Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neuroscience, Meletis

The Department of Neuroscience includes several research groups working on different aspects of nervous system function, both under normal conditions and in various disease states. Research projects include a broad range of studies on the molecular and cellular levels, networks of neurons, and the organization of the nervous system as a whole. The Department has a flat organization with 40 research group leaders, of which 24 are full professors, and 65 PhD students.

Teaching represents a fundamental activity at the Department, which participates in several undergraduate courses and postgraduate education programs. Each year approximately 15 students receive their PhD from our Department and many of our graduates have gone onto distinguished careers in the academic or private sector.

The Meletis laboratory studies the organization and function of brain circuits that control motivated
behaviors. The aim is to describe circuit organization, whole-brain connectivity, and molecular
definitions of neuron types and subregions, in order to generate a framework for functional studies.

We are recruiting a doctoral (PhD) student. For more information regarding doctoral education at Karolinska Institutet (KI), see:
http://ki.se/en/phd/about-doctoral-education-at-ki

Research group
The Meletis laboratory has an open PhD position to study brain circuits that control motivated behaviors and striatal circuit dysfunction can underlie mood disorders. This position is a joint position with the Kumar laboratory at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). The applicant is expected to work collaboratively in both laboratories in order to use a combination of experimental data and computational approaches to better understand the function of striatal circuits.

The Meletis laboratory uses a number of state-of-the-art technologies to dissect brain circuit function in genetically modified mice, from the anatomy of microcircuits using slice electrophysiology and connectivity mapping, to in vivo extracellular recordings and large-scale in vivo GCaMP6-based imaging and in vivo optogenetic manipulation of neuronal activity in animals that perform advanced behavioral tasks.

The Kumar laboratory combines analytical and computational methods from physics and computer science, applying data analysis tools from signal processing and machine learning to characterize the role of striatal circuits in reward and learning.

The doctoral education project and the duties of the student

The project is focused on determining the role of neuron subtypes in basal ganglia circuits using genetically modified mice, in particular the role of the opioid system using large-scale GCaMP6 imaging during motivated behaviors.

KI
In order to participate in the selection for a doctoral position at Karolinska Institutet, the following requirements have to be met:

General entry requirements

A person meets the general entry requirements for doctoral/third-cycle/PhD education (according to

Higher Education Ordinance Chapt 7, section 39) if he/she:

  1. has been awarded advanced/second-cycle/master qualification (i.e. master degree) or
  2. has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle/master level, or
  3. has acquired substantially equivalent konwledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

Specific entry requirements
Proficiency in English equivalent to the course English B/English 6 at Swedish upper secondary school is an entry requirement for doctoral education at KI. Applicants who meet the general entry requirements (1 or 2 above) from a university in one of the Nordic countries has met the requirements in English.

Follow the link below for information on how other applicants can certify their English proficiency (such as through IELTS or TOEFL, previous upper secondary or university level studies).

For more information regarding general and specific entry requirements, please see: http://ki.se/en/phd/entry-requirements-eligibility-for-doctoral-education

Skills and personal qualities
The candidate must have an exceptional ambition to contribute to science and to develop/refine computational tools in order to determine the role of specific neuron subtypes in regulating behavior.

The candidate must also demonstrate previous experience in analyzing large in vivo imaging data and in applying machine learning methods to map the behavior of mice in detail. The candidate must have extensive experience applying analytical and quantitative approaches to neuroscientific data, and have the ambition to combine advanced computational as well as experimental approaches in neuroscience.

The applicant must as well be fluent in English, with excellent communication and writing skills.

The PhD student will be trained in an outstanding multidisciplinary environment at Karolinska Institutet and the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), with great possibilities for international interactions and collaborations.

Entry requirements for doctoral education at

Terms and conditions
The doctoral student will be employed on a doctoral studentship during 4 years of doctoral education.

Application process
The application and supporting documents are to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system.

An application must contain the following documents in Swedish or English:

  • A personal letter and a curriculum vitae
  • Documents certifying the entry requirements*: Academic degree diplomas, transcripts of records, and if applicable, authorised translations
  • Copies of degree projects and any previous publications
  • Proof of English proficiency
  • Any other documentation showing the desirable skills and personal qualities described above

*All documents certifying the entry requirements must be scans of originals (scans of copies or certified copies will not be accepted). The scanned documents must be in color and both the front and the back of the documents must be scanned. Please note that there are specific documentation requirements for a number countries, please read the instructions at: http://ki.se/en/phd/entry-requirements-eligibility-for-doctoral-education

If an applicant claims equivalent konwledge (point 3 under general entry requirements above) for the eligibility assessment, a form has to be filled in and submitted. Please find more information here: https://ki.se/en/phd/assessing-equivalent-knowledge-for-general-eligibility-for-doctoral-education

Selection
A selection will be made among eligible applicants on the basis of the ability to benefit from doctoral education. The qualifications of the applicants will be evaluated on an overall basis.

KI uses the following bases of assessment:

- Documented subject knowledge of relevance to the area of research

- Analytical skills

- Other documented knowledge or experience that may be relevant to doctoral studies in the subject.

The selection process will include several steps. The most suitable applicants will proceed to the next step which includes personal interviews. All applicants will be informed when the recruitment is done.

Type of employment PhD placement
Contract type Full time
First day of employment As soon as possible
Reference number 2-6407/2018
Contact
  • Konstantinos Meletis, Senior Researcher, , konstantinos.meletis@ki.se
Published 15.Nov.2018
Last application date 06.Dec.2018 11:59 PM CET

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