PhD Position Neuropädiatrie, Entwicklung und Rehabilitation

A stroke in childhood is rare -- but when it occurs, it often leads to severe consequences. In Switzerland, about 2 out of 100,000 children suffer a arterial ischemic stroke every year. In newborns, the frequency is even higher: about one in 2,500 to 4,000 newborns is affected. Despite these numbers, childhood stroke is still often diagnosed too late -- and is much less well-known in the general public and in the healthcare system than stroke in adulthood.<br /> Just because childhood strokes are rare, reliable, systematically recorded data is needed. Only in this way can risk factors be better understood, diagnostic and treatment paths optimized, and long-term courses scientifically accompanied. This is exactly where the Swiss Neuropediatric Stroke Registry (SNPSR) comes in.<br /> Since 2000, the SNPSR has been documenting strokes in newborns, children, and adolescents up to 16 years of age throughout Switzerland, with the aim of improving the recognition, treatment, and long-term care of affected children in Switzerland in particular, but also across national borders. It is now a central resource for pediatric stroke research in Switzerland and enables a variety of research projects that provide new insights into incidence, etiology, course, and outcome.<br /> What to expect<br /> <br /> • Together with the SNPSR research team, you will develop and implement research and registry activities based on the data collected in the Swiss Neuropediatric Stroke Registry. The goal is to gain scientific insights that can directly contribute to improving the recognition, treatment, and long-term care of children with stroke<br /> • Collaboration in various research projects as well as conception and leadership of your own research projects in the areas of Stroke Awareness, Neuroplasticity, Outcome Research, Structural Neuroimaging<br /> • Participation in the SNPSR, which includes, among other things, managing patient data, the SNPSR's social media presence, modernizing and maintaining the RedCap database and homepage<br /> • Collaboration with international collaboration partners, physicians, therapists, affected families, and foundations<br /> • Writing your own scientific articles for high-ranking international specialist journals and presenting the results at national and international congresses<br /> • Supporting the research projects of collaboration partners around the SNPSR, helping to create research documentation, helping to acquire research grants<br /> <br /> What you bring<br /> <br /> • Successfully completed master's degree in neuroscience, clinical research, epidemiology, rehabilitation sciences, health sciences, biomedical research, psychology, human medicine, or a comparable discipline<br /> • Great interest in pediatric neurology, developmental biology, and evidence-based rehabilitation research<br /> • Knowledge of quantitative research methods, imaging procedures, and statistics is a great advantage (e.g., experience with R, Stata, SPM, Python)<br /> • Very good English skills<br /> • Since it is a Swiss registry, excellent knowledge of German and ideally French is also essential for communication with centers and patients<br /> • Independent working style, very good social skills, exceptional commitment to initiating and implementing research projects<br /> <br /> Our offer<br /> <br /> • Active participation opportunities in a variety of research projects around childhood stroke<br /> • Possibility of independent study management, research coordination, and implementation of your own research projects<br /> • Excellent network in a highly interdisciplinary environment (pediatrics, neurology, neuropsychology, neuroradiology) with connections to leading Swiss university clinics and international stroke centers<br /> • Participation in a renowned PhD program (Graduate School of Health Science, Bern)<br /> • Weekly further training opportunities in the field of pediatrics, neurology, and neuroradiology<br /> • Working hours 100% (5 days/week), starting date from autumn 2026 or by arrangement. Remuneration according to the guidelines for PhDs of the Swiss National Science Foundation<br /> Are you interested? We look forward to your application!<br /> <br /> Questions about the position?<br /> Further information will be provided by<br /> Prof. Dr. phil. Regula Everts Brekenfeld<br /> Head of Neuropsychology