Job Description

Institut fur Biomedizinische Ethik und Medizingeschichte

PhD Position on Co-Creation in Healthcare 80 %

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Start of employment 01.09.2025, temporary
The Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine University of Zurich in collaboration with the Institute of Design Research, Zurich University of Arts - ZHdK, and the cross-institutional Digital Health Design Living Lab offer a PhD Position in a SNSF-funded Project on Co-Creation in Healthcare.



The institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine (IBME) belongs to the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Zurich and hosts the medical track of the PhD program Biomedical Ethics and Law, a joint venture of the UZH Medical Faculty and the Faculty of Law. Since 2009, the IBME has been a WHO Collaborating Centre for Bioethics, providing ethical advice on a range of issues related to global health.

The Institute of Design Research (IDR) at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) houses thematic clusters including Health Design and the Digital Health Design Living Lab (DHD LL). With a strong focus on design science in healthcare, IDR applies participatory, co-creative, and human-centered methods to develop innovative solutions.

Your responsibilities

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The advertised joint PhD position between the IBME and IDR will be part of a joint, transdisciplinary project on Human-Centered Co-Creation of Care funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).



The project investigates how healthcare professionals, and patients can jointly shape care processes that enable a more active patient role while also enhancing the quality of working life for healthcare staff. The doctoral research will focus on the perspective of healthcare employees - particularly nurses and patients, examining how co-creation influences their work experience, well-being, and professional identity. The PhD-candidate will also focus on patient-centeredness strategies for understanding the co-creation of healthcare and will work with diverse research groups (Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute (EBPI), UZH & Winterthur Institute of Health Economics (WIG) School of Management and Law ZHAW- both are further Co-PI-institutions) and four partner hospitals across Switzerland to understand what fosters or hinders meaningful collaboration in healthcare.



In close collaboration with our research team, the PhD-candidate will explore different perspectives on qualitative and co-creative methods, collect and analyze data (e.g. qualitative real-time self-observations and in-depth individual interviews), write scientific publications, and present their findings at (inter-) national conferences. They will be part of a dedicated transdisciplinary research team focusing on work and health as well as individual- and system-level innovations in healthcare.



The position offers funding for 3 years at 80% employment. The PhD will be supervised by Prof. Andrea Glassel ZHAW, UZH, DHD LL, and Prof. Dr. Anna Lisa Martin Niedecken, IDR, ZHdK, DHD LL. The candidate has to apply for admission to the doctoral program in Biomedical Ethics and Law.

Your profile

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We are looking for a candidate with a strong understanding of individual, ethical, and social dimensions of individuals in Health Care, who intends to further qualify themselves through a doctorate in Medical Sciences (PhD/Dr. sc. med). We seek the following qualifications from our candidate:

You offer:University master's degree in social sciences, preferably in nursing sciences, public health, or with a design research background with a focus on human-centered or participatory methods (ideally in healthcare contexts) including a master's thesis of 30 ECTS / 900 research hours Strong interest and previous knowledge in the field of Work and Health, Design and Human-Centeredness and Ethics Experience in planning, conducting, analyzing, and writing up empirical (mixed methods) research Very good knowledge of qualitative research methods and co-creative design thinking methods Fluent German language skills (essential for field research) and understand Swiss German Very good knowledge of English Enthusiasm for applied real-world research topics Commitment, independence, flexibility, passion for research, and ability to work in a team

Information on your application

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The employment will be at IBME/UZH.

The place of work will be both at the IBME and at the IDR/ZHdK

What we offer

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Work-Life Balance

Flexible working models (such as part-time positions, mobile working, job-sharing) Childcare at the kihz foundation of UZH and ETH

Learning and Development

Wide range of continuing education courses of UZH and the Canton of Zurich Language Center run jointly with ETH Zurich

Food

Food and drinks at reduced prices in the UZH cafeterias Lunch-Check-card with UZH contribution

Healthcare

Special conditions on the Academic Sports Association ASVZ Free seasonal flu vaccinations Rest and relaxation at the quiet room in the university tower

Discounts

Private traffic: Carsharing, rent a vehicle, parking space Digitalization: Hardware, software, mobile phone subscriptions Special conditions on hotel reservations

Conditions of Employment

Policies of the UZH Most UZH staff are employed according to public law

International Services

Support for people from outside Switzerland

Campuses

Campuses Zurich City, Zurich Irchel, Oerlikon and Schlieren Sites Zurich West, Old Botanical Garden, Botanical Garden and Lengg

Location

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Institut fur Biomedizinische Ethik und Medizingeschichte

Winterthurerstrasse 30, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland

Further information

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Questions about the job

Andrea Glassel and Anna Martin-Niedecken

Co-Supervisor

Questions about the application procedure

Michele Heimgartner

Manager

Working at UZH

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The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!