PhD Student Position in Medical Ethics

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.

This position belongs to a 4-year interdisciplinary research project, funded by the Swiss National Fund (SNF) The 'Hospital Discharge Letter' through the Lens of Cultural Studies: on the Narrativity, History and Ethics of an Unknown Genre of Medical Communication (Project Nr. 10.003.969, 8/2025-72029), Principal Investigators: Prof. Dr. Martina King (Fribourg), Prof. Dr. Ralf Jox (Lausanne), Dr. Felix Rietmann (Lausanne). The ‘discharge letter’ or ‘medical report’ is a standardized expert genre that physicians produce and study every day countless times; it organizes written medical communication worldwide. However, our project is the first one to investigate this genre systematically from the joint perspectives of literary studies, medical history and medical ethics; the project establishes a new research field in the Medical Humanities.

Mission

The PhD-student will conduct his or her own independent research project within the above-mentioned framework, focusing on the ethical dimensions of the discharge letter in the past, present and future, including also the new developments of generative artificial intelligence (large language models). Methodologically, the PhD student is expected to work both empirically (qualitative interview study) and normatively. 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 on the above-mentioned topic of medical ethics under the supervision of Professor Ralf Jox
• Contribute to the scientific and public promotion of the research developed (including scientific publications, presentations, podcasts, website, networks)
• 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 (or equivalent degree) in medicine, philosophy, or in another pertinent discipline of the humanities or social sciences
• Proficiency (written and spoken) in German and English, good knowledge of French or willingness to learn it
• 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

Further information can be obtained from Prof. Ralf J. Jox (ralf.jox@chuv.ch), Professor of Medical Ethics and Director of the Institute of Humanities in Medicine CHUV-UNIL (please don't send your application by email).

Applications, written in English, French or German, should include a specific letter of motivation, a concise curriculum vitae, a list of publications with an example of a significant article, and copies of diplomas. They should be sent until July 19th, 2025 (23:59 GMT+1) on the dedicated electronic platform.

As all our applications are processed electronically, we thank you for applying 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, which will assist you in your application process at 021 / 314-85-70 from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm and from 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm.

As part of the recruitment process for this position, in the event of hiring, it will be necessary to provide us with an original extract from the criminal record. You will also be asked to present your original diplomas and identification.

The CHUV applies the highest quality standards in its recruitment processes. In addition, in order to promote the diversity of our employees, we are attentive to different life paths and do our utmost to guarantee equal treatment and avoid any discrimination. We look forward to receiving your application.