This PhD position is available within the framework of the project ‘Development of Personalised Health in Switzerland’ (DoPHiS), funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).

The interdisciplinary project DoPHiS brings together sociologists, anthropologists, bioethicists, biolaw scholars, healthcare policy scholars, information systems and actuarial scientists. The PhD student will join this dynamic and heterogeneous group of researchers based at different Swiss universities (University of Lausanne; University of Geneva; University of Neuchatel), and participate with his own research to the achievement of the overall project goal to describe the different processes of alignment (epistemic, moral, institutional, policy-related, etc.) that are required for a functioning societal circulation of Personalised Health (PH) in Switzerland. The PhD student will work closely with other project members, be expected to develop his own ideas and communicate results (orally and in writing) internally to the project, nationally and internationally.

Job information

• Starting date of employment: 01 November 2018
• Contract duration: 48 months (1 year, renewable 1 x 3 years)
• Engagement rate: 100%
• Workplace: University of Lausanne, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Institute of Social Sciences, STSLab
• Gross salary: conditions of full-time PhD employment established by SNSF standards apply

Your responsibilities

The major research focus of the PhD project will be on the reconfigurations of disease, illness, treatment and healthcare engendered by the production of ‘personalization’ in technoscientific practices specific to the domain of oncology. In particular, the goal of the project is to study: (a) the reconfigurations of nosologies and treatment strategies for cancer following recent developments in precision oncology; (b) the alignment of professionals’ work, biomedical technologies, regulatory norms, organisational practices and treatment strategies in an immunology unit.

The PhD student will be in residence at the DoPHIS research group based at UNIL, and work in close collaboration with Francesco Panese (project leader, Professor of Social Studies of Science and Medicine).

Your qualifications

• The applicant has successfully completed a master’s degree in science studies and/or sociology of health and/or medicine, as well as related disciplines and domains.
• Considering the expected fieldwork in the domain of oncology, and related areas in biomedicine and bioinformatics, a familiarity with biomedical sources, as well as a developed skill set in social studies of science and medicine are advantageous assets for candidates.
• Applicants should be fluent in French and proficient in English.

What the position offer you

The doctoral student is expected to interact closely with project’s members in the framework of an interdisciplinary, dynamic and international project, as well as to valorise his research in international peer-reviewed publications and oral presentations. The institutional affiliation to the STSLab (Science and Technology Studies Laboratory) of the Institute of Social Sciences, with its several research collaborations within and beyond the University of Lausanne, represents also an attractive element of this position allowing for intellectual exchanges with peers and senior researchers working on themes related to the project at issue.

Possibilities of attending integrative courses, continuous education and university seminars will no doubt enrich the doctoral formation of the student.