The position is located at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy. It comprises a PhD position (75% TV-H EG13) over 3 years.

We are looking for an enthusiastic doctoral researcher in Clinical Child Psychology or Psychiatry with a focus on early development in children at risk for or with a mental disorder, including neurodevelopmental disorders within the context of the A-FFIP longitudinal study and the Hessian LOEWE-Center DYNAMIC (https://www.dynamic-center.net/).

The Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy at Frankfurt University Hospital provides full diagnostic and therapeutic care for the entire spectrum of child and adolescent mental disorders from infancy onwards for children and youth living in the Frankfurt am Main metropolitan area. The department offers outstanding conditions for patient care, child and adolescent psychiatric and psychotherapeutic training as well as for research and teaching. Research focuses on neurodevelopmental disorders and externalizing disorders from preschool age over childhood and adolescence to adulthood.

The current PhD position is located within the clinical research laboratory headed by Professor Christine M. Freitag and Dr. Nico Bast.

Your Role:

• Data collection within the early longitudinal developmental study of the LOEWE project DYNAMIC.
• Diagnosis of (neurodevelop-)mental disorders in preschoolers.
• Data analysis and publication of longitudinal data on early development in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
• Collaboration within the LOEWE-project DYNAMIC.
• Collaborations with clinicians of the entire department, especially of the Autism Diagnosis and Intervention Center of Excellence and the outpatient department.

• M.Sc. in Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy or State Exam in Human Medicine.
• Research experience in the area of child development.
• Clinical or research experience in diagnostic and developmental assessments of children aged 2 to 12 years old.
• Clinical experience in diagnosing neurodevelopmental and mental disorders in children and youth.
• Ability to fluently speak, read and comprehend German for clinical assessments.
• Ability to read and write scientific papers in English.
• Skills in scientific programming (R or Python).
• Due to legal regulations, valid proof of measles immunity / measles vaccination is required

• In addition to an attractive salary based on a collective agreement with an annual special payment, you benefit from long-term security through company pension schemes
• Internal and external training for your professional development
• Benefit from our attractive health offers. We offer regular online and face-to-face courses on nutrition, relaxation, sports and exercise
• Part-time employment is possible, we offer childcare in our daycare center (if you have any questions, please contact UKF-Familienservice), child care during holidays
• Free public transport in all Hessen (Free State Ticket Hessen)
• Uniklinik-Campus, Mensa, Cafés
• Insights: Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn
• FAQ´s for new employees

Contact: Professor Dr. Christine Margarete Freitag and Dr. Nico Bast
E-Mail: c.freitag@em.uni-frankfurt.de and nbast@med.uni-frankfurt.de
Application Deadline: August 15th, 2025

We welcome applications from candidates of all genders. Applicants with severe disabilities will be given preferential consideration in cases of equal personal and professional qualifications.