PhD Position in Climate Epidemiology and Public Health University of Bern in Canada

PhD opportunity in Climate Epidemiology and Public Health at the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM), University of Bern, Switzerland.

The project is hosted by the Climate Epidemiology and Public Health Research Group and is embedded in the newly funded NCCR CLIM+ programme. The research focuses on how climate change and extreme heat events affect healthcare systems in Switzerland, including hospital-based indicators, bottlenecks, tipping points, and adaptation scenarios for future extreme weather events.

The PhD candidate will work with nationwide healthcare and weather/climate data, conduct epidemiological analyses, clean and analyse large observational databases, and use advanced epidemiological models together with qualitative methods such as interviews. The role also includes participation in co-creation workshops with stakeholders, conference presentations, journal publications, and some teaching activities.

Eligibility: applicants should hold an MSc in Epidemiology, Public Health, Biostatistics, Environmental Sciences, Climate Sciences, or a closely related field. Prior experience with R programming and health/weather data management and modelling is required. Strong English communication skills are required; knowledge of a national language is desired. The team values interdisciplinary, international, and collaborative working styles.

Funding: this is a fully funded PhD position for 4 years at 100% employment and fixed-term appointment.

Application deadline: 6 July 2026. Apply by sending a single PDF to Mirjam Egger at [email protected]. The application must be in English and include a motivation letter and CV with publication list. Shortlisted candidates will later provide two letters of support and two references.