PhD student: Pulmonary outcomes and lung function after childhood cancer

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Start Date

Available immediately or by arrangement

Employment Relationship

fixed-term, 3 years

Institution / Workplace

Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine

Project Description

With continuously improving treatments, nearly 90% of children diagnosed with cancer can be cured. However, many survivors develop long-term health problems caused by intensive cancer therapy. Pulmonary complications are frequent and may progress silently for years before becoming clinically apparent. Yet little is known on how lung function evolves in childhood cancer survivors, and how this relates to previous treatments, physical activity and physical functioning.

In your PhD, you investigate lung health in children and adolescents, who have been cured from cancer and you study lung function over time. The project follows children from three University hospitals longitudinally using a comprehensive set of pulmonary function tests, clinical assessments, and questionnaires.

Your Role

During your PhD you will:

• Coordinate an ongoing prospective multicentre cohort study in the University Children's Hospitals in Bern, Basel and Geneva
• Collaborate with study nurses, paediatric oncologists, and paediatric pulmonologists to support recruitment and clinical assessments
• Collect and integrate clinical, treatment and pulmonary function data from multiple sources
• Apply and develop your skills in epidemiological research, data management and statistical analysis
• Present your results in (inter)national conferences and publish them in peer-reviewed journals

You have:

• A university degree ideally in medicine (MD), possibly in physiotherapy or physiology
• A strong interest in respiratory disease, epidemiology, and paediatric oncology
• Ideally clinical experience
• A strong interest in epidemiology and biostatistics; ideally experience in data analysis
• Fluency in English and German and/or French, ideally all

What we offer

• Work in a motivated and competent research team of clinicians, epidemiologists and statisticians
• Preparation for a research career in a clinical setting (paediatric teaching hospital), in a university (epidemiology or preventive medicine), or a public health institution
• The PhD counts (partially) as medical training (Paediatrics, Public Health, or similar)
• A lively graduate school at the University of Bern
• Salary according to the Swiss National Science Foundation salary scales for PhD students

Your Benefits

International reputation

Collaborative environment and ambitious team

Strong research infrastructure and international network

Central location in the heart of Bern

Working at the University of Bern

The University of Bern not only offers exciting tasks but also an environment that actively promotes development, diversity, and equal opportunities. Discover what makes us stand out as an employer and how you can grow with us.

Application and Contact

If you are looking for an exciting position in a highly motivated interdisciplinary team, please send your CV with motivation letter to ISPM HR Office (hr.ispm@unibe.ch) and Ma?a ?arkovi? (masa.zarkovic@unibe.ch) by August 15, 2026.

Questions about the position?

Ma?a ?arkovi?
masa.zarkovic@unibe.ch

Questions about the application?

ISPM HR Office
hr.ispm@unibe.ch