PhD Position in Epidemiology/Digital Health: Digital Follow-up of post-Sepsis (UMZH Learn4Sepsis)

PhD Position in Epidemiology/Digital Health: Digital Follow-up of post-Sepsis (UMZH Learn4Sepsis)

Location: Faculty of Medicine, PhD Candidates / Teaching and Research Assistants · Posted: 2026-09-28 · Closes: 2026-11-29 · Reference: 10205950

Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Prevention Institute

PhD Position in Epidemiology/Digital Health: Digital Follow-up of post-Sepsis (UMZH Learn4Sepsis) 80 %

Start of employment February 2027 or upon agreement, temporary

The Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Prevention Institute is a leading institute in developing and innovating methods for Health Research and Public Health. The PhD candidate will be based at Department of Epidemiology and benefits from access to methodological support (Statistics, Digital Health), and extensive collaborations with researchers from the UMZH Learn4Sepsis program.

Your responsibilities

This PhD project is embedded in Work Package 5 of the UMZH Learn4Sepsis project and aims to design and initi-ate a digital follow-up cohort of persons after sepsis. For this, we will co-create a set of minimal data items and patient-reported outcomes to describe post-sepsis on different health- and daily life domains. By refining existing tools, we will develop and release an adaptive survey (including voice input options) to pilot a scalable, longitu-dinal study into life after sepsis.
The tasks of this PhD position are:

• Co-designing a minimal dataset and patient-reported outcomes for post-Sepsis
• Co-developing conceptual and technical elements for setting up the adaptive survey (Key elements: knowledge trees/ontologies, database systems, natural language processing)
• Gathering and analyzing contextual and patient-reported outcome data (e.g. using - Developing and validating prediction algorithms using classical statistics and machine learning tools
• (optional) Collection and analysis of wearable sensor data

Your profile

We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with:

• A quantitative Master's degree (MSc or equivalent) in Statistics, Machine learning, Biomedical Sciences, Bioengi-neering, or a related field
• Strong interest in person-centered health research and digital health technologies
• Willingness to interact with stakeholders (patients, clinicians)
• Some experience in information- and data management (experience with database systems, knowledge graphs are an asset)
• Excellent programming or data science skills (R, Python), e.g. for time series analysis, machine learning methods for prediction
• Experience in or willingness to acquire skills in Natural Language Processing
• Excellent command of written and spoken English
• Good communication skills in English (German is an asset) and capacity for interdisciplinary collaboration

Applicants must fulfil eligibility criteria for Swiss-based PhD positions.

Information on your application

The PhD student will enroll into the Epidemiology & Biostatistics PhD program of the Life Science Zurich Graduate School
PhD Program in Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Please apply to the Life Science Zurich Graduate School and choose Epidemiology and Biostatistics as your primary program. You application will be screened for all open positions in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics PhD program.
Life Science Zurich Graduate School

What we offer

Our employees benefit from a wide range of attractive offers. Find out more: https://www.uzh.ch/de/explore/work.html.

What we offer

Work-Life Balance

• Flexible working models (such as part-time positions, mobile working, job-sharing)
• Childcare at the kihz foundation of UZH and ETH

More Learning and Development

• Wide range of continuing education courses of UZH and the Canton of Zurich
• Language Center run jointly with ETH Zurich

More Food

• Food and drinks at reduced prices in the UZH cafeterias
• Lunch-Check-card with UZH contribution

More Healthcare

• Special conditions on the Academic Sports Association ASVZ
• Free seasonal flu vaccinations
• Rest and relaxation at the quiet room in the university tower

More Discounts

• Private traffic: Carsharing, rent a vehicle, parking space
• Digitalization: Hardware, software, mobile phone subscriptions

More Conditions of Employment

• Policies of the UZH
• Most UZH staff are employed according to public law

More International Services

• Support for people from outside Switzerland

More Campuses

• Campuses Zurich City, Zurich Irchel, Oerlikon and Schlieren
• Sites Zurich West, Old Botanical Garden, Botanical Garden and Lengg

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Location

Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Prevention Institute

Hirschengraben 84, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland

Further information

Questions about the job

Viktor von Wyl Associate Professor Contact Form Thank you for your message. We will get back to you shortly.

Questions about the application procedure

Marco Kaufmann PhD program coordinator Contact Form Thank you for your message. We will get back to you shortly. Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
More → https://www.uzh.ch/en/explore/work.html

Working at UZH

The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer! More