Recherche

PhD Student Position in the History of Medicine

The Institute of Humanities in Medicine, attached to the Department of Education and Research (DFR) at CHUV and the Faculty of Biology and Medicine (FBM) at UNIL, invites applications for a fully funded PhD-Position (4 years, 100%) in the history of medicine. The position will start on September 1, 2025 (negotiable, latest possible starting date: 1 February 2026).

Contexte

The Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois (CHUV) is one of Switzerland's 5 university hospitals. Thanks to its collaboration with the Faculty of Biology and Medicine of the University of Lausanne and the EPFL, the CHUV plays a leading role in the fields of medical care, medical research and education.

The PhD-thesis will be realized in the framework of the SNSF Starting Grant project (primary investigator: Felix E. Rietmann) “Pediatric Drugs since 1945: From Local Practice to Global Politics.” The project examines the clinical use, administrative regulation, and scientific marketing of pediatric pharmaceuticals in (and beyond) Switzerland across the second half of the twentieth century.

Mission

The PhD-student will conduct his or her own independent research project within the above-mentioned framework, focusing on the interplay between the management of pediatric diseases and the evolving pharmaceutical market. Potential topics include but are not limited to the history of antibiotics and pediatric infectious diseases, the history of nutrition in children, or the history of psychopharmaceuticals and child psychiatric conditions. The doctoral thesis will be part of the PhD program in the Humanities and Social Sciences of Medicine and Health of the FBM.

• Complete a doctoral thesis in the field of the history medicine focusing on the history of pediatrics drugs in Switzerland and beyond, under the supervision of Professor Felix Rietmann
• Contribute to the scientific and public promotion of the research developed (including podcasts, website promotion, collective work, writing articles)
• Help to coordinate research workshops and conferences associated with the project
• Collaborate with other IHM members and participate in the Institute's collective activities and events.

Profil

• Master of Arts in History or equivalent degree
• Proficiency (written and spoken) in German and/or French, and good knowledge of English
• Willingness to work in a collaborative environment and a team-based research project

Nous offrons

Becoming an employee of the CHUV is your assurance of benefiting from :

2 x 2-year employment contract to work in Lausanne (total of four years)

• A salary paid according to the SNSF rates for doctoral students
• Excellent working conditions in a stimulating multi-disciplinary research environment
• first-rate social benefits, 20 days' paternity leave and 4 months' maternity leave (with the possibility of an additional month's breast-feeding leave)
• Regular salary progression in line with responsibilities
• a 13th salary and 25 days' vacation per year
• The right to a minimum of three days' training per year, with access to a wide range of courses offered by the CHUV's training center and partner training centers in the canton of Vaud.
• easier access to one of the 500 furnished housing units available in the surrounding areas for people moving to Switzerland from abroad
• social, cultural and economic benefits for members of the H-Oxygène association
• advantages offered as part of the mobility plan (discounts on public transport season tickets, promotion of “Mobility” vehicles and discounts on the purchase of electric bicycles, etc.)

Contact et envoi de candidature

Contact and application :

Further information can be obtained from Dr Felix Rietmann, physician and historian of medicine, SNSF Starting Grant recipient, E-Mail schreiben, 021 314 70 57.

Applications, written in English or French, should include a specific cover letter showing that you meet the criteria for the position, a statement of interest (1-2 pages) outlining your ideas for a doctoral research project, a full CV, including publications (if available), a writing sample, and copy of your university transcripts and diplomas.

All documents must be sent by Monday June 30, 2025 (23:59 GMT+1) on the dedicated electronic platform.

As all our applications are processed electronically, please apply exclusively via the Internet, by clicking on the APPLY button at the bottom of the advertisement. If for technical reasons you are unable to apply online, we invite you to contact our Recruitment Unit, who will be happy to assist you on 021 / 314-85-70 from 08:30 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 16:30.