W1 Professorship (with a tenure track leading to W2) for Clinical Response Dynamics and Digital Endpoints in Chronic Inflammation

Kiel University (CAU) wishes to encourage a larger number of qualified women to take up professorships.

The Department of Internal Medicine I in the Faculty of Medicine at Kiel University (CAU) is seeking to fill the following position within the scope of the “Precision Medicine in Chronic Inflammation” (PMI) Cluster of Excellence:

W1 Professorship (with a tenure track leading to W2) for Clinical Response Dynamics and Digital Endpoints in Chronic Inflammation

to start as soon as possible and for an initial period of three years (first phase).

The successful candidate will represent the field of innovative clinical digital endpoints and long-term outcome research in chronic inflammatory diseases in both research and teaching.

Willingness to play an active part in the Faculty of Medicine’s overarching research focus of "Precision Medicine – Research, Treatment, Understanding", with its specialist areas of inflammation, oncology and neuroscience, as well as digital medical technology (biomaterials research and robot-assisted medicine), is a prerequisite.

The Faculty adopts a systematic medicine approach to understanding health and disease. In order to achieve long-term therapeutic success, even in the case of chronic and incurable diseases, as well as to act in an ethically responsible manner towards future generations, the Faculty of Medicine has adopted the guiding principle of "Sustainable Medicine by the Sea". The "Precision Medicine in Chronic Inflammation" (PMI) Cluster of Excellence emerged from the Faculty of Medicine. The Faculty of Medicine also takes the lead in and is participating as a partner in several major national and international research projects. Active participation in and strengthening of the PMI Cluster of Excellence and, where possible, involvement in ongoing collaborative research projects is expected.

Thanks to the interdisciplinary research priorities at Kiel University (CAU) – "Kiel Life Science" (KLS) and "Kiel Nano Surface & Interface Science" (KiNSIS) – as well as research activities in other faculties and with non-university research institutions such as the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, the research landscape of the professorship also offers excellent networking opportunities. The successful candidate will be expected to be involved in these research activities.

The aim of the professorship is to analyse and further develop the effectiveness of treatments, with a focus on gastroenterological issues, in particular IBD. This revolves around defining new clinical and biomarker-based outcome concepts, modelling longitudinal treatment and disease trajectories, as well as integrating additional data sources beyond traditional routine documentation. Particular emphasis will be placed on linking clinical data with dynamic biomarkers, as well as with digital and cross-sector data sources. These include, for example, digital patient-reported outcomes, wearables, biosensor signals and, in the future, health insurance provider data or other routine external data linked to the healthcare data of the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH). The successful candidate will be expected to participate actively in large-scale clinical trial programmes, development of an independent research portfolio focused on the biomarker-based characterisation of treatment efficacy, as well as development of new endpoint definitions for clinical trials and translationally-oriented healthcare models.

We are seeking a candidate with clinical and scientific experience who has completed specialist training in internal medicine; it would also be desirable for the candidate to have started further training in gastroenterology, as well as to have an independent track record in biomarker research in cohort studies. The professorship is incorporated into the Department of Internal Medicine I, specialising in gastroenterology. The close links to clinical care ensure the clinical relevance and translation of the scientific work. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to teaching and to the structured development of early-career researchers.

A degree in medicine, a PhD of outstanding quality in the aforementioned subject and a licence to practice medicine are prerequisites. Experience in successfully securing competitive external funding and a high level of international visibility through outstanding publication records are also required. Experience in university teaching is desirable.

Please note the recruitment requirements set out in Section 64 in conjunction with Section 62a of the Higher Education Act (HSG) of the State of Schleswig-Holstein. Subject to a positive interim evaluation of the first phase of the junior professorship, the intention is to extend the fixed-term contract for a further three years (second phase).

Following a successful evaluation, and provided that the other requirements under

Section 62a of the Higher Education Act (HSG) of the State of Schleswig-Holstein are met, the aim is also to upgrade the post to a W2 professorship on a permanent basis. Alongside the interim evaluation of the junior professorship, a separate evaluation procedure is therefore carried out at Kiel University (CAU), typically during the second phase of the junior professorship, in accordance with the applicable statutes. You can find further information on this by visiting the website at: www.berufungen.uni-kiel.de.

Kiel University (CAU) sees itself as a modern and cosmopolitan employer. We welcome your application regardless of your age, gender, cultural and social background, religion, beliefs, disability or sexual identity. We promote gender equality. You can learn more about our values in our Code of Conduct at:

https://www.uni-kiel.de/gf-praesidium/de/recht/interne-richtlinien/verhaltenskodex

Kiel University (CAU) is committed to promoting the employment of people with disabilities: Applications from people with severe disabilities and those treated as such will be given priority where candidates are equally qualified.

We particularly welcome applications from people with a migrant background.

The University is committed to increasing the proportion of female academics in research and teaching, so strongly encourages suitably qualified women to apply. Women will be given priority where they have equivalent suitability, qualifications and professional performance.

Please note that we expressly do not require application photographs and therefore ask that you refrain from submitting any.

The symposium lecture is scheduled for calendar week 3 or 4, 2027. We would therefore ask applicants to make a note of this date.

Applications, accompanied by the usual supporting documents (CV, a coherent research proposal covering the first three years, a list of publications, a list of courses taught and copies of academic certificates), should be submitted (preferably in electronic form), stating your home and work addresses along with your telephone number and e-mail address, by 27.11.2026 to the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Kiel University (CAU), Prof. Dr med. Joachim Thiery, Arnold-Heller-Straße 3, 24105 Kiel.

Anyone interested can find a guide on how to put together an application for the Faculty of Medicine on our website at: https://www.medizin.uni-kiel.de/de/fakultaet/berufungsverfahren