Research Fellow

**Introduction**:
The Department of Public Health of the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp (ITM) conducts public health research of international standing, provides high quality postgraduate education and engages in service delivery to advance public health. The department is organized into multidisciplinary research groups, including public health specialists, epidemiologists, health system researchers and social scientists.

Within the Sexual and Reproductive Health Group of the Department of Public Health, the HIV and Sexual Health Unit aims to contribute to the improvement of sexual health among diverse populations and in a range of settings. We achieve this by linking scientific research, advanced education, policy support and capacity-strengthening in Belgium and other countries, including in West and Southern Africa. We use quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods inter-disciplinary approaches (e.g. epidemiology, sociology, anthropology, psychology, demography, implementation and evaluation research) to understand risk and vulnerability and to evaluate interventions to improve sexual health outcomes.

The HIV and Sexual Health Unit is looking to strengthen their epidemiological research capacity by recruiting a Research Fellow with epidemiological expertise. The Research Fellow will develop research lines related to the prevention of HIV and other STIs, with a particular focus on key populations, and lead on the design and implementation of teaching on the epidemiology, prevention and control of HIV and other sexual health outcomes.

**Assignment**:

- You will design, organise and deliver teaching on the prevention and control of STIs for Masters, postgraduate certificate and short course students.
- You will contribute to teaching on the basics of epidemiology and statistical methods for epidemiology for Masters, postgraduate certificate and short course students.
- You will (co)-supervise Masters and PhD students
- You will contribute to research capacity strengthening activities of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Group in the domain of sexual health
- You will report to Dr. Bernadette Hensen and collaborate with others within the Unit and the SRH Group, other research groups within ITM and partners outside ITM, including partners in low-resourced settings.

**Profile**:
We are looking for an outstanding Research Fellow who is passionate about conducting high quality teaching and research in support of equitable access to sexual health services. This is a unique opportunity to work with a multidisciplinary team, develop your own research ideas, broaden your network of research partners, and contribute to high-quality teaching and capacity-strengthening activities of the SRH Group.

Essential competencies and skills
- You hold or are nearing completion of a PhD (or have equivalent professional experience) in epidemiology, biostatistics or, other, related, public health field
- You are clinically trained (i.e. medical doctor, nurse, midwife, or similar).
- You have experience conducting rigorous epidemiological research, ideally with a focus on STIs in low-resourced settings, and publishing in peer-reviewed journals.
- You have experience teaching on basic epidemiology, statistics and other related public health topics.
- You are willing to travel overseas as required.
- You have good organisational and analytical skills, are a team-player who can work across cultures respectfully, and are open-minded.
- You have excellent knowledge of English and French.

Additional desirable competencies and skills
- Knowledge of Dutch is an asset.
- You have experience supervising Masters and PhD students.
- You have experience working in low-resource settings.

**Offer**:
The ITM is an open and international campus where staff, students and researchers work on new international health challenges. We strive for excellence, integrity, and efficiency. Your assignment contributes to this vision. We value human dignity and diversity, academic creativity and a critical spirit, solidarity and cooperation, and the well-being of employees, students, patients and clients. Together we ensure a pleasant working atmosphere with attention to work-life balance and opportunities for training. We offer you:

- A salary set according to the pay scales of ITM and the Flemish universities and to your work experience with supplementary benefits: a public transport subscription and/or bicycle fee, private pension scheme and meal voucher subscription.
- A workplace in the middle of the vibrant city of Antwerp, easily accessible by public transport.
- An immigration and relocation assistance package.