Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

To be a doctoral student means to devote oneself to a research project under supervision of experienced researchers and following an individual study plan. For a doctoral degree, the equivalent of four years of full-time doctoral education is required.

The Institute of Environmental Medicine (IMM) is a department at Karolinska Institutet and an interdisciplinary research institution within the broad field of environmental medicine. IMM conducts cutting edge research within the areas of environmental and occupational medicine, toxicology, physiology, epidemiology, and biostatistics with the aim to clarify how environmental and lifestyle factors affect our health and which role genes have. IMM also serves as a scientific advisor to public authorities within the area of environmental medicine and IMM scientists participate in national and international expert groups.

The research group

The epidemiological research at IMM is focused on advancing knowledge about disease etiology and prognosis with an emphasis on environmental and lifestyle factors, and on methodological development and stringency. The unit of Environmental Epidemiology is focused on epidemiological research concerning the health effects of ambient air pollution, ambient temperature, community noise and green structure as well as causes of adverse maternal complications during pregnancy. Experience and knowledge exist within the research group regarding epidemiological designs and innovative statistical approaches. Many projects are conducted in international collaboration. We often participate in environmental health risk assessments for national as well as international organizations and authorities. These assessments are often based on research conducted within the unit.

The doctoral student project and the duties of the doctoral student

Understanding how climate change affects maternal and early-life health has become increasingly urgent. Pregnant women and infants are particularly vulnerable to environmental stressors such as extreme temperatures and air pollution, yet their combined and interactive effects remain insufficiently understood. Addressing these knowledge gaps is essential for developing effective prevention strategies in a changing climate.

The overall aim of this project is to investigate the independent and interacting effects of heat, cold, and air pollution exposure during pregnancy on maternal complications and early child development. The project will focus on outcomes such as hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (e.g. preclampsia), gestational diabetes, and fetal and infant growth trajectories. Particular emphasis will be placed on identifying critical exposure windows during pregnancy and assessing how socioeconomic conditions and green environments may modify these associations.

The doctoral student will work with large-scale, high-quality administrative and clinical register data from Sweden and Belgium, combined with high-resolution environmental exposure data. The student will apply advanced epidemiological and statistical approaches, including time-to-event analyses, case-crossover designs, multilevel models for repeated measures, distributed lag non-linear models, and methods to assess interaction effects on both additive and multiplicative scales.

The doctoral student is expected to acquire broad knowledge and a systematic understanding of environmental epidemiology, with a specific focus on climate-related exposures and maternal and child health. This includes gaining expertise in exposure assessment, epidemiological study design, and advanced statistical modelling. The student will be responsible for data management, statistical analyses, interpretation of results, and dissemination through high-quality scientific publications.

Training will be achieved through active participation in the research project under supervision, completion of relevant doctoral courses, and engagement in seminars and journal clubs. The student will also develop strong skills in scientific communication, including writing manuscripts for international peer-reviewed journals and presenting findings at national and international conferences. Opportunities for international collaboration, including a research stay in Belgium, will further support the student’s development into an independent researcher.

What do we offer?

A creative and inspiring environment full of expertise and curiosity. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. Our vision is to pursue the development of knowledge about life and to promote a better health for all. At Karolinska Institutet, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. As a doctoral student you are offered an individual research project, a well-educated supervisor, a vast range of elective courses and the opportunity to work in a leading research group. Karolinska Institutet collaborates with prominent universities from all around the world, which ensures opportunities for international exchanges. You will be employed on a doctoral studentship which means that you receive a contractual salary. Employees also have access to our modern gym for free and receive reimbursements for medical care.

Eligibility requirements for doctoral education

In order to participate in the selection for a doctoral position, you must meet the following general (A) and specific (B) eligibility requirements at latest by the application deadline.

It is your responsibility to certify eligibility by following the instructions on the web page Entry requirements (eligibility) for doctoral education.

A) General eligibility requirement

You meet the general eligibility requirement for doctoral/third-cycle/PhD education if you:

have been awarded a second-cycle/advanced/master qualification (i.e. master degree), or
have satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the advanced/second-cycle/master level, or
have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.*

Follow the instructions on the web page Entry requirements (eligibility) for doctoral education.

*If you claim equivalent knowledge, follow the instructions on the web page Assessing equivalent knowledge for general eligibility for doctoral education.

B) Specific eligibility requirement

You meet the specific eligibility requirement for doctoral/third-cycle/PhD education if you:

- Show proficiency in English equivalent to the course English B/English 6 at Swedish upper secondary school.

Follow the instructions on the web page English language requirements for doctoral education.

Verification of your documents Karolinska Institutet checks the authenticity of your documents. Karolinska Institutet reserves the right to revoke admission if supporting documents are discovered to be fraudulent. Submission of false documents is a violation of Swedish law and is considered grounds for legal action.

(A) and (B) can only be certified by the documentation requirement for doctoral education.

Skills and personal qualities

We are looking for a dedicated and enthusiastic student with a solid background in environmental health or related disciplines. Applicants with a degree in environmental health, epidemiology, public health, biomedical sciences, medicine, statistics, data science, or related quantitative fields (e.g., computer science) are encouraged to apply. A strong background in quantitative methods or statistics will be considered a particular asset.

Documented knowledge in epidemiology and biostatistics, as well as experience working with epidemiological data, is required. Previous experience in environmental epidemiology, particularly involving air pollution and/or temperature exposure data, will be highly valued. Experience in data management, statistical analyses, and handling large-scale datasets is desirable.

The applicant should have experience with statistical programming languages, with particular emphasis on R. Familiarity with advanced statistical methods (e.g., regression modelling, longitudinal data analysis, or short-term approaches) will be considered an advantage.

The student should be able to work independently and take responsibility for project progression. Other required personal skills are analytic ability, endurance and ability for structured work. The applicant will also need to feel comfortable with working in teams and demonstrate good interpersonal skills, and highly motivated students will be appreciated. Furthermore, it is a requirement that the applicant has a very high proficiency of English both in terms of speech and writing. Finally, we place great importance on personal suitability.

Terms and conditions

The doctoral student will be employed on a doctoral studentship maximum 4 years full-time.

-Application process

Submit your application and supporting documents through the Varbi recruitment system. Use the button in the top right corner and follow the instructions. We prefer that your application is written in English, but you can also apply in Swedish.

Your application must contain the following documents:

- A personal letter and a curriculum vitae
- Degree projects and previous publications, if any
- Any other documentation showing the desirable skills and personal qualities described above
- Documents certifying your general eligibility (see A above)
- Documents certifying your specific eligibility (see B above)

Selection

A selection will be made among eligible applicants on the basis of the ability to benefit from doctoral education. The qualifications of the applicants will be evaluated on an overall basis.

Karolinska Institutet uses the following bases of assessment:

- Documented subject knowledge of relevance to the area of research
- Analytical skill
- Other documented knowledge or experience that may be relevant to doctoral studies in the subject.

All applicants will be informed when the recruitment is completed.

KI applies a salary scale when setting salaries for doctoral students.

Karolinska Institutet, doctoral positions jobs

PhD position in environmental epidemiology