BEMÆRK: Ansøgningsfristen er overskredet
The section for Human Nutrition, at the Department of Nutrition, Exercise & Sports, Faculty of Science, at the University of Copenhagen, invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in the effect of sleep extension on body weight homeostasis in childhood. The project is part of the research project “A randomized controlled trial of sleep extension to reduce overweight and improve learning in prepubescent children” (acronym: More2Sleep), which is financed by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. (See relevant press release).
Start date is expected to be the 27th of December, 2023, or as soon as possible thereafter.
The project
This PhD scholarship will be anchored in the More2Sleep study, which is a 3-month randomized controlled trial assessing the effects of sleep extension on the health of 300 school-aged children. Half of the children will be randomized to 12-weeks of sleep extension intervention (facilitated by the parents), whereas the other half will act as controls. Measurements will be taken before and after the intervention (months 0 and 3), and after a 6-month follow-up (month 9). The focus of this PhD will be on the effects on outcomes related to body weight homeostasis (body composition, energy intake and expenditure, diet and physical activity habits), although the project itself has a wider focus and includes also outcomes related to neurophysiology (academic performance, skill learning and retention, cognitive function, brain activity).
Who are we looking for?
The successful candidate is expected to participate actively in all parts of the trial, including but not limited to: upkeeping of regulatory paperwork, communicating with relevant entities (e.g. ethical committee), scheduling of participants’ visits (e.g. for information meetings, screening, and examinations), conducting these visits, performing the measurements and collecting data, processing of samples in the lab (e.g. blood and urine), upkeeping of the electronic database, performing statistical analysis, and writing up scientific papers.
Due to the nature of the project, feeling comfortable will working with young children and their parents is a requirement. It is expected that most participating children and their parents will be Danish nationals; therefore, fluency in oral and written Danish (native or C1/C2 equivalent) is required, as is fluency in oral and written English for the daily communication with the rest of the research team and for dissemination purposes (papers, conferences, thesis).
Previous engagement in clinical trials involving human subjects, and particularly children, and experience with methods for assessing body composition (such as dual-energy X ray absorptiometry), energy metabolism (such as indirect calorimetry and doubly-labeled water), diet (such as 24-hour recalls) and physical activity patterns and sleep (such as accelerometry), are not mandatory but will be viewed upon favorably during the assessment of applications.
Our group and research- and what do we offer?
The section of Human Nutrition undertakes high-quality, small- and large-scale intervention trials and observational studies. Our work is broad and includes investigations of growth, body composition, cognitive function, metabolic function, biomarkers of disease risk, dietary intake, nutritional status, and physical activity as well as interactions of diet with microbiota and genotype. We used a variety of tools and study the effects of nutrition throughout the lifecycle, including before conception and during pregnancy, infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.
The section is a part of the Department of Nutrition, Exercise & Sports, Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment in the center of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Principal supervisor is Faidon Magkos, Professor in Obesity and Metabolism, Tel +45 3533 3671, Email fma@nexs.ku.dk
The PhD programme
You will undertake the PhD programme as a three year full-time study within the framework of the regular PhD programme (5+3 scheme), if you already have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master’s degree.
Getting into a position on the regular PhD programme
Qualifications needed for the regular programme
To be eligible for the regular PhD programme, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the project, e.g. childhood obesity, diet/nutrition, physical activity/exercise, sleep, etc. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.
Terms of employment in the regular programme
Employment as PhD fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years.
Employment is conditional upon your successful enrollment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.
Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.
Responsibilities and tasks
- Carry through an independent research project under supervision
- Complete PhD courses corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS / ½ FTE
- Participate in active research environments, including a stay at another research institution, preferably abroad
- Teaching and knowledge dissemination activities
- Write scientific papers aimed at high-impact journals
- Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project
- Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project, as described above
- Relevant publications
- Relevant work experience
- Other relevant professional activities
- Curious mind-set with a strong interest in lifestyle medicine
- Good language skills (fluency in Danish and English)
Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.
Please include:
- Cover letter (max. one page)
- Your motivation for applying for the specific PhD project.
- Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
- Original diplomas for Bachelor of Science or Master of Science and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in another language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted.
- Publication list (if available)
- Reference letters (if available)
The deadline for applications is Sunday 3 September 2023, 23:59 GMT +2.
We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.
The further process
After deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessor. You are notified, whether you will be passed for assessment.
The assessor will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above mentioned research area, techniques, skills and other requirements. The assessor will conclude whether each applicant is qualified and, if so, for which of the two models. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.
Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.
General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School’s website: https://www.science.ku.dk/phd/.
The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.
INFORMATIONER OM STILLINGEN:
- Arbejdspladsen ligger i:
Gentofte Kommune
-Virksomheden tilbyder:
-Arbejdsgiver:
KU - SCIENCE - NEX, Nørre Allé 51, 2200 København N
-Ansøgning:
Ansøgningsfrist: 03-09-2023; - ansøgningsfristen er overskredet
Ved skriftlig henvendelse: https://candidate.hr-manager.net/ApplicationInit.aspx?cid=1307&ProjectId=159963&DepartmentId=18967&MediaId=4632&SkipAdvertisement=true
Se mere her: https://job.jobnet.dk/CV/FindWork/Details/5892657