Associate Professor / Assistant Professor in statistical genetics or health data science at the Pioneer Centre for SMARTbiomed

The Department of Public Health at Faculty of Health Sciences at Aarhus University invites applications for a full-time position as Associate or Assistant Professor at the Pioneer Centre for Statistical and computational Methods for Advanced Research to Transform biomedicine (SMARTbiomed) within the field of statistical and machine learning methods development for genetic analysis and causal inference with a focus on developing and applying statistical, machine learning methods, and AI to analyse population-scale health data and omics data. The position has a start date as of 1 January 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter. The appointment as Associate Professor is permanent, whereas appointment as Assistant Professor is a four-year fixed-term position.

About the Department of Public Health
The Department of Public Health is a research-intensive environment dedicated to advancing both fundamental scientific knowledge and applied solutions to major public health challenges. Our research spans theoretical, basic, and applied sciences, with the shared ambition of generating impactful knowledge and improving population health. Academic excellence is at the core of everything we do. We are committed to conducting rigorous and innovative research and delivering high-quality teaching. The department is responsible for teaching within public health, sport science, health science, nursing science, and related methodological disciplines, as well as a substantial part of the teaching in the medical degree programme.

While firmly rooted in our respective disciplines, we actively foster interdisciplinary collaboration to advance innovation and excellence in both research and education. We are equally committed to cultivating a healthy, inclusive, and supportive workplace culture characterized by open dialogue, mutual respect, and an informal atmosphere. We believe that academic excellence and personal well-being are mutually reinforcing and essential to long-term success.

You can read more about the department here and about the faculty here.

Your job responsibilities
As an Associate or Assistant Professor in statistical genetics or health data science at the Pioneer Centre for SMARTbiomed, you will contribute to the Centre’s research, teaching, and work environment. You are expected to conduct research at a high international level and to develop an independent academic profile through both individual scholarship and collaboration with colleagues. You are committed to delivering high-quality teaching and supervision and bring collaborative skills, intellectual curiosity, and a willingness to contribute broadly across the educational programmes. You are eager to engage in the academic community at Aarhus University and within SMARTbiomed and to contribute to strengthening the department's national and international profile. We also value academic citizenship. This includes active participation in collegial collaboration, mentoring, and the social and professional life of both the department and the centre. We therefore expect you to be an engaged and visible member of the department's daily academic environment.

Your primary responsibilities will include:

• Conducting and publishing research of high international quality, including in leading journals and publishers within your field.
• Associate Professors are expected to contribute to and lead one or more major research projects focused on deciphering the causal relationship between psychiatric disorders and risk factors
• Developing your research profile and contributing to the department's strategic objectives, including through applications for external research funding.
• Teaching at PhD courses and workshops organized by the Pioneer Centre for SMARTbiomed.
• Assistant professors are expected to participate in the supervision of PhD students, and Associate Professors are expected to take a leading role and contribute also to the faculty's PhD courses.
• Disseminating research findings to academic audiences, stakeholders, and the wider public.

You will be part of the Pioneer Centre for SMARTbiomed and work closely with researchers at our three hub sites. SMARTbiomed is an international collaboration between Aarhus University, University of Oxford, and University of Copenhagen that aims to advance the development of methods and software for analysis and inference from massive human data, advancing applications in medicine. SMARTbiomed is anchored at the National Centre for Register-based Research (NCRR), Department of Public Health at Aarhus University, and led by Professor Naomi Wray. The position is based at our site in Aarhus, but you can expect some travel to our sites in Oxford and Copenhagen. You can read more about SMARTbiomed here and about NCRR here.

For the Associate Professor position, we expect you to be an aspiring group leader. Depending on your level an attractive start package can be negotiated, which may include funding for up to one PhD student and one postdoc.

You will report to the Head of the National Centre for Register-based Research, Bjarni Vilhjálmsson.

Your competences
Applicants for Assistant Professorships

You hold a PhD degree in a relevant discipline and have demonstrated the potential to become an internationally recognised researcher within statistical genetics, health data sciences, or related research areas. You can document research and teaching experience and show clear promise in developing an independent research agenda. Experience with international research collaboration and applications for external funding will be considered an advantage. You are expected to demonstrate a clear motivation for establishing yourself as a future research leader and for pursuing career-promoting research grants. Although not a requirement, the assessment process will place emphasis on experience gained through employment or extended research stays at recognised universities or research institutions outside the PhD awarding institution.

Applicants for Associate Professorships

You have established yourself as a recognised researcher within statistical genetics, health data sciences, or related research areas and can document research and teaching qualifications at a high international level – pre- and postgraduate. You have a well-developed international network, experience in attracting significant external research funding from national and international funding bodies, and clear potential and motivation to establish yourself as a research leader with your own research group and consolidate an independent research agenda. In the assessment process, particular emphasis will be placed on experience gained through employment, visiting appointments, or extended research stays at recognised universities or research institutions outside the candidate's primary institution.
For both positions, we expect you to have several of the following qualifications:

• Background in AI, bioinformatics, statistics, computer science, data science, machine learning, epidemiology, or related fields with a relevant PhD degree (required).
• Experience with analyzing large genetic data sets, e.g., UK Biobank, All-of-Us, or similar data.
• Experience with developing statistical and computational methods for analyzing genetic or health data.
• Experience with supervision of PhD students or postdocs.
• Experience with writing grant applications for external funding.
• Knowledge of machine learning and epidemiological methods including causal inference and risk prediction.

Your personal qualities include the ability to build trust-based relationships with colleagues, students, and external partners. As a teacher, you communicate current and relevant knowledge in a clear, engaging, and inspiring manner. As a supervisor, you are professional, inclusive, and supportive. You value collaboration and contribute positively to the collegial culture that characterises the Department of Public Health, the Faculty of Health Sciences, SMARTbiomed, and Aarhus University more broadly. You are motivated to contribute to the centre´s and the department´s continued development and to help maintain an inclusive, supportive, and high-performing work environment.

We expect you to be fluent in oral and written English. International applicants are expected to learn Danish, and Aarhus University arranges Danish teaching.

In order to be assessed as qualified for an Associate Professor position, you must meet these academic criteria.

In order to be assessed as qualified for an Assistant Professor position, you must meet these academic criteria.

Shortlisting will be used.

Questions about the position
If you have any questions about the position, please contact Head of the National Centre for Register-based Research, Bjarni Vilhjálmsson (email: bjv.ncrr@au.dk, Phone: +45 24201279) or scientific coordinator at the Pioneer Centre for SMARTbiomed, Gitte Bundgaard Christiansen (email: gbch.ncrr@au.dk, Phone: +45 20826431).

Your place of work will be the National Centre for Register-based Research, Department of Public Health, Bartholins Allé 2, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.

We expect to conduct interviews end of November – beginning of December 2026.

Terms of employment – Assistant professor

• Appointment as an associate professor requires research and teaching qualifications at the level that can be achieved through the satisfactory completion of a period of appointment as an assistant professor, but may also be obtained in other ways.
• The applicant is required to have completed a university pedagogical programme or an equivalent programme.
• The yearly base salary for a fulltime associate professor is DKK 706.233,06 (including a position related supplement, a pre-agreed associate professor supplememt and pension (18.07%)). Additional supplement(s) can be negotiated dependent on experience, special qualifications and performance of special functions. Authorisation supplement(s) will be granted, if relevant for the position. Your local eligible trade union representative at Aarhus University negotiates your salary on your behalf.
• Travel and moving expenses may be covered according to the employee in question and, to a limited extent, the accompanying family.

Terms of employment – Assistant professor

• Appointment as an assistant professor requires academic qualifications at PhD level.
• The yearly base salary for a fulltime assistant professor is between DKK 493.2394,35 and DKK 585.322,48 depending on the years of working experience after achieved MSc degree. The base salary includes a position related supplement and pension (18.07 %). Additional supplement(s) for special qualifications can be negotiated. Authorisation supplement(s) will be granted, if relevant for the position. Your local eligible trade union representative at Aarhus University negotiates your salary on your behalf.

Other terms of employment

• Further information on the appointment procedure can be found in the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.
• The appointment is in accordance with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne).
• Remuneration is in accordance with the above, and the Salary agreement catalogue for staff at Health.
• Researchers recruited from abroad are offered a special researcher tax scheme with a lower tax rate.
• Further information on qualification requirements and job description can be found in the Ministerial order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities.

Please read the full job description at the university homepage