PhD Research Fellow in Human Thermal and Cardiovascular Physiology

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences (FHS), has a vacancy for PhD Research Fellow in Human Thermal and Cardiovascular Physiology

A fully funded three-year PhD position in  Human Thermal and Cardiovascular Physiology is available at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL). The position is part of the research project ThermRisk: A Personalized Digital Human Model for Predictive Thermal Risk Assessment.

ThermRisk is a collaborative project between three faculties at HVL: the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences (FHS), the Faculty of Education, Arts and Sports (FLKI) and the Faculty of Technology, Environmental and Social Sciences (FTMS).

The Research Fellow will be affiliated with the Department of Health and Function under FHS. The candidate will also be part of the research group Sport, Health and Function and will work in the Human Health and Performance Laboratory.

The PhD Research Fellowship is a three-year fixed-term position. The Research Fellow will follow the PhD programme Health, Function and Participation and must apply for admission to the programme within three months of commencement. 

Deductions may be made in the appointment period for any previous recruitment periods.

The PhD Research Fellowship is a recruitment position intended to contribute to an active research environment at HVL.

The intended start date is 01.05.2027. The place of work is Campus Kronstad in Bergen.

About the project

The overarching research project ThermRisk: A Personalized Digital Human Model for Predictive Thermal Risk Assessment focuses on developing a computationally efficient digital twin for individuals exposed to extreme temperatures, enabling real-time prediction of thermal profiles and associated health risks. 

Together with supervisors, the PhD Research Fellow, will contribute to the finalization of the test protocol and will be responsible for collecting physiological data that provide information on changes in core temperature and the influence of relevant physiological variables during exposure to varying thermal environments. The Research Fellow will collaborate closely with a parallel PhD Research Fellow (see separate announcement) with a background in computational thermal physics, who will use the experimental data to develop a computational model / digital twin of the human body.

Relevance and Innovation

The project addresses a central knowledge gap in human thermoregulation under extreme thermal exposure and will lay the foundation for the development of personalized predictive tools for thermal health risk assessment. As a PhD Research Fellow, you will have a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge interdisciplinary research through close collaboration with the

Sport, Health and Function research group and the Human Health and Performance Laboratory.

Principal Investigator (PI): Professor Boris Balakin (FTMS).

For questions about the position at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences:

supervisor Merete Salveson Engeset, email: Merete.Salveson.Engeset@hvl.no

supervisor Ann-Katrin Grotle, email: Ann-Katrin.Grotle@hvl.no

More information about appointment in PhD Research Fellow positions can be found on HVL's website: Appointment to a research fellowship

Responsibilities

The main supervisor and candidate will together prepare a detailed plan for the research training, which will be linked to admission to the PhD programme in Health, Function and Participation.

• Recruitment of study participants and data collection
• Planning and execution of physiological testing in the Human Health and Performance Laboratory, including measurements such as VO2max, blood pressure, core and skin temperature, sweat measurements, and respiratory parameters.
• Analysis of biological markers (in collaboration with bioengineering personnel where relevant).
• Statistical analysis of quantitative physiological data
• Close collaboration with a parallel PhD Research Fellow who will use physiological test data to develop a computational digital twin.

  Dissemination of research results through scientific publications and conferences.

• A minimum of three first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals is required to be eligible to submit the PhD thesis.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications

Criteria for employment in a Research Fellow position are set out in the Act relating to universities and university colleges https://lovdata.no/dokument/NLE/lov/2024-03-08-9

• Completed Master's degree (120 ECTS credits) in human physiology, exercise physiology, sport science, or other fields directly relevant to the project, with a strong academic record (minimum grade B or better) in both the Master's degree overall and the Master's thesis. In cases of particularly relevant competence, an individual assessment may be provided as long as the requirements for admission to the PhD program are met
• Master's students who expect to submit their Master's thesis by spring 2027 and who have achieved grade B or higher in previous courses are also welcome to apply. The Master's thesis must be assessed and approved no later than four weeks before commencement of the position
• The successful candidate must meet the admission requirements for the PhD programme Health, Function and Participation. For more information, see: PhD Programme in Health, Function and Participation - Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
• Solid background in physiology and demonstrated experience leading physiological testing, including responsibility for protocol execution, participant handling, and data quality in a laboratory setting
• Good written and spoken proficiency in English is required
• Good IT skills
• Experience with quantitative research projects and physiological measurements in humans

Desired Qualifications

• Knowledge of thermophysiology and human thermoregulation will be considered a strong advantage.
• Experience leading or coordinating previous research projects
• Relevant subject knowledge in cardiovascular physiology and related measurement and analysis techniques
• Experience with processing quantitative data and conducting statistical analyses
• Familiarity with measurement of core body temperature using established methods (e.g., ingestible telemetric capsules, rectal probes)
• A record of scientific publications is considered beneficial
• Good written and spoken proficiency in Norwegian or other Scandinavian languages, as participant recruitment, testing, and laboratory work will be conducted with Norwegian-speaking participants

Personal Qualities

• Strong communication and collaboration skills, particularly across disciplinary boundaries (physiology ↔ computational modelling)
• Responsible, structured, proactive, and flexible
• Ability to work systematically and efficiently
• Capacity for innovative thinking and follow-through
• Ability to communicate and interpret research findings
• Ability to work independently while contributing actively to the research group and broader academic environment
• High ethical awareness in research work
• Motivation to defend the doctoral thesis within three years

The following documentation should be uploaded:

• A letter of application describing relevant experience and competence
• CV with a complete list of academic publications
• A scientific literature summary (maximum 3 pages) on the regulation and measurement of core temperature, factors influencing temperature regulation, as well as consequences of poor regulation
• A reflection letter (up to 2 pages) on your motivation to undertake a PhD, including thoughts and perspectives on the project related to its thematic and methodological approach
• Complete Master's thesis (if not yet finalized, a substantive excerpt suitable for assessment must be attached)

• Diplomas and certificates

How to apply for the position:

Submit your application and CV by clicking on the button marked "søk stillingen" on this page. The application may be submitted in Norwegian or English. Applications cannot be sent by email to individuals at HVL.

Please note that applications will be assessed based on the information submitted to www.jobbnorge.no by the application deadline. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all relevant attachments are submitted by the deadline, including:

Applicants with a degree from a country other than Norway, need to attach a certified translation of the diploma and transcripts of grades to English or a Scandinavian language, in addition to the original documents, if the original is not in any of these languages. It is required that the applicant encloses a recognition document showing that their degree is equivalent to a Norwegian bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or PhD. You can read more about applying for recognition of foreign higher education here.

The Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) offers an automatic recognition document for certain degrees from selected countries. If the applicant’s degree is covered by the automatic recognition, it will be sufficient to attach this document. automatic recognition here.

As the HK-dir application process may take some time it is recommended to apply to HK-dir as soon as possible. If you have not received a recognition document from HK- dir within the application deadline, please enclose documentation from HK-dir showing that they have received your application. Applications will be sent electronically to an expert committee. Based on the committee's recommendation, suitable applicants will be invited for an interview.

Applications cannot be sent by email to individuals at HVL.

Application for admission to the doctoral programme is to be submitted only after a possible appointment. Admission must normally be applied for within three (3) months after start-up, cf. Regulations for the degree of PhD at HVL § 2-4. More information about the PhD programme can be found here 

We offer:

• Good occupational pension, insurance and loan schemes from The Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Exciting academic environment with the possibility of competence enhancement and development
• Opportunities for training within the working hours 

The Research Fellow position is compensated according to position code 1017 Research Fellow, start salary NOK 568 700,-

There is a compulsory 2 % deduction to the pension fund (see http://www.spk.no for more information). The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at any time.

General information:

The appointment will be made in accordance with the regulations for State employees Law in Norway ("Lov om statens ansatte)". Organizational changes and changes in the duties and responsibilities associated with the position must be expected.

State employment shall reflect the multiplicity of the population at large to the highest possible degree. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences Bergen has therefore adopted a personnel policy objective to ensure that we achieve a balanced age and gender composition and the recruitment of persons of various ethnic backgrounds.

Information about the applicant may be made public even though the applicant has requested not to be named in the list of applicants. The applicant will be notified if his/her request is not respected.

Short-listed applicants will be called in for an interview.

Employed on condition that you are granted a work and residence permit.

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is subjected to The Export Control Regulation. The regulation will be applied in the processing of the applications. 

Contacts:

1) Associate Professor Merete Salveson Engeset,                              Tlf +47 55 58 55 73  

2) Associate Professor Ann-Katrin Grotle                                            Tlf +47 55 58 77 87 

Inclusion, challenging norms, collaboration

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