Professor in Mental Health and Digital Interventions and Head of Research (combined position)

A new position as Professor and Head of Research (50 %) is vacant at the Research Unit for Telepsychiatry and E-mental Health, Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark (SDU and at the Centre for Telepsychiatry and Mental Health Services, Region of Southern Denmark respectively.

The position is a permanent position and is expected to start January 1, 2022 or soon thereafter.

The professorship is part of a combined position. The other half encompasses the role of psychologist, including related management tasks at the Centre for Telepsychiatry and Mental Health services.

The academic position

The successful candidate will be appointed at the Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, SDU. The professor will be Head of Research of the Research Unit for Telepsychiatry and E-mental Health.

The main aim of this position is to develop, evaluate and implement technology-based psychological treatment for mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders and addiction disorders.

The role of the professor will be to build a research environment specialized in digital mental health and to improve the empirical evidence for digital solutions in psychiatry.

Hence, the candidate’s research will be expected to bridge mental health research with psychiatry and digital technology such as internet programs, mobile apps, virtual reality, and other digital mental health applications.

Furthermore, the professorship is expected to help strengthen the collaboration between the Department of Clinical Research, Centre for Telepsychiatry and Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, and the international collaboration in the field of mental health and/or digital interventions.

The professor’s responsibilities will primarily consist of:

• Research in the field of mental health and the use of digital interventions improving mental health
• Research development, including research funding and supervision of PhD students
• Research management at a strategic level
• Clinical psychological tasks (treatment courses with psychiatric patients and supervision of psychologists undergoing authorization or education)
• An obligation to impact society through scientific publications, teaching, partnerships, public seminars and research-based advice-giving.

Required qualifications

The successful applicant must have psychology background and have:

• A relevant PhD degree or equivalent post-graduate research qualifications.
• International publications that address clinical psychological research and/or research in e-mental health.
• Experience with clinical psychological assessment and treatment of mental health disorders.
• Experience with developing and evaluating digital interventions for psychiatric problems.
• Clinical experience with the use of digital interventions (e.g., video, online programs, apps, VR).
• Experience with research management at a strategic and administrative level.
• Experience in teaching at university level and supervision at university and PhD level.
• Experience with funding and the executing of different types of research studies.
• Experience in cooperating with external partners on funding, execution, and implementation of studies.

It is preferred that the applicant can speak and write Danish, because patients and treatment programs will be developed and implemented in Danish.

Relevant international network, experience in research management, conference, and seminar management along with education and primary supervision of PhD students will be preferred. Visionary, strategic and practical applied leadership skills in building up a clinical research unit will be required.

Employers

The Mental Health Services has received acknowledgement of high-quality research and education and is part of the University Hospital of Southern Denmark. The Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark offers assessment, diagnosis and treatment of citizens with serious mental disorders. In close and binding collaboration with the practice sector, the municipalities and the other healthcare services in the Region of Southern Denmark, the care pathway is planned and carried out as expediently as possible.

Department of Clinical Research comprises 45 research units based on departments at Odense University Hospital and Mental Health Services in Region of Southern Denmark. (For more information about the department’s research, please see SDU’s Research Portal.)

The department staffs teach at all the programmes offered by the Faculty of Health Sciences, however, primarily in medicine. (Read more about the department and its key figures here.)

Professor Kirsten Ohm Kyvik, MD, PhD, MPM, heads the department.

Reference

The professor will refer to the Centre Director at the Centre for Telepsychiatry and Mental Health Services, Marie Paldam Folker in matters concerning the clinical part of the job, and to the Head of the Department of Clinical Research, Kirsten Ohm Kyvik in matters regarding the professorship.

Further information

Further information concerning the professorship can be obtained from the Head of the Department of Clinical Research, SDU, Kirsten Ohm Kyvik ([email protected]/ +45 6011 3046).

Further information concerning the clinical part of the position can be obtained from the Centre Director at the Centre for Telepsychiatry and Mental Health Services, Marie Paldam Folker ([email protected] /+45 2360 6589).

Salary and terms of employment

The successful applicant for the professorship will be employed in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and AC (the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations).

Applications will be assessed by an expert committee. Applicants will be informed of their assessment by the university.

Applications – including the required attachments – must be sent via the link “Apply online". Only online applications will be accepted. Attached files must be Adobe PDF or Word format. Each field in the application form can contain up to max. 10 MB.

Only applications written in English will be accepted for evaluation.

Applications may be shortlisted.

The applicant must submit the following documents in order to be considered for the position:

• A motivation letter
• A detailed CV
• Degree certificates (including PhD diploma) (combined as one single PDF-file)
• Documented research management experience
• A teaching portfolio detailing the candidate’s prior teaching experience, teaching skills, and teaching philosophy
• A track record in obtaining research funding
• A record of national and international research collaboration and collaborations with researchers in other disciplines and sectors
• A research plan detailing the candidate’s ideas, past, present and future plans for her/his future research work.
• A complete and numbered list of publications
• 10 scientific peer-reviewed publications considered by the candidate as most important for this position. Please notice that one pdf- or docx-file must be attached for each publication.

Incomplete applications with regard to the above-mentioned requirements will not be assessed.

References will be obtained for the applicant who is the first choice for the position - from the applicant’s most recent employer, and from previous employers as required.

Further particulars concerning the application - please see the link below.

Living and Working in Denmark

Foreign applicants will be offered Danish language training as part of the employment. The International Staff Office (ISO) at SDU provides a variety of services for new employees, guests and people who consider applying for a job at the University of Southern Denmark. Among other things, the staff answers questions concerning salary, taxation, housing and accompanying family. For further information on what it is like working at SDU, please read “10 good reasons why you should choose SDU”.

Additional information about working in Denmark can be found at Work in Denmark.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Further details

Read the Guideline for applicants.