Postdoctoral position in Nursing with a particular focus on prevention

Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest higher education institutions with over 37,000 students and about 4,700 employees. The University offers a diversity of high-quality education and world-leading research in several fields. Notably, the groundbreaking discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was made here. At Umeå University, everything is close. Our cohesive campuses make it easy to meet, work together and exchange knowledge, which promotes a dynamic and open culture.

The ongoing societal transformation and large green investments in northern Sweden create enormous opportunities and complex challenges. For Umeå University, conducting research about – and in the middle of – a society in transition is key. We also take pride in delivering education to enable regions to expand quickly and sustainably. In fact, the future is made here.

We are announcing a Postdoc position at the Department of Nursing in the project “Primviza” which is a part of the Vipviza. The position is for two years, full time. The start date will be as soon as possible after the employment agreement. The application deadline is 2024-03-01. 

The aim of the project is to investigate whether, by introducing easily applied ultrasound examinations and interpretation of images of the carotid artery in primary care, it is possible to identify and visualize thickenings and so-called plaques that indicate atherosclerosis. Furthermore, the project aims to, based on these visualized plaques, together with patients, and based on their health literacy and social situation, discuss risks and possible lifestyle changes as well as any need for drug treatment to reduce risks for future related cardiovascular disease. 

The project is interdisciplinary and the research group consists of researchers with expertise in various fields such as nursing, general medicine, epidemiology-health economy, physiotherapy, sports medicine and medical technology.

The post-doctoral work will include planning and participation in method development as well as design of study design, responsibility for selection and recruitment, implementation, data collection, various types of analyses and reporting. 

Individuals with a Ph.D. in nursing or having equivalent scientific skills are eligible to apply. This eligibility requirement must be met at the latest when the employment decision is made. The applicant must be able to summarize and present results at scientific meetings and write scientific reports in English. Since employment as a post-doctoral fellow is a professional development position for junior researchers, we primarily target those with a doctoral degree no older than three years from the last date of application. A doctoral degree older than three years can be considered if there are special reasons, such as work interruption due to illness, parental leave, clinical service, positions of trust within trade unions, or other similar circumstances. 

We are looking for a motivated employee, preferably with experience of working with patients with cardiovascular disease. Particularly meritorious are applicants who have a specialist nursing degree specializing in district nursing, as this professional group may be the one involved in the examinations. Experience of research in primary care is also meritorious. Furthermore, it is meritorious if the doctoral dissertation and ongoing research deals with for example digital tools, health literacy, people's attitude to risk and lifestyle change, and which also problematizes so-called traditional patient education and lifestyle counselling.

Great emphasis will be placed on personal suitability. You who are applying should know Swedish, have a high focus on the work task, work clearly and structured and have a good ability to solve problems. You should be able to take your own initiative and at the same time be able to collaborate.

The employment is a temporary, full-time employment for two years according to the terms of the agreement on limited-term employment (Swedish employment law) as a post-doctoral fellow as agreed. 

Application should include: 

• A brief cover letter (one page) that describes the applicant’s research experience, research interests, and suitability for the project 

• Curriculum vitae 

• List of publications 

• Information about academic degrees (with verifications) 

• Employments 

• Names and contact information for two references 

The application should be written in Swedish or English. The application must be submitted using our digital/web-based recruitment system Varbi and received no later than March 1, 2024. For questions about this employment opportunity, please contact Professor Åsa Hörnsten, [email protected].  

Welcome with your application!