Postdoctoral fellow in medical radiation physics: X-ray Fluorescence mapping of biological tissue Cofund AMBER

This post-doctoral position is part of the EU cofund research project AMBER, Advanced Multiscale Biological imaging using European Research infrastructures is coordinated by LINXS Institute of advanced Neutron and X-ray Science. The project will address scientific and sectoral gaps in biological imaging ranging from molecular, through cellular, to tissue, organ and organism levels of organisation.

AMBER is funded by the EU Marie Sklodowska-Curie (MSCA) COFUND scheme. Around 20 postdocs will be recruited in the fourth call 2025, with each fellowship lasting 36 months.

AMBER has six core partners: Lund University/MAX IV, Sweden, the European Spallation Source (ESS), Sweden, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), France, the International Institute of Molecular Mechanisms and Machines, (IMOL), Poland, and the Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology, United Kingdom.

For more information about the total announced post-doctoral positions within in the AMBER co-fund project please visit https://www.euraxess.se/jobs/341970

The interviews will start in November 2025. For more information about AMBER, application and evaluation process etc please visit: ambercofund.eu

Work duties and areas of responsibility
Your project will include clinical and biomedical samples. It should also include technique development work aimed at combining imaging techniques and data analysis to provide a more integrated picture of life processes in the context of health and disease. To be a postdoc fellow at the AMBER programme you will get unprecedented medical, biological, and methodological capabilities, with a profound potential impact for Europe’s next generation of research and researchers. When you have completed the AMBER programme you will be extraordinarily well equipped to further your career in academia, at infrastructures, in the health and MedTech sectors, and beyond.

This 3-year full time post doc project will focus on synchrotron-based x-ray imaging, in particular phase-contrast micro- and nano-tomography. At the MAX IV synchrotron there are several beamlines available with relevance for this project: NanoMAX (nano-probe and coherent imaging), ForMAX (micro-probe SWAXS and full-field imaging) and DanMAX (micro-probe XRD and micro-tomography).

Your research will include data collection, data processing and data interpretation in close collaboration with the medical partner(s) providing your samples. Current studies in our group involve both human and animal tissues, for research on nerves, lung, heart, bowels and carotid arteries. We aim to bridge the gap between classical microscopy (histology) and clinical imaging modalities such as CT and MRI. Participation during beamtimes at synchrotrons in different countries in Europe is expected (including shifts during the night).

Eligibility and Qualification requirements

To be eligible for the posistion the candidate must have

• a doctoral degree (PhD) no older than 8 years, as required by the Commission, in accordance with the Horizon-Europe MSCA cofund project Grant Agreement
• at least one original publication in a peer-reviewed journal,
• a background in the relevant methods,
• a complete application package submitted through the AMBER portal (including CV and detailed research plan), and finally,
• strict compliance with the MSCA mobility rule that the researcher must not have resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the host organisation's country for more than twelve months in the three years immediately prior to the call deadline.

The following qualifications are required for the project: 

• Expertise in experimental x-ray imaging
• Experience in theory and analysis of tomographic data.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

When appointing a postdoctoral researcher, the following merits shall form the basis for assessment:

• Experience in experimental work at synchrotron radiation facilities.
• Experience in qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of tissue microstructure.
• Experience in phase-contrast and/or dark-field x-ray imaging.
• Experience in working with photon-counting x-ray detectors
• Experience with scanning x-ray imaging such as SAXS mapping, SAXS tensor tomography, or similar.
• Good knowledge in programming (e.g. C or python)
• Experience in 3D image segmentation.
• Track record of producing high-quality research
• Documented pedagogical skills and pedagogical training

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant’s experience and skills complement and strengthen ongoing research within the department, and how they stand to contribute to its future development.

Instructions on how to apply

For more information and documents/templates/europass link, please visit https://www.ambercofund.eu/for-applicants.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure that you upload all the required documents specified below i-ix.

If you are interested in applying for more than one position (maximum 3) you must be prepared to make a full application for each individual position.

Applications shall be written in English and all documents shall be in pdf format.

i) A Curriculum Vitae (europass format). Your CV shall be exported to a PDF file that you use in your application.
ii) A detailed research plan including any foreseen secondments (candidates can suggest more than the mandated one, they can also suggest their own secondments), schools and conferences as well as a templated budget plan. The research plan should be as concise as possible, 3 pages, including one-third page of summary/abstract.

Additional texts to include in the PDF are:

iii) Letter of Commitment from any additional secondment partners the candidate wishes to bring onboard.
iv) Evidence of English proficiency (minimum CEFR B22, also checked at interview).
v) A draft Individual Career Development Plan (ICDP).
vi) Two reference letters.
vii) Any additional documents to support the application.
viii) Ethical questionnaire (HE ethics checklist + research ethics commitment)

In addition, the application will require:

ix) Any candidate can apply for maximum of 3 positions. You must apply for each individual position. A list with order of preference of positions should be sent to the AMBER management. amber@linxs.se

Terms of employment
Fulltime position for three years starting sometime during fall 2025.