PhD student in public health with focus in health economics - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The workplace
The Health Economics research group at Lund University is ranked as the top research environment in its field in Scandinavia and ninth in Europe. Led by Professor Ulf Gerdtham, the group conducts research primarily in five areas: 1) Public health issues, 2) Incentives and organization within healthcare, 3) Design of healthcare systems in terms of efficiency and distribution, 4) Economic evaluations of health interventions and programmes, 5) Socioeconomic inequality in health and welfare. The research group contributes to both theoretical and empirical research, utilizing survey and register data from regional, national, and international databases, as well as experiments. For more information about their research, please visit their website. The position is located in Lund.

We offer
Lund University is a governmental authority, which means you get special benefits, generous holidays and a favourable occupational pension. Read more on the university's website about being employed at Lund University, Work with us.

Project description and work duties
The doctoral project is within the field of public health with a focus on health economics. We are seeking a motivated doctoral student with a background in economics and good knowledge of econometrics.

Medication reviews reduces the use of inappropriate medications, which is a common problem among older individuals in the population. People with dementia is a particularly vulnerable group for whom medication reviews are of crucial importance. The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare has specific regulations regarding who should undergo a medication review and when. Due to the decentralized healthcare system in Sweden, many regions have their own rules and regulations, and there are differences between regions regarding who should receive a basic or comprehensive medication review. There are also variations in terms of which healthcare professionals should perform these reviews. However, research is limited regarding which model is (most) cost-effective and contributes to reducing inequality among individuals living with dementia.

The main task of the doctoral student is to conduct their research studies, which includes participation in research projects and mandatory courses. As a doctoral student within the health economics research group, your role will involve developing and running a research project focused on the health economic evaluation of medication reviews in Sweden. Specifically, you will compare different models in terms of costs, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness. Your main tasks will include:

• Reviewing policies and guidelines related to medication reviews in Swedish healthcare regions.
• Conducting econometric analysis using large register-based datasets.
• Performing health economic evaluations.
• Project planning and scientific writing.
• Presenting research findings at seminars, national, and international meetings.

Additional tasks within the research group may also arise. You will collaborate with researchers at the Health Economics Unit at Lund University.

Qualifications

Requirements for the position are:

• An advanced level degree (master's or equivalent) or equivalent 240 ECTS credits in Economics
• Fluent in Swedish, spoken and written
• Very good proficiency in English, spoken and written
• Specific emphasis will be placed on personal qualities such as the ability to work independently

Meriting for the position are:

• A health economic orientation is advantageous
• Background or knowledge of dementia or cognitive impairment.
• Documented experience in health economic evaluation.
• Documented experience in scientific writing, including authorship of scientific publications.
• Documented experience in conducting register studies and handling large datasets.
• Proficiency in Stata.
• Strong ability to be flexibleand work independently.
• Good collaboration skills and the ability to be a productive part of a team.
• Previous experience working in multidisciplinary research groups

Eligibility
Students with basic eligibility for third-cycle studies are those who- have completed a second-cycle degree- have completed courses of at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits are from second-cycle courses, or- have acquired largely equivalent knowledge in some other way, in Sweden or abroad.

In order for students with a non-Nordic degree to be admitted to postgraduate education,  English language skills corresponding to a passed TOEFL or IELTS test is required. For TOEFL-test requirement for admission is at least 550 points on the paper-based test, at least 213 points on the computer-based test and at least 79 points on the Internet-based test. For the IELTS test, the "Academic Module" must be completed with at least 6.5 as a result and no sub-element below 5.0.

Basis of assessment
The employment of doctoral students is regulated in the Swedish Code of Statues 1998: 80. Only those who are or have been admitted to PhD-studies may be appointed to doctoral studentships. When an appointment to a doctoral studentship is made, the ability of the student to benefit from PhD-studies shall primarily be taken into account. In addition to devoting themselves to their studies, those appointed to doctoral studentships may be required to work with educational tasks, research and administration, in accordance with specific regulations in the ordinance.

Type of employment
Employment is a full-time, fixed-term position of 4 years, in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 5 Section 7. Start date is 2024-04-01 or according to agreement.

How to apply
Application should be sent through the Lund University online recruitment system. It must include a personal motivation letter, a CV, contact information of two references, a degree certificate (including a grade transcript), TOEFL or IELTS-test result and other documents you wish to be considered (e.g. letters of recommendation).