Do you want to contribute to improving human health?
The Department of Global Public Health is a multidisciplinary department with the aim to advance knowledge about challenges and opportunities for public health in a local, national, and global setting. Many researchers at the department are scientific advisors to authorities and other decision makers at regional, national, and international levels. The department is responsible for three international master’s programs and the researchers are actively involved in teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level. The department has 12 research groups, around 120 PhD students and about 140 employees.
We are seeking up to three Research Assistants to join the Epidemiology of Psychiatric Conditions, Substance Use, and Social Environment (EPiCSS) research group at Karolinska Institutet. These positions are embedded in three distinct but complementary research teams:
- Neurodevelopmental Epidemiology (Team Gardner):
A position to support a portfolio of ongoing projects examining early-life risk factors for neurodevelopmental conditions, with a particular focus on maternal health, nutritional factors, and molecular markers measured in neonatal blood samples. Many of these projects are already well advanced, with existing datasets, analytical scripts, and manuscript drafts in place, and are now entering a critical phase of updating and completion following recent expansions of the Psychiatry Sweden register linkage. - Alcohol and Drug Epidemiology (Team Danielsson):
A position within the MYRIAD project, examining psychiatric multimorbidity and substance use disorders among adolescents and young adults in Sweden. The project is based on large-scale national register data, and interviews, and focuses on developmental trajectories and associated long-term outcomes, as well as the lived experiences of families living with multimorbidity. - Compulsory Psychiatric Care amongst Migrants (Team Hollander):
A position to support to support a portfolio of ongoing projects examining mental health and psychiatric care utilization in minority groups, usually migrants and their children. Typical research includes studies of how migration of all sorts influences psychiatric illness and the risk of suicide across generations. Given that we have found pronounced underutilization of voluntary psychiatric care among minorities, as well as a heightened risk of involuntary admission, factors influencing care-seeking remains a critical area for research.
Your mission
The Research Assistant will play a central role in bringing projects across the finish line by revisiting and refining analyses, updating literature reviews, strengthening interpretation, and contributing to the preparation and submission of scientific manuscripts. This role offers a unique opportunity to engage deeply with studies at differing stages of completion, develop strong analytical and scientific writing skills, and make tangible contributions to high-impact research within a relatively short timeframe.
The Research Assistant will work under the supervision of the Principal Investigator and in collaboration with other members of the research team. Successful applicants will be placed within the research teams at the discretion of the Principal Investigators. Responsibilities include:
- Data management of register-based datasets
- Conducting quantitative, and when applicable qualitative, statistical analyses
- Supporting the interpretation and contextualization of research findings
- Assisting with literature reviews and updating/synthesizing relevant literature
- Contributing to the preparation, revision, and submission of scientific manuscripts and presentations
- Reviewing and organizing existing project materials, including statistical scripts, datasets, and manuscript drafts
- Updating and refining statistical analyses using large-scale register-based data
- Conducting data quality control of complex datasets
- Supporting the documentation and reproducibility of analytical workflows
- Participating in collaborative work within the research group
- Assist with the preparation and coordination of competitive research proposals.
We are seeking a full-time research assistant for a 12-month fixed-term position. Start date: as soon as possible.
Your profile
- Master’s degree in public health, global health or a related field
- Interest in neurodevelopmental epidemiology, substance use epidemiology, or migrant health.
- Fluency in spoken and written English (Swedish is a plus).
- Proficiency in statistical software (R and/or Stata).
- Experience with quantitative data analysis and data management.
- Experience with qualitative analysis and the software NVivo is considered a merit.
- Documented experience in academic writing, preferably related to research grants or scientific publications
In this recruitment, we place great emphasis on personal qualities. We look for someone who is meticulous and are able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, as well as someone with a proactive work ethic who can both follow instructions and take initiative. Furthermore, you should be service-oriented and have a positive attitude toward teamwork. We also expect you to have strong communication skills and thrive in a dynamic and interdisciplinary work environment.
What do we offer?
A creative and inspiring environment with wide-ranging expertise and interests. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world’s leading medical universities. Our vision is to pursue the development of knowledge about life and to promote a better health for all. At Karolinska Institutet, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. Karolinska Institutet is also a state university, which entitles you to several good benefits through our collective agreement. And you get to practice freely in our modern wellness facilities, where trained staff are on site.
Location: Solna/Torsplan
Department of Global Public Health | Karolinska Institutet
Aagardh’s & Renee Gardner’s Research Group | Karolinska Institutet
Application
Welcome to apply at the latest May 21, 2026.
The application is to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system. In this recruitment, you will apply with your CV without a personal letter. Instead, you will answer some questions about why you are applying for the job in the application form.
A complete application will include:
- A CV (including personal references from prior work or educational settings)
- A set of annotated sample statistical code in Stata or R (printed to PDF for upload) showing at least one instance of data management and cleaning, one instance of regression analyses (preferably Cox regression or other time to event analyses), and one data display (e.g., graph) with annotation briefly describing the goals and outcome of the code
- A writing sample (either academic thesis/draft of a thesis or a scientific article/manuscript as first author with a detailed statement regarding your role in the project).
Want to make a difference? Join us and contribute to better health for all
| Type of employment | Temporary position |
|---|---|
| Contract type | Full time |
| First day of employment | As soon as possible |
| Salary | Monthly salary |
| Number of positions | 3 |
| Full-time equivalent | 100 |
| City | Stockholm |
| County | Stockholms län |
| Country | Sweden |
| Reference number | STÖD 2-1796/2026 |
| Contact | Renee Gardner, renee.gardner@ki.seAnna-Karin Danielsson, anna-karin.danielsson@ki.seAnna-Clara Hollander, anna-clara.hollander@ki.se |
| Union representative | Elizabeth Valenzuela, SEKO, 08-52486363, elizabeth.valenzuela@ki.seCarla Sturm, OFR, carla.sturm@ki.seTaher Darreh-Shori, SACO, taher.darreh-shori@ki.se |
| Published | 30.Apr.2026 |
| Last application date | 21.May |