PhD position Clinical Memory - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

PhD-position on Inflammation and Modifiable Risk Factors in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Lund University, Department of Clinical Sciences

Description of the workplace
The research group for Clinical Memory Research, led by Oskar Hansson, conducts research in dementia. The research includes animal- and cell biology experiments, and works with cohorts of patients undergoing extensive neuroimaging, biomarker measurements and neuropsychological testing. The PhD student will join a growing multidisciplinary team of neuroscientists and clinical researchers who are dedicated to increasing our collective understanding about neurodegenerative diseases. More information can be found here. 

We are committed to creating a positive, respectful and stimulating environment. We value communication and collaboration, and we strive for a workplace that promotes learning and development of all employees. We are also committed to building a safe and positive environment for all employees through mutual respect and toleration. This position will be placed at BMC in Lund, Sweden.

Project description
This project focuses on neuroinflammatory processes and modifiable risk factors in neurodegenerative diseases, with a particular focus on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD), the two most common neurodegenerative diseases world-wide.

Neuroinflammatory processes have been suggested to be involved in AD and PD, but it is unclear exactly how neuroinflammation contributes to these diseases. Specifically, it is unclear to what degree different types of neuroinflammation may have beneficial or detrimental effects, and whether such effects vary over the time-course of the diseases. Modifiable risk factors, e.g., cardiovascular risk factors, may contribute to the burden of neurodegenerative diseases. Detailed studies in carefully characterized study participants are needed to understand how different risk factors contribute to specific brain pathologies, and to neuropsychological changes.

This project builds on the Swedish BioFINDER studies, and leverages extensive neuroinflammatory biomarker profiling, including high-dimensional CSF and plasma proteomics data to study a wide range of proteins related to inflammation and vascular health. The biochemical data will be analyzed together with genetics and advanced multimodal neuroimaging. A particular emphasis will be given to the integration of multiple fluid markers in relation to longitudinal MRI, PET, cognitive and clinical assessments.

In addition to joining a large, translational research environment at the Clinical Memory Research Unit, the PhD-student will also be able to take advantage of our large national and international network of collaborators, including to validate results in other cohorts together with external collaborators (e.g. McGill University, Washington University).

The PhD-student will conduct research under the supervision of Professor Oskar Hansson, Associate Professor Niklas Mattsson-Carlgren, Dr. Gemma Salvadó and Dr. Alexa Pichet Binette.

Work duties and areas of responsibility
The main duties of the doctoral candidate are to conduct their research studies, which include participation in research projects and graduate courses.

The doctoral candidate will develop statistical models that incorporate medical risk factors, fluid biomarkers, imaging measures and genetic variants, in order to study the roles of neuroinflammation and modifiable risk factors in AD and PD. The doctoral candidate will write papers, and will present results locally and at national and international conferences.

Other work responsibilities may include: assistance in data sharing between internal members and external collaborators; quality control of MRI images; informal mentorship of and skill-sharing with other members of the group; or composition of grants and/or research fellowships. Other work duties may also occur. The majority of the research work will be done in collaboration with members of the research group.

Qualifications
The following are required for the position:

• Master’s of Science within neuroscience, psychology, cognitive neuroscience, engineering or a related discipline
• Proficiency in oral and written communication in English
• Strong communication, presentation and writing skills
• Willingness to collaborate, but with ability to work independently
• The candidate should be thorough, detail-oriented, meet deadlines, and should demonstrate an intrinsic motivation for research into neurodegenerative diseases

The following are considered to be a merit:

• Specific interest in dementia and aging
• Computational programming skills (preferably R or Python)
• Knowledge on statistical modeling Previous research experience
• Experience with neuroimaging and/or biomarkers

Eligibility
Students with basic eligibility for third-cycle studies are those who: have completed a second-cycle degree, have completed courses of at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits are from second-cycle courses, or have acquired largely equivalent knowledge.

Basis of assessment
The employment of doctoral students is regulated in the Swedish Code of Statues 1998: 80. Only those who are or have been admitted to PhD-studies may be appointed to doctoral studentships. When an appointment to a doctoral studentship is made, the ability of the student to benefit from PhD-studies shall primarily be taken into account. In addition to devoting themselves to their studies, those appointed to doctoral studentships may be required to work with educational tasks, research and administration, in accordance with specific regulations in the ordinance.

Further information
Employment is a full-time, fixed-term position of 4 years, in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 5 Section 7. Start date should be between July 1st and October 31st, 2023.

We offer
Lund University is a governmental authority, which means you get special benefits, generous holidays and a favorable occupational pension. We also have a flexible time agreement that creates good conditions for a balance between work and leisure. Read more on the university's website about being employed at Lund University, Work with us.

How to apply
Applications should go through the Lund University recruitment system https://www.lu.se/vacancies and must include a personal motivation letter, a CV, contact information of two references, a diploma (including a grade transcript) and other documents you wish to be considered (e.g. letters of recommendation). Those applicants who will be called for interview, may be asked to perform a small test to demonstrate basic competence.