PhD in Medical Science (Public Health)

Description of the workplace
Health economics at Lund University is ranked as the leading research environment in its field in Scandinavia and 9th in Europe. The health economics research group at the Faculty of Medicine is led by Professor Ulf Gerdtham and conducts research primarily in five areas: Public health issues Incentives and organization in healthcare Design of healthcare systems in terms of efficiency and equity Economic evaluations of health interventions and programs Socioeconomic inequality in health and welfare

The research group contributes to both theoretical and empirical research and uses 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 based in Lund.

Doctoral Research Subject                 
Medical Science

Description of the project:
Distributional cost-effectiveness analysis (DCEA) is a joint consideration of equity concerns and maximizing social welfare with limited public funds. Inequality is a concern in Sweden and internationally, and understanding preferences and aversion is a step in designing better health policies in the future. A common utility measurement is the quality-adjusted life year (QALY) as it is easy to understand and measure.

Knowing that individuals are willing to trade some of their health gains to support the most vulnerable in society is a step in implementing a standardized DCEA model for use in health economic decision-making. However, there are gaps in knowledge of how to implement or guide decision-makers in reasoning. Previous research in Sweden focuses on income-related health but has failed to capture whether other sub-groups should be considered in a weight function. Furthermore, there are few analyses of existing policies utilising DCEA, and applying the framework is of importance in showing the potential gains from implementing a DCEA approach in other economic evaluations.

Work Duties
The main task of the doctoral student is to pursue doctoral education within experiments on inequality aversion in Sweden and to conduct health economic evaluations with a distributional focus on preventive public health interventions. The work tasks mainly include:
Planning of experiments, application for ethical approval and ordering of register data,
econometric analysis of large register-based datasets, conducting health economic evaluations, project planning and scientific writing and presentation of research findings at seminars, national and international meetings

Other tasks within the research group may also be relevant. The doctoral student will work in a team alongside researchers at the Health Economics Unit at Lund University

Eligibility
Students with basic eligibility for third-cycle studies are those who

• have completed a second-cycle degree.
• 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.

Requirements for the position 

• Master’s degree in economics/health economics (min 60hp).
• the applicant must have English language skills equivalent to at least upper secondary school level (3 years.
• strong knowledge in econometrics.
• good knowledge of Swedish and English, both spoken and written, is required.
• strong ability to be flexible and work independently.
• good ability to collaborate and be a productive part of a team.

Merits for the position

• background or knowledge in measuring and explaining health inequality and socioeconomic-related health.
• documented experience in health economic evaluation.
• documented experience in scientific writing, including authorship of scientific publications.
• documented experience in conducting register-based studies and managing large datasets.
• proficiency in Stata.
• previous experience working in multidisciplinary research teams.

Assessment Criteria and Selection
In accordance with the provisions of the Higher Education Ordinance, the selection should primarily be based on an assessment of the applicants' ability to benefit from the education. During admission, it is mainly the applicant's merits from their basic education that can normally be assessed. In this regard, breadth, depth, and relevance, as well as elements of independent work, should be considered.

Terms of Employment
As a doctoral student at Lund University, you are both admitted as a student and employed.
The position is a fixed-term full-time appointment for a total of four years, with a start date as agreed.

Regulations regarding doctoral student employment are specified in Chapter 5, Sections 1–7 of the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100). Regulations regarding admission to doctoral studies are found in Chapter 6, Section 3 of the same ordinance. Further information regarding the regulations for admission and employment as a doctoral student can be found on the faculty's website

What We Offer
Lund University is a public authority, which means you will benefit from special employment advantages, generous vacation entitlements, and a favorable occupational pension scheme. Learn more about working at Lund University on the university’s website.

How to apply
Applications, made via the university’s recruitment system, should be written in English and include a personal motivation letter clearly describing how you meet the qualification requirements and your interest in the position. You should also include CV, copies of grades, details for references, recommendation letters, training certificates etc.