Doctoral student in medicine with focus on data-driven precision medicine

Description of the workplace
The Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö is now announcing a vacancy for a position at the
doctoral program and employment as a doctoral student within the The Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Unit.

The research unit, located at the hospital area i Helsingborg Sweden, conducts research on data-driven solutions in precision medicine, focusing on prediction of disease events, diagnostic subclassification, and therapeutic decision support within cardiometabolic diseases. 

Doctoral program subject
Medical science

Description of the project
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and related cardiometabolic diseases are highly heterogeneous, with substantial variation in disease progression, complications, and treatment response. In addition to cardiovascular and renal complications, individuals with T2D are at elevated risk of cognitive decline and dementia, yet this risk varies markedly between individuals and remains poorly predicted.

This PhD project will develop a data-driven precision medicine framework to identify and characterize non-canonical disease trajectories in T2D and related cardiometabolic conditions, including downstream effects on cognitive function. Using large-scale Nordic and international cohort data, the project will integrate clinical, genetic, lifestyle, and selected omics data to detect individuals whose biological profiles diverge from expected patterns.

The project will combine discordance-based phenotyping, genetic partitioning, and targeted causal inference approaches to identify biologically meaningful subgroups and improve understanding of mechanisms underlying cardiometabolic and neurocognitive risk. Building on these insights, the project will develop and validate prediction models for disease progression, cardio–renal outcomes, and cognitive decline, with a focus on robustness, interpretability, and clinical relevance.

The overall aim is to improve early identification of individuals at high risk of adverse cardiometabolic and cognitive outcomes and contribute to the development of more precise, equitable, and effective prevention strategies.

Work duties and responsibilities
The main tasks of a doctoral student are to devote themselves to their doctoral education and therefore you will be both admitted as a student and employed at Lund University. The successful candidate will work closely with Prof. Franks to plan, execute, and disseminate research related to precision medicine in multimorbidity, with a focus on cardiometabolic diseases. This work will include drafting and submitting documentation related to the research projects, undertaking statistical analyses, and organizing meetings with internal and external stakeholders. Providing support with new funding applications is requirement of the role. Much of the work will be undertaken with international collaborators in Asia and elsewhere. 

A key research project focuses on ‘causal temporal sequencing’ of aetiological processes that lead to chronic disease; it is anticipated that identifying the primordial drivers of these causal processes will aid precision prevention efforts of major chronic diseases. The research involves machine learning and deep learning analysis of high-dimensionality, time-series biomedical datasets, including those from Europe and Asia.

Other key aspects of the employment will involve assisting with grant applications and planning research initiatives (including collaborator meetings).

Qualifications

General eligibility for education at the doctoral level is held by anyone who has:

• Completed a degree at the advanced level
• Completed course requirements of at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits are at the advanced level, or
• in another way, in Sweden or abroad, acquired essentially equivalent knowledge. 

Special requirements for the employment are:

• Master's degree or the equivalent of more than 240 credits in epidemiology, statistics or closely related fields.
• Track-record in clinical medicine (i.e., a medical education with clinical practice experience), particularly in low- or middle-income settings, particularly in Asia.
• Clear evidence of training and research experience in areas related to precision medicine.
• Competency in data analysis (including coding in R and Python), with special emphasis on machine and deep learning methods, referencing software (e.g. Endnote), and
• Excellent written and oral communication in English.
• Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities. The tasks require you to be thorough, well-organized and independent

Meritorious for the position:

• Experience working with industry partners.
• Training in global health and real-world data analysis and interpretation.
• Working knowledge of health care systems in regions where work is planned (e.g., some of the project will be linked to Commissions that include collaborators in Asia).

 Basis for assessment and selection
In accordance with the provisions of the Higher Education Ordinance, selection shall primarily be based on an assessment of the applicants' ability to benefit from the education. At admission, the applicants' merits from prior education are the main basis for assessment. Breadth, depth, and relevance, as well as elements of independent work, shall be taken into account.

Terms and conditions
The position is a fixed-term employment of four years, 100 %, with preliminary starting date Sept 1 2026 or by agreement. As a general rule, employment at Lund University is carried out in Sweden; therefore, you are expected to be able to perform your work on-site in Helsingborg.

We offer
Lund University is a government agency, which means you receive special benefits, generous vacation, and a favorable occupational pension. Read more on the university's website about working with us: "Work with us" .

How to apply / application instructions
The position is applied for via the university's recruitment system. The application must include a personal letter with motivation as to why you are interested in the position and how the position matches your merits. The application must also include a CV, degree certificate(s) or equivalent, and any other documents you wish to refer to (copies of grades, references, recommendation letters, etc.).

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.

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
Limit of tenure, four years according to HF 5 kap 7§.