PhD position (100%) in Actuarial Science at University of Lausanne

Background information.

This PhD position is available within the framework of the Sinergia project “Development of Personalized Health in Switzerland”, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). The interdisciplinary project brings together sociologists, anthropologists, bioethicists, biolaw scholars, healthcare policy scholars, information systems scholars and actuarial scientists. The PhD student will join this dynamic and heterogeneous group of researchers based at different Swiss universities (University of Lausanne; University of Geneva; University of Neuchâtel), and participate with his/her own research to the achievement of the overall project goal to describe the different processes of alignment (epistemic, moral, institutional, policy-related, etc.) that are required for a functioning societal circulation of Personalized Health (PH) in Switzerland. The PhD student will work closely with other project members, be expected to develop his/her own ideas and communicate results (orally and in writing) internally to the project, nationally and internationally.

Job description.

The major research focus of the PhD project will be on the interactions of health care costs and insurance. The project includes the study of (a) the impact of precision medicine on the health care costs, (b) personalized medicine in the context of social health insurance and (c) new business models in private health insurance.

The doctoral position is a 48-months full-time position (100%), starting November 1, 2018. The PhD student will be in residence at the University of Lausanne, Faculty of Business and Economics, Department of Actuarial Science, and be supervised by Joël Wagner, Full Professor in Actuarial Science. Salary conditions of PhD employment established by SNSF standards apply.

Applicant’s profile.

The applicant has successfully completed a Master’s degree in actuarial science or in a related discipline and domain (e.g. economics, mathematics with focus on financial services or insurance). Applicants should be fluent in French and proficient in English. The doctoral student is expected to interact closely with the project’s members and to publish his/her research in international peer- reviewed publications as well as via oral presentations.

Application procedure.

The application should include:

  • a full curriculum vitae and a motivation letter, detailing the interest and competences related to the project’s topic,
  • a copy of the university diploma and a transcript of university grades,
  • an electronic version of a research paper (Master thesis, seminar work, colloquium paper or other scientific report).

Further information can be obtained from / Applications should be submitted to Professor Joël Wagner, joel.wagner@unil.ch. The application deadline is August 31, 2018. The call remains open until a suitable candidate has been selected.