PhD Position in Child Development

University Children's Hospital Zurich, Child Development Center
PhD Position in Child Development
100 % (employment 60% according to UZH rules)
The Child Development Center at the University Children's Hospital Co-Chair Beatrix Latal) , is a large department that provides outpatient services for children and adolescents with various developmental problems. The department also has a strong track record of clinical research ranging from normal development to abnormal development in various patient groups using multi-dimensional approaches including advanced techniques (MRI, aEEG etc.). The research group lead by Prof. Beatrix Latal is an international leading group focussing on the development, its trajectories, risk factors, brain alterations and psychsocial and educational consequences of complex congenital heart disease. A new research focus is being set on studying successful and difficult transition into adulthood for this important and growing patient population.
Your responsibilities
As part of your PhD, you will assemble and develop a set of questionnaires in adolescents with congenital heart disease to investigate psychological and physiological factors associated with the transition period from adolescence to adulthood of chronically ill patients. You will assess a large set of potential predictors and outcomes (such as quality of life, self-esteem, empowerment, resilience). One important biological marker will include aspects of sleep and activity. You will cooperate with a multi-professional team that includes patients and international researchers. They will help to shape and focus the reserach questions. You will be establishing a dabase, recruit patients and will establish an international cooperation for this project. You will analyze the aquired data, present them at hospital, national and international scientific meetings and at patients organisation meetings. You will be enrolled in the PhD program Clinical Science.
Your profile
You have a Master's degree in Medicine or Psychology with excellent grades. You have excellent German and English language skills and can work independently with a high level of self-organisational skills. We expect an open-minded, interactive personality with a strong interest in clinical research, who shows extraordinary initiative and motivation.
We offer
The Children Heart and Development (CHD) research group of the child development center is an interdisciplinary team of physicians, psychologists and physiotherapists. The PhD position is secured for three years and the salary per year ranges from approximately CHF 47'000 in the first year and CHF 50'000 in the third year. For medical doctors there is the option to work 20% clinically within the employment as a PhD student. The PhD program in Clinical Science offers a very interesting and broad curriculum providing skills in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. A variety of additional courses e.g. on academic writing or presentation skills are available.
Place of work
University Children's Hospital Zurich, Child Development Center, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032 Zürich
Start of employment
The preferred employment start date is 1 September 2022 or to be mutually agreed. Please submit your application by 1 July 2022. Interviews with the candidates are planned for mid-July 2022.
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