Postdoctor in radiological antagonistic threats

Description of the workplace
The Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Malmö belongs to the Department of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine. At the department, research is carried out on e.g. MRI, CT, mammography, nuclear medicine, radiation protection and environmental radiology.

The environmental radiology group at Medical Radiation Physics, Malmö has for many years conducted research aimed at studying ionizing radiation in our environment and how radiation doses to humans and biota can be measured and calculated. A central part of this is the development and improvement of measurement methods for determining ionizing radiation to humans in connection with radiological and nuclear emergencies.

Medical Radiation Physics, Malmö has its physical workplace at Skåne University Hospital in Malmö and a total of approximately 40 colleagues work at Medical Radiation Physics, Malmö, of which 6 colleagues in the Environmental Radiology group. The group also has a very close connection with the BAR group at the Department of Physics in Lund, consisting of 4 colleagues. The environmental radiology group has several different laboratories in connection with its office premises at Skåne University Hospital, Malmö. In the same way, the BAR group has a laboratory in connection with its office premises at the Department of Physics, Lund.

Within the research group, we protect a good working environment with respect and consideration in our relationships with each other, and strive for a workplace that is experienced as developing and stimulating for all employees. We constantly work to create conditions for job satisfaction, development and participation for all employees. We protect both physical safety and the psychosocial work environment.

Project description
The postdoctoral position is linked to a sub-project in a larger research project, funded by the Swedish Agency for Contingencies (MSB), with a focus on preventive measures against antagonistic use of radioactive substances in the public environment. In the project, special focus will be on the detectability of large scale exposures of members of the public by current retrospective dosimetry techniques. These techniques involve luminescent detectors such as TL/OSL sensitive materials, and to a limited extent also biodosimetric or computational methods. In collaboration with the Swedish Defence Research Agency, the postdoctoral researcher must develop methods to be able to demonstrate whether rescue staff members and the public in a suspected malevolent event have been exposed to ionizing radiation, as well as validating these techniques by real in-situ measurements. The detection methods are linked to what are internationally referred to as “citizen dosimeters”, and which have been applied in e.g. in Japan after the Fukushima accident in 2011.

The project will include close collaborations with colleagues in the Total Defense Research Institute in Umeå, as well as in Örebro University.

Duties and areas of responsibility
At Lund University, employment as a postdoctoral fellow should provide the opportunity for scientific and pedagogical merit. In the first place, space is given for qualifications in research, but also for certain university pedagogical training. Teaching can also be included in the duties.

You will work both theoretically and experimentally. You will need to understand and interpret radiation dose calculations from Swedish Defence Research Agency I to materials and tissue, and translate these into theoretical detection limits for various radiation-sensitive sensors, mainly thermo-optical luminescent detector materials such as Lithium Fluoride and Sodium Chloride. Based on these calculations, a number of suitable proposals for measuring methods must be developed that can be used for the reconstruction of radiation doses to the public and rescue personnel in antagonistic events involving radioactive substances. The measurement method must include the appropriate choice of packaging, calibration chain, handling and evaluation. You will also need to prepare, calibrate and evaluate radiation detectors for experimental validation of computational models developed by the Swedish Defence Research Agency. The experiments may also include robotic or UAV-borne detectors.

Some teaching (mainly laboratories for undergraduate students) and supervision of students may be included. You are also expected to participate to a limited extent in practice and training within the national expert support for radiation protection preparedness.

Qualifications

Requirements for employment are:

• doctoral degree or equivalent foreign degree in one or more of the following fields: medical radiation physics, nuclear physics, or technical physics. The doctoral degree must be completed at the latest at the time when the employment decision is made
• good ability to develop and carry out research of good quality
• pedagogical ability
• good knowledge of the interaction of ionizing radiation
• good knowledge of radiation dosimetry.
• good organizational skills
• very good collaboration skills and experience of working effectively in an interdisciplinary project group

Meritorious for the position are:

• mainly applicants who have completed their degree no more than three years before the application deadline will be considered
• experience of working with personal dosimetry
• experience of working with retrospective dosimetry
• experience in publication of work in scientific journals
• interest in pedagogy and supervision
• good ability to communicate in English, both in writing and speaking
• good ability to independently follow set timetables and deliver in accordance with them
• experience of interdisciplinary studies
• Driving license BE

The assessment of the applicants will primarily be based on their scientific merits and potential as researchers. Special weight will be attached to scientific ability in the subject area.

What we offer
Lund University is a state authority, which means you get special benefits, generous holidays and a favorable occupational pension. Read more on the university's website about being employed by us Work with us

This service will offer a valuable hub into the national and European research community in retrospective dosimetry and radiation protection with a focus on preparedness and civil defense, thereby providing a scientific insight into the knowledge front about the technical, physical and risk communication prerequisites for new measurement techniques in future preparedness and civil defense.

Terms
The employment is limited to two years, 100%, with a start date according to agreement, however no later than 2025-06-01.

The employment is time-limited according to the agreement "Agreement on temporary employment as a postdoctoral fellow", between the labor market parties (Employer's Office, OFR's, Saco-S and SEKO) dated 01-01-2022. Employment at Lund University is conducted in Sweden, you are therefore expected to be able to carry out your work on site in Malmö. Travels, in particular to Umeå and Örebro, and to other Swedish universities will occur.

Miscellaneous
Interviews will be conducted either in our premises in Malmö or over Zoom during weeks 12-14, 2025.

How to apply
The position is applied for via the university's recruitment system. The application must include a personal letter explaining why you are interested in the position and how the position matches your qualifications. The application must also contain a CV and degree certificate as well as anything else you wish to refer to (copies of grades, information for references, etc.).