PhD Student in Infectious Disease research, Luxembourg Institute of Health

Background. We seek a highly motivated PhD candidate who will enjoy working in a multinational environment on projects related to infectious diseases in the framework of the “Luxembourg-Laos Partnership for Research and Capacity Building in Infectious Disease Surveillance – PaReCIDS”.

The PaReCIDS project was established in 2011 with the goal to develop research and laboratory capacity in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR). In the past years, multiple research studies on hepatitis viruses, measles, rubella and other infectious diseases in the Lao PDR were conducted in close collaboration with staff of the Lao Luxembourg Laboratory at the Institut Pasteur du Laos.

Objectives. Our team focuses on applied infectious disease research, in particular on vaccine-preventable diseases in the Lao PDR. Selected candidates will be expected to contribute to study design and implementation including sample and data collection, result analysis and interpretation as well as training of local staff in the framework of PaReCIDS. The presentation of results at national and international conferences and the writing of scientific manuscripts are also part of the assignments.

• recent examples of research studies
• Hefele, L. Epidemiological and serological investigations of vaccine-preventable diseases and their implications for vaccination policy in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. 2022. University of Saarland. http://dx.doi.org/10.22028/D291-36098

Prise de fonction : 02/01/2023

Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) is the leading public research center in Luxembourg for basic, pre-clinical and clinical research in biomedicine and public health. Our clinically-oriented biomedical research activities in Oncology, Infection & Immunity and Population Health encompass the generation of knowledge on the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of diseases with large impacts on public health and the epidemiological surveillance of these diseases.

With the mission to deliver scientific, economic and societal value for Luxembourg, LIH aims to translate knowledge into clinical applications impacting on healthcare systems while shaping personalized medicine.

KEY SKILLS, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences, Biology, Medicine, Epidemiology or other related fields
• Keen interest in applied infectious disease and public health research
• Strong motivation for international travel and working within the Luxembourg and Lao environments
• Fluency in English is mandatory
• Good information seeking and assimilation skills, motivation to read and critically discuss scientific articles
• Strong analysis and problem-solving capacities
• Determination to overcome hurdles and successfully conclude research studies (perseverance)
• Open to constructive criticism
• Good time management, rigour, scientific creativity, writing and presentation skills
• Sense of priority and ability to work with people with different background and culture
• Experience in standard laboratory methods (for example ELISA, PCR, sequencing…) and in the analysis of epidemiological data, statistics, R, python or Stata is considered an asset