Two PhD fellowships in Medical Science and Technology Studies/Medical Anthropology at the Department of Public Health
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
The Centre for Medical Science and Technology Studies at the Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, invites applications for two fully funded three-year PhD fellowships in Medical Science and Technology Studies/Medical Anthropology. The positions are available from January 1, 2027, or as soon as possible thereafter. The PhD projects will focus on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics in healthcare, employing ethnographic methods to explore their implications for contemporary medical practice. The fellowships are available via the Carlsberg Foundation Semper Arden Accelerate-funded project “PATHWAYSs of precision: AI-driven predictions in neurocognitive and mental illness (PATHWAY)”: PATHWAYs of precision: AI-driven predictions in neurocognitive and mental illness | Carlsbergfondet.dk.
Project description
We seek two highly motivated applicants with a strong interest in ethnographic research on the social, ethical, and organizational implications of novel digital and data-intensive medical technologies. Specifically, the PhDs will investigate and theorize how predictive AI tools establish new pathways for patient- and personhood, professional practice, and healthcare delivery:
- PhD 1 will investigate how predictive AI is employed in dementia diagnostics
- PhD 2 will investigate how predictive AI is employed in the treatment of mental illness
Both PhDs will conduct participant observation in clinical settings at hospitals, qualitative interviews with healthcare professionals, patients, and biomedical/bioinformatics scientists, as well as document analysis of policy papers and clinical guidelines related to AI in healthcare. Please indicate which of the two projects, you are applying for.
Our group and research
The PhD candidates will be based at the Centre for Medical Science and Technology Studies (MeST) at the Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen. MeST is a vibrant, internationally recognized, and highly interdisciplinary research environment with scholars from public health, anthropology, sociology, history, psychology, medicine, and philosophy. United by a shared interest in how medical technologies shape and interact with humans and healthcare systems, MeST researchers explore a wide range of topics, with a particular—though not exclusive—focus on precision medicine and digital health. The center provides a stimulating intellectual setting, offering opportunities for collaboration, academic exchange, and methodological innovation.
Principal supervisor is Associate Professor Iben Mundbjerg Gjødsbøl, e-mail: ibgj@sund.ku.dk, direct phone: 35337318.
Start: January 1, 2027
Duration: 3 years as a PhD student
Job description
Your key tasks as a PhD student at SUND are:
- Carrying through an independent research project under supervision.
- Completing PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approximately 30 ECTS points.
- Participating in active research environments, including a stay with an international research team.
- Obtaining experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project
- Teaching and disseminating your knowledge
- Writing a PhD thesis on the grounds of your project
PhD Programme Description:
The PhD programme is a three-year full-time research education within the framework of the 5+3 scheme. We seek candidates holding a relevant academic degree within the project’s subject area of the project, e.g. anthropology, ethnology, public health, sociology.
Qualifications and key criteria for the assessment of applicants
If you have completed your academic education in Denmark, the admission to the PhD programme requires a relevant Master’s degree (equivalent to 180 ECTS BSc + 120 ECTS MSc).
If you have an academic education from abroad, you must have either a degree equivalent to a Danish master's degree (180 ETCS + 120 ECTS MSc), or at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree equivalent to a Danish bachelor's degree (180 ECTS) and be academically qualified at master's level.
As part of the assessment of whether you meet the educational requirements, you must also achieve a positive academic evaluation and be assessed as the best qualified for the position.
The successful applicant will have experience or training in ethnographic methods, i.e. participant observation and qualitative interviews. The applicant should be interested and skilled in theoretical development within the social studies of medical science and technology/medical anthropology. Also, the applicant should be interested in learning to communicate research findings in teaching, conference presentations, and by writing scientific papers for high-ranking international journals. The PhD will engage in interdisciplinary research collaborations, and we therefore highly value human qualities and collaboration skills.
It is a prerequisite that the applicant can be and is not already enrolled as a PhD student at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.
Other important criteria are:
- The grade points achieved
- Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
- Other professional activities
- A curious mind-set with an interest in the social studies of medical science and technology
- Language skills in written and oral English
- Language skills in written and oral Danish for fieldwork
Place of employment
Place of employment is the Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic, international research environment.
Terms of employment
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.
The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 3 years. The start date is January 1, 2027, or after agreement.
The employment is conditioned upon the applicant’s successful enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.
The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the Faculty’s rules on achieving the degree. Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary begins around 29.691 DKK /approx. 3.973 EUR (November 2025-level) plus pension.
Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowships, please contact Associate Professor Iben M. Gjødsbøl.
General information about PhD studies at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences is available at the Graduate School’s website: https://healthsciences.ku.dk/phd/guidelines/
Application procedure
Your application including all attachment must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. The application must include the following documents in PDF format:
- Cover letter explaining your qualifications and research focus (max. one page).
- Motivation letter explaining your reasons for applying for the position (max. two pages). The motivation letter should include a short, suggested project outline, including motivation for the study, research questions, and methodology. You are welcome to apply for both subprojects.
- CV including education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
- Original diplomas (Bachelor and Master degree or equivalent) and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in other 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. As a prerequisite for a PhD fellowship employment, your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree. We encourage you to read more in the assessment database: https://ufm.dk/en/education/recognition-and-transparency/find-assessments/assessment-database. Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science
- Publication list (if possible)
- A writing sample (e.g., master’s thesis or other relevant material)
- Names and email addresses of two references (reference letters are not required)
Application deadline: September 7, 2026, 23.59pm CET
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 the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor.
The assessor makes a non-prioritized assessment of the academic qualifications and experience with respect to the above-mentioned area of research and other requirements listed in the advertisement.
Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.
You find information about the recruitment process at: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/
The applicants will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.
Interviews are expected to be held in week 43
The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.
Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.