Postdoc in System Dynamics Modelling and Adolescent Health

About the role

The Copenhagen Health Complexity Center at the University of Copenhagen seeks a postdoctoral researcher to develop a decision‑support and scenario‑exploration tool for adolescent health. The work will be embedded in the Child Health group and linked to the Thriving Communities Lab, a partnership with a Danish municipality.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of a decision‑support/scenario exploration tool that visualises and simulates systemic effects of social investments for policymakers.
• Collaborate with municipal partners in the Thriving Communities Lab to integrate research activities with local health promotion efforts.
• Analyse multi‑layered life‑course data from the Danish Life Course Cohort (DANLIFE) together with municipal data to map adolescent well‑being.
• Produce scientific publications and disseminate research findings.
• Participate in interdisciplinary projects and research‑based teaching within the Department of Public Health.
• Contribute to centre activities such as network events, outreach, and website development.

Required profile

• PhD in social science, economics, epidemiology, data science, complexity science, computational science or a related field.
• Experience with system dynamics modelling; familiarity with agent‑based modelling or social return on investment analysis is a plus.
• Motivation to work in participatory processes with practitioners and policymakers.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work in interdisciplinary teams.
• Excellent written and spoken English; Danish is an advantage but not required.

Required skills

• System dynamics modelling
• Agent‑based modelling (optional)
• Social return on investment analysis (optional)
• Handling of Danish register data (advantage)

What we offer

• Fixed‑term contract for three years starting 1 February 2027.
• Monthly salary starting at 35 000 DKK (approximately 4 700 EUR) plus possible supplement.
• Employer contribution of 17.1 % to pension fund.
• Potential tax reductions for eligible foreign and Danish applicants.