PhD student in Human-centered Design of personalized digital medical Devices

The Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) is an interdisciplinary research centre of the University of Luxembourg. We conduct fundamental and translational research in the field of Systems Biology and Biomedicine – in the lab, in the clinic and in silico. We focus on neurodegenerative processes and are especially interested in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and their contributing factors. 

The LCSB recruits talented scientists from various disciplines: computer scientists, mathematicians, biologists, chemists, engineers, physicists and clinicians from more than 50 countries currently work at the LCSB. We excel because we are truly interdisciplinary and together we contribute to science and society.

Successful candidates will join the Digital Medicine group, led by Prof. Jochen Klucken, a joint group between the LCSB, the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) and the Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL). It focuses on personalised digital healthcare and understanding and evaluating the benchmarks of a new ecosystem for digital medicine. With a highly interdisciplinary team (e.g., neurologists, social scientists, data scientists, health economist, human-computer interaction), the digital medicine group addresses the questions of medical benefit, structural and procedural changes, as well as human-centered design and social acceptance of the resulting digital healthcare services. For more information, please visit our website. 

Your Role...

The Digital Medicine Research Group at LCSB is seeking a highly motivated PhD Candidate to actively contribute to the design and evaluation of health technologies. You will work on personalized treatment strategies at the intersection of people and technology. You will gather requirements, design, implement, and evaluate personalized health technologies/digital medical devices (DMDs) to support the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease, focusing on applications that support the communication between patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs)/caregivers. This will include (1) a literature review on human-centered design/inclusive design of personalized health technologies, focusing on communication apps/DMDs in the context of Parkinson and other chronic diseases, (2) a design concept for trustworthy digital patient-HCP communication informed by iterative user research; (3) and a comparative mixed-methods evaluation on trust linked to the adoption of DMDs in different clinical contexts (i.e., communication and management tools, wearable sensors/diagnostic devices, social communicators). The findings will be used to define guidelines for the patient-centered design and evaluation of personalized DMDs in for the implementation into healthcare – procedures.

The position is part of the dHealthPD project, funded by the FNR-PEARL program.

What we expect from you…

• Master’s degree (MSc or equivalent) in Media Informatics, Human-Computer Interaction, Human-Centered Design, Social Sciences or Psychology (preferably with a digital angle)
• First experience in using qualitative or quantitative user research methods
• Background in design and/or basic programming skills
• Fluency in English (written and oral) is mandatory, skills in German, French, or Luxembourgish will be considered an advantage
• First research or practical experiences on health technologies is a plus
• Interest to conduct research in a multidisciplinary translational research group

Here’s what awaits you at the LCSB...

• Excellent work environment with state-of-the-art infrastructure, laboratory and administrative support
• Truly connected. We work together with hospitals and research institutes on a national and international level as well as industrial partners. Connection between science and society is very important to us. From our school lab – the Scienteens Lab – to the different outreach activities and collaborative partnerships with patient associations, we love to listen to society’s needs and share our passion for science
• Be part of a multicultural team. At the LCSB we have more than 50 nationalities. Throughout the year, we organise team-building events, networking activities and more

Find out more about us!

In Short...

• Contract type: Fixed Term Contract 36 Month (extendable up to 48 months if required)
• Work hours: Full Time 40.0 Hours per Week
• Employee and student status
• Location: Belval
• Job reference: UOL05673

The yearly gross salary for every PhD at the UL is EUR 39953 (full time)

How to apply...

Applications should be submitted online and include:

• A full curriculum vitae, including any publications
• The contact details of up to two referees, and/or reference letters
• A copy of the relevant diplomas and the transcript of the results
• A cover letter indicating your motivation for the project, topics of interest mentioned above, your relevant experience and future interests (maximum two pages)
• A brief summary of your master thesis (maximum one page)

Early application is highly encouraged, as the applications will be processed upon reception. Please apply formally through the HR system. Applications by email will not be considered.

The University of Luxembourg embraces inclusion and diversity as key values. We are fully committed to removing any discriminatory barrier related to gender, and not only, in recruitment and career progression of our staff.

About the University of Luxembourg...

University of Luxembourg is an international research university with a distinctly multilingual and interdisciplinary character. The University was founded in 2003 and has more than 6,700 students and more than 2,000 employees from around the world. The University’s faculties and interdisciplinary centres focus on research in the areas of Computer Science and ICT Security, Materials Science, European and International Law, Finance and Financial Innovation, Education, Contemporary and Digital History. In addition, the University focuses on cross-disciplinary research in the areas of Data Modelling and Simulation as well as Health and System Biomedicine. Times Higher Education ranks the University of Luxembourg #3 worldwide for its “international outlook,” #20 in the Young University Ranking 2021 and among the top 250 universities worldwide.

For further information, please contact Isabel Schwaninger (email address: isabel.schwaninger@uni.lu). Use the job title and reference number mentioned above in the subject line of your email.