Consultancy in Clinical Biochemistry combined with a clinical professorship i clinical biochemistry with special focus on bone loss disease and biomarkers of bone health and -disease

A position as consultant at the Department of Clinical Biochemistry at Rigshospitalet is open for appointment from as soon as possible. 

 

The position is combined with a 5-year position as clinical professor in Clinical Biochemistry with special focus on Bone Loss in Chronic Disease at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. 

 

With this new position the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet wishes to strengthen the leadership in applied biochemical and translational research and teaching in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen. 

 

It is a requirement that the applicant is accepted for appointment of both the professorship and the consultancy. 

 

In order to be considered, the applicant must send an application to both the Faculty (the professorship) and to the hospital (the consultancy) cf. the simultaneously advertised position of the professorship. This also applies to the applicants who are already employed as consultants at Rigshospitalet. The advertisement for the professorship is now available from the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/. 

 

Organisation 

The Department is located on two locations; Rigshospitalet Blegdamsvej and Rigshospitalet Glostrup. The position will primarily be based in Rigshospitalet Glostrup. The Department comprises analysis sections for general clinical biochemistry, point-of-care-testing, hematology and coagulation, as well as a section of pharmacology and specialized analyses. The research section is located both within the department and in Glostrup Research Institute, which is located just north of Rigshospitalet Glostrup. The Department has extensive collaboration with other departments at the hospital. 

 

Clinical functions and focus areas of the department 

The Department of Clinical Biochemistry is part of Denmark’s leading university hospital for specialized medicine and performs more than 8 mio. analyses pr. year, supporting the medical specialities at the hospital. The Department also provides national services for highly specialised functions. 

 

With this new position the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet wishes to strengthen the leadership in applied biochemical and translational research and teaching. 

 

Fractures associated with bone loss are associated with a strongly increased morbidity and mortality. The costs to society are immense and the number of fractures is expected to increase steeply over the next decades due to both the ageing population and to the increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Bone loss is not only seen in patients with primary osteoporosis as several chronic diseases such as diabetes, inflammatory diseases, cancer, frailty, immobilization secondary to neurologic diseases are associated with increased risk of bone loss and subsequent fractures. Often osteoporosis develops more rapidly during these disease conditions, but very little is currently known on the mechanisms by which the bone loss develops. Therefore, it is highly warranted to understand the underlying mechanisms for the purpose of either preventing or treating bone loss before fractures occur. Also, elucidating the cause of the skeletal comorbidities and complications may lead to new biochemical diagnostic tools for monitoring the disease. 

 

Biomarkers of bone disease already exists. A few of these are already implemented for clinical use, though they are used on very limited indications. A broader understanding of the biological background as well as methodological variation is important before the full potential of these biomarkers can be exploited. As the Department has a dedicated section for the measurement of skeletal biomarkers and performs routine bone turnover marker measurements for the whole Region there is a unique opportunity to explore the full potential of the use of these biomarkers. 

 

The purpose of the professorship is to investigate the mechanisms for bone loss as a comorbidity to chronic diseases and to explore the potential of biochemical markers of bone health and -disease for use in diagnosing and monitoring. By increasing the understanding of the comorbid conditions between chronic diseases, new treatment targets can be uncovered and new diagnostic tools can be developed for the benefit of the patients as well as society.  

 

Qualifications 

Applicants must be board-certified specialists in Clinical Biochemistry. 

 

Only applicants for the position as clinical professor of Clinical Biochemistry with special focus on Bone Loss in Chronic Disease at the University of Copenhagen can apply for this position. Appointment is conditioned by the fact that the applicant applies for and obtains both positions. 

 

Salary and conditions of employment as consultant are as agreed between the Danish Regions and the Danish Association of Medical Specialists and between the Capital Region/Region Zealand and University of Copenhagen. 

 

As clinical professor at least 50 % of the working time will be allocated to academic tasks (e.g. research, teaching, evaluation tasks and communication with the public) in agreement with the Head of Department of Clinical Medicine at the University of Copenhagen. The remaining time will be allocated for diagnostic laboratory work in agreement with the head of Department of Clinical Biochemistry. The clinical professor will receive secretarial or technical support equivalent to 50 % of a full-time secretary position from the department of Clinical Biochemistry. Additional support and details on the working conditions must be negotiated with the head of the department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet. 

 

The application must include a Curriculum Vitae and a complete list of publications and for applicants with a foreign license also a copy of the authorization certificate for specialist in Clinical Biochemistry recognition. The application for the consultancy must also include information on the 7 roles for medical doctors: clinical expert, communicator, collaborator, manager/administrator/organizer, health advocate, scholar/researcher/teacher, professional (https://sundhedsstyrelsen.dk/en/news/2013/the-seven-roles-of-physicians). 

 

For applicants with a foreign license also a copy of the authorization certificate for specialist in Clinical Biochemistry 

 

The advertisement for the professorship is now available from the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/. 

 

The closing date for applications is 7. March 2019. 

 

For further information please contact tel. + 45 3545 2016, or email: linda.maria.hilsted@regionh.dk.