PhD student: Physical activity and cardiopulmonary fitness after childhood cancer

Start Date

Available immediately or by arrangement

Employment Relationship

fixed-term

Institution / Workplace

Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine

Project description

With continuously improving treatments, nearly 90% of children diagnosed with cancer can now be cured. However, many survivors experience long-term health consequences related to cancer and its treatment, often affecting multiple organ systems and overall physical functioning. Reduced physical activity and impaired exercise capacity are common and may contribute to fatigue and reduced quality of life, but remain insufficiently understood in young survivors.

In this PhD, you will investigate physical activity patterns, exercise capacity, and determinants of physical limitation in children and adolescents after cancer. the project follows survivors from three Swiss university hospitals and combines accelerometry, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, functional assessments, and clinical and questionnaire data.

During this PhD you will

• coordinate a multicentre prospective cohort study in Swiss University Children's Hospitals (Bern, Basel, Geneva)
• collaborate closely with paediatric oncologists, cardiologists, pulmonologists, exercise physiologists, and study murses to support recruitment and assessments
• collect, harmonise, and integrate clinical, treatment-related, physiological, and behavioural data from multiple sources
• apply and develop your skills in epidemiological research, data management and statistical analysis
• present your results in (inter)national conferences and publish them in peer-reviewed journals

You have

• a university degree ideally in medicine (MD), possibly in sports sciences, physiotherapy, or physiology
• a strong interest in paediatric oncology, exercise physiology, and epidemiological research
• ideally clinical experience
• a strong interest in epidemiological and biostatistics; ideally experience in data analysis
• fluency in English and German and/or French, ideally all

Your Benefits

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Individual career support

Hands-on practical insights

Team-oriented work

Working at the University of Bern

The University of Bern not only offers exciting tasks but also an environment that actively promotes development, diversity, and equal opportunities. Discover what makes us stand out as an employer and how you can grow with us.

Application and Contact

If you are looking for an exciting position in a highly motivated interdisciplinary team, please send your CV with motivation letter to ISPM HR Office (hr.ispm@unibe.ch) and Masa Zarkovic (masa.zarkovic@unibe.ch) by August 15, 2026.

Questions about the position?

masa.zarkovic@unibe.ch

Questions about the application?

hr.ispm@unibe.ch