166428 Clinical Professor of Rheumatology with special focus on the Influence of Obesity on Osteoarthritis (Fixed-Term, 5 Years)

Clinical Professor in Rheumatology
with special focus on the influence of obesity on osteoarthritis
(Fixed-Term, 5 Years)

Department of Clinical Medicine
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
 University of Copenhagen

The University seeks to appoint a clinical professor of Rheumatology with special focus on the influence of obesity on osteoarthritis to commence as soon as possible. The externally funded professorship is combined with a consultancy at the Parker Institute/Osteoarthritis Outpatient Clinic at Copenhagen University Hospital – Bispebjerg Frederiksberg in the Capital Region.

It is a requirement for appointment that the applicant is accepted for both the professorship and the consultancy. In order to be considered for the position, the applicant must send two applications: one to the Faculty (the professorship) and one to the hospital (the consultancy) cf. the simultaneously advertised position of the consultancy. This also applies to applicants who are already employed as consultants at the Hospital. Please find the advertisement for the consultancy here.

Both the professorship and the consultancy will be financed by Parker Institute, Copenhagen University Hospital – Bispebjerg Frederiksberg.

Find information about the department.

Job description
In the consideration of applications for the professorship, the main emphasis will be on the applicant's ability to document a high level of original scientific work at an international level within the area of Rheumatology.

The professor’s responsibilities will primarily consist of:

• Research, including publication/academic dissemination - The research will focus on osteoarthritis in combination with obesity with a particular emphasis on prevention, primary and secondary. Treatment strategies must be developed to encompass both the still active part of the population as well as the more sedentary, typically elderly group of people with reduced possibility for exercise. The effect of various dietary and pharmacological regimens must be clarified, especially the potential sarcopenia during rapid weight loss as obtained e.g. by GLP1-RA medications.
• Research-based teaching, including associated examination - The teaching will include both pre- and postgraduate activities for medical students, doctors aiming at specialization in rheumatology, orthopaedic surgeons, with a focus on evidence-based treatment strategies for the combination of obesity and osteoarthritis.
• Research leadership, including guidance and supervision of researchers - The professor is expected to lead research in non-surgical treatments in osteoarthritis of different joints, strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration between clinical practice and research, and contribute to the development of new treatment strategies. Furthermore, the professor will work to promote the implementation of research findings into clinical practice to optimize patient care.
• Obligation to share knowledge with the rest of society, including participation in public debate
• Academic assessments

Required qualifications
To be qualified for a clinical professor position, you will be assessed according to these five overall criteria for recognising merit at the University of Copenhagen: research, teaching, innovation & societal impact, organisational contribution and leadership. Find information about each criterion.

Applicants are encouraged to read the University of Copenhagen's Guidance on the merit criterion Innovation and Societal Impact here

Furthermore, each applicant must be able to:

• Document a high degree of original academic production at an international level, including considerable contributions to the development of the academic discipline
• Manage research and other management functions, e.g. engage in the university’s external academic activities, as well as knowledge and technology transfer
• Provide research-based teaching

The professor is also required to possess good interpersonal and communicative skills.

Terms of employment
The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of five years. Extension is possible if the employed candidate performs well in the position.

For the professorship the appointee will receive a pensionable annual honorarium of 219.882,33 DKK (1 August 2026 level).

The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2026.

Questions
For further information please contact Head of Department Nicolai Jacob Wewer Albrechtsen, Nicolai.albrechtsen@regionh.dk.

Foreign applicants may find the university’s International Staff Mobility useful.

Application
The application must be submitted in English and must include the following documents:

• Application (Including motivations for applying for this position (Maximum 2 pages))
• Curriculum vitae (Including information about external funding)
• Diplomas (Master’s and PhD and other relevant certificates)
• Uploads of maximum 10 publications to be considered in the assessment
• Self-declaration form (Template under Nyttige links - Upload the completed and mandatory form as “Other relevant material”)
• Teaching portfolio (Guidelines / Template for inspiration under Nyttige links)
• Research plan (3‐5 pages)
• Teaching plan
• A complete list of publications

Application procedure
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Appointments Committee.  All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment. The Dean then appoints an expert assessment committee in order to make an assessment of the selected applicants for the specific post. Selected applicants are notified of the composition of the committee. When the assessment work is completed,  each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself. You can read about the recruitment process at the university's Job Portal.

Please note that the applicant will be contacted if the assessment committee requires further documentation.

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

The University of Copenhagen encourages all interested applicants to apply for this position.

Please submit the application with the required attachments. The closing date for applications is 23.59 p.m. CET, 14 October 2026.