th, 2025, at 23.59 hrs. CEST

Appointment
Appointment to the position requires a PhD or equivalent and will be in accordance with the salary agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations.

Applications must include:
•    A motivation letter stating the interest, motivation, and qualifications for the project (max. 1 page)
•    Detailed CV, including personal contact information
•    Certified copy of diploma (PhD degree and Master’s degree in a relevant field)
•    A complete and numbered list of publications
•    3 scientific peer-reviewed publications considered by the applicant to be the most important for this position. Please notice that one pdf.- or docx.-file must be attached for each publication 
•    A teaching portfolio detailing the candidate’s prior teaching experience, teaching skills, and teaching philosophy 
•    A research plan detailing the candidate’s ideas and plans for her/his future research work. 
•    References (if possible)

If you experience technical problems, you must contact [email protected].   

Please note that all the above-mentioned information must be included in the application.
Incomplete applications and applications received after the deadline will neither be considered nor assessed. Applications will be assessed by an expert committee and may be shortlisted. 
Suitable candidates will be invited for a personal interview after the application deadline.
Applicants will be informed of their assessment by the university. 

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Living and working in Denmark
Foreign applicants will be offered Danish language training as part of the employment. 
The International Staff Office (ISO) at SDU provides a variety of services for new employees, guests and people who consider applying for a job at the University of Southern Denmark. Among other things, the staff answers questions concerning salary, taxation, housing and accompanying family.

The terms of employment as a post doc are stated in the Agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC).

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.