PhD student in Neuroscience

Description of the workplace
The PhD project will be carried out within neuroscience. The research group “Translational Neurology” at the Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University strives to conduct excellent research on an international level while maintaining a healthy working environment where everyone should feel involved, stimulated, and supported.

The Department of Clinical Sciences Lund is now announcing a vacancy for a PhD position and employment as a doctoral student within the research area Medical Science, specifically neuroscience with the title: ”Cell Signalling at the Blood Brain Barrier”. The research group conducts translational research with a focus on neurovascular biology and integrates advanced molecular analyses with experimental models and patient-derived material. The group is based at the Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, and operates in an international and interdisciplinary research environment.

We offer
Lund University is a public authority, which means that employees get benefits, generous annual leave and an advantageous occupational pension scheme. Read more on the University website about being a Lund University employee: Work at Lund University

Work description
The primary responsibility of the doctoral student is to pursue their own research education within the doctoral project “Biomarkers of Brain Tumour Progression”. The project involves planning, conducting, and analysing experimental studies, as well as documenting and communicating research findings. As part of the project, the doctoral student will receive both practical and theoretical training in areas such as: aseptic cell culture, lentiviral transduction, 3D cell culture, affinity chromatography, immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry (FACS), experimental glioblastoma models, work with laboratory animals, mass spectrometry and bioinformatics analysis methods.

The doctoral student is expected to actively participate in departmental seminars and journal clubs, and to present research results at national and international conferences. The role also includes statistical analysis, data interpretation, and writing scientific original articles.

The project focuses on glioblastoma (GBM), the most common and aggressive primary brain tumour in adults. Its invasive properties are linked to vascular co-option, abnormal angiogenesis, and a strongly immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment, enabling tumour cells to spread along vascular structures. This often results in residual tumour cells escaping surgical resection and contributing to recurrence. Recently, the research group has identified region-specific transcriptomic changes in vascular cell signalling using single-cell sequencing (Buizza et al., 2025). These findings form the basis of the current doctoral project. The aim of the PhD project is to formulate and test hypotheses regarding cellular interactions driving glioblastoma progression, based on identified transcriptomic changes in vascular cells. These interactions will be studied at the secretome level using advanced in vitro models, including organoid-based systems, combined with animal models and analyses of human patient samples.

The position is full-time for 48 months. The proposed starting date is May 1, 2026, or upon agreement.

Qualifications
Necessary qualifications for the job

• A minimum of 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits must be at the advanced level
• A bachelor’s degree in medicine, biomedicine, molecular biology, or another relevant field.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.

Meritorious are:

• Experience in cell culture and molecular biology techniques.
• Experience with 3D cell culture, immunohistochemistry, western blot, flow cytometry, mass spectrometry, or bioinformatics.
• Experience working with laboratory animals.
• Documented interest in neurovascular biology, neuro-oncology, and/or bioinformatics.
• Master’s degree in medicine, biomedicine, molecular biology or another relevant field.

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 in some other way, in Sweden or abroad. 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.

Type of employment
Limit of tenure, four years according to HF 5 kap 7§.

How to apply
Applications are to be submitted via the University’s recruitment system. The application should include a CV and a personal letter justifying your interest in the position and how it matches your qualifications. The application should also include a degree certificate or equivalent and any other document to which you would like to draw attention (copies of grade transcripts, details of referees, letters of recommendation, etc.).

Welcome to apply!

The Department of Clinical Sciences Lund is one of six departments at the Faculty of Medicine. Clinical Sciences Lund cooperates closely with Skåne University Hospital and the Faculty of Medicine in order to optimize the conditions for preclinical and clinical translational research, research strategies and development, as well as education on both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.