Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine

PhD Position in Ethics of Voice Assistants in Dementia Care 80 %

Start of employment 01.03.2025, temporary

The institute (IBME) belongs to the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Zurich, and consists of two Chairs; Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine. Since 2009, the IBME has been a WHO Collaborating Centre for Bioethics, and also provides ethical advice to numerous professional associations globally. The advertised PhD position will be at the Chair of Biomedical Ethics, in the PhD program "Biomedical Ethics and Law (medical track)". The Chair was established at UZH in 2005 in response to the growing need for education, research and consultancy in the area of medical ethics and bioethics. The IBME is also involved in teaching activities for medical and dental students, as well as at the UZH History Seminar through the Chair of History of Medicine.
The institute offers funding for a 4-year (48 months) PhD position at 80% employment, as part of the SNSF project "GRACE: A voice assistant for improving quality of life in people with early dementia". The PhD will be supervised by Prof. Nikola Biller-Andorno, Prof. Tobias Kowatsch, and Dr. Rasita Vinay.

Your responsibilities

We are seeking an outstanding PhD candidate to join our interdisciplinary team investigating voice-based lifestyle and cognitive interventions for people with dementia, through a voice assistant prototype.

Your profile

We are looking for a candidate with a strong understanding of digital health and dementia, who intends to further qualify themselves through a doctorate in Medical Sciences. We seek the following qualifications from our candidates:
  • Masters degree in bioethics or other social sciences (preferable), behavioral or cognitive science (desirable) or another relevant field.
  • Experience working in digital health, AI ethics or assistive technologies is strongly preferred.
  • Proficiency in English and German (written and spoken).
  • Willingness to work in a collaborative, interdisciplinary team.
  • Good organizational skills, attention to detail, ability to also work independently.

Information on your application

Starting date of employment is 01.03.2024. Please submit your application by 31.12.2024. After screening, you will be invited to an interview (in-person or online) in January 2025.
As part of this position you will be funded for the PhD program Biomedical Ethics and Law/Medical Track at the Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine.

What we offer

Our employees benefit from a wide range of attractive offers. More

What we offer

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


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

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

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

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

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


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International Services
  • Support for people from outside Switzerland

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

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Location

Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine

Winterthurerstrasse 30, 8006 Zürich, Switzerland

Further information

Questions about the job

Rasita Vinay Dr.
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Working at UZH
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!
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Please apply via our job portal www.jobs.uzh.ch.

Working at UZH

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! More
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