The Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) is a cutting-edge institute addressing global public health challenges through research, translation into policy and education. ISGlobal has a broad portfolio in communicable and non-communicable diseases including environmental and climate determinants, and applies a multidisciplinary scientific approach ranging from the molecular to the population level. Research is organized in five programs: Climate, Air Pollution, Nature and Urban Health; Environment and Health over the Lifecourse; Global Viral and Bacterial Infections; Malaria and Neglected Parasitic Diseases and Maternal Child and Reproductive Health. ISGlobal is accredited with the Severo Ochoa distinction, a seal of excellence of the Spanish Science Ministry.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

ISGlobal is seeking a postdoctoral researcher in social psychiatric epidemiology to take a leading role in the implementation of the ERC-funded project “MentalSEP”, performed in collaboration between ISGlobal and Aarhus University (Denmark).

The position will focus on advancing knowledge on social inequalities in mental health by investigating how socioeconomic position relates to later mental health outcomes, while explicitly accounting for underlying familial and genetic susceptibility. The postdoc will work with population-wide Danish register data covering the entire population (~11 million individuals), combined with detailed information on mental disorders, psychotropic medication, socioeconomic indicators across the life course, and family linkages.

The successful candidate will lead and contribute to high-impact epidemiological studies using longitudinal and multilevel designs, including family-based approaches. The work will involve close collaboration with an interdisciplinary team spanning epidemiology, mental health, statistics, and genetics, as well as interaction with international collaborators. The postdoctoral researcher will have substantial opportunity to develop independent research ideas within the scope of MentalSEP, publish in leading journals, and contribute to open-science outputs (e.g., shared code, reproducible workflows, and project-related dissemination activities).

This position is ideal for candidates with a strong quantitative background and an interest in social determinants of mental health, life-course epidemiology, and causal inference in observational data. Please notice that we are also offering a position for a postdoctoral researcher in population data science as part of the same project.

The successful candidate will join the Population Mental Health Group (PopMental), with researchers based at ISGlobal and Aarhus University. PopMental is an interdisciplinary and international team working at the intersection of psychiatric epidemiology, social inequalities, genetics, and data science, with a strong emphasis on methodological innovation and real‑world public health impact. The group conducts large‑scale population‑based research using some of the richest data resources available worldwide and publishes regularly in leading international journals. Beyond the science, PopMental is a genuinely collaborative, supportive, and inclusive research environment. We place high value on mentorship, intellectual openness, and work–life balance, and we actively support the career development and independence of early‑career researchers. Team members are encouraged to develop their own ideas, lead publications, engage in international collaborations, and contribute to open science. Working with us means being part of a motivated group where high scientific standards go hand in hand with a friendly and respectful atmosphere. More information about the group and its work can be found at www.popmental.org.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and coordinate research activities related to social psychiatric epidemiology

• Contribute to the strategic planning and execution of the project objectives

• Some degree of contribution towards attracting external research funding

• Make applications as needed for access to data

• Collaborate within an active research group with national and international collaborators

SPECIFIC DUTIES

• Design epidemiological studies within social psychiatric epidemiology

• Develop analysis plans and conduct statistical analyses

• Supervise junior researchers and support training activities

• Prepare scientific publications and present results in conferences

AUXILIAR TASKS

This job description reflects the present requirements of the post but may evolve at any time in the future as duties and responsibilities change and/or develop providing there is appropriate consultation with the post-holder.

This job description is not a definitive or exhaustive list of responsibilities but identifies the key responsibilities and tasks of the post holder. The specific objectives of the post holder will be subject to review as part of the individual professional assessment process.

SKILLS

• Teamwork.

• Problem resolution.

• Learning capacity.

• High organizational capacity.

• Strong communications and interpersonal skills.

• Adaptability.

The post holder will adhere to ISGlobal principles contained in People management policy, including Equity, diversity and health safety. The post holder will respect, and be accountable to ensure ISGlobal policies and procedures.

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE / QUALIFICATIONS

• PhD degree in epidemiology or related field (e.g., demography, sociology, biostatistics). Candidates expected to finish their PhD within the next few months are also invited to apply.

• Having publications in international peer-reviewed journals as first author

• Strong quantitative interests and ability to work with large datasets (e.g., with software such as R or Stata)

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

• Additional strengths (advantageous but not required) are doctoral (and potentially postdoctoral) experience in (i) psychiatric and/or social epidemiology and (ii) epidemiological research based on administrative registers (i.e., ‘real-world data’).

LANGUAGE LEVEL

• Proficiency in English.

CONDITIONS

• Contract: 3 years contract

• Salary: 30.656-38.911 € gross annual salary

• Work-Life Balance: 36 days off per year (23 vacation days + 13 personal days)

• Start date: 1st of September 2026 (starting date is flexible)

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants must fill in the request form and attach the CV and a Cover Letter. Each attached document must be named with the candidate name and surname.

The receipt of applications will be open until 19th of June 2026.

The interviews could be placed during the reception of candidatures period.

Diverse candidatures are encouraged, that includes: gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, physical abilities, and political views.

SELECTION PROCESS

The selection process is designed in two phases:
1- Interview phase of a technical nature, with the team that requires the incorporation. To assess the person's skills and CV.
2 - Meeting with HR with the finalist(s) to finish assessing the profile and discuss contractual and institutional issues.

If needed any technical test could be passed. A Psychological Competency Evaluation Test will be required for the structural or transversal positions.

In accordance with the OTM-R principles, a gender-balanced recruitment panel is formed for every vacancy at the beginning of the process. After reviewing the content of the applications, the panel will start the interviews, with at least one technical and one administrative interview. A profile questionnaire as well as a technical exercise may be required during the process.

In ISGlobal we are committed to maintaining and developing a work environment in which the values and principles of our organization are respected and equal opportunities between women and men be promoted in each of the areas in which we operate, not tolerating discrimination based on criteria such as age, gender, marital status, race, ethnicity, functional diversity, political leanings, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

We confirm our commitment towards the value of the diversity of our staff and student population and seek to promote peace, equity, diversity and inclusion as essential elements in contribution to improving health worldwide.