Research Specialist in Neuroscience

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

The Department of Neuroscience consist of more than 35 research groups studying the function of the nervous system in health and disease. The laboratory of Dr. Gilberto Fisone is interested in the characterization of mouse models of neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. The lab needs to strengthen its research on Parkinson’s affective disorders, which affect a large proportion of patients and are refractory to standard medications. This will provide an ideal complement to clinical research on neurodegenerative disorders currently carried out at Karolinska Institutet. Dr. Fisone’s lab is located in the Biomedicum building, which hosts a multidisciplinary environment and top-level core facilities.

Description of the subject area

Parkinson’s disease (PD), the second most frequent neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by the appearance of motor disabilities such as tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia.  In addition to the cardinal motor symptoms, PD is accompanied by a wide range of co-morbidities, which include affective disorders. These conditions are often refractory to standard dopamine replacement therapies against PD. The work in the laboratory of Dr. Gilberto Fisone is based on the characterization of animal models reproducing these various disorders, combined with multiscale analyses to identify molecular, cellular and circuit abnormalities as potential targets for future treatments.

Your mission

The successful candidate is expected to be responsible for a research line aiming at the characterization of molecular and circuit abnormalities involved in affective disturbances associated with Parkinson’s disease. Work will be based on the use of a rodent model of PD, previously shown to reproduce several non-motor symptoms commonly observed in parkinsonian patients. The final goal will be to provide information for the development of therapeutic approaches to combine with those commonly used to treat the cardinal motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Eligibility requirements

For employment as Research Specialist at Karolinska Institutet, the eligibility requirements stated in the Guidelines for non-teaching positions at Karolinska Institutet are applied in relation to the established profile of employment.

To be eligible for employment as a Research Specialist, in addition to holding a Degree of Doctor, PhD, or having a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a Swedish doctoral degree, the applicant must have demonstrated research expertise as well as have documented postdoctoral research experience.

We are looking for candidates with a background in the generation, molecular characterization, and behavioural analysis of mouse models of Parkinson's disease. Applicants should have extensive knowledge of stereotaxic surgery, and competence in the assessment of motor, and affective functions in naive and transgenic mice. Applicants must have also extensive knowledge of fiber photometry recording in freely moving mice. Experience in immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy will be an important additional merit.

Assessment criteria

It is particularly meritorious that the applicant has shown

• PhD in Neuroscience and post-doctoral studies focused on neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Parkinson’s Disease
• Experience in generating various rodent models of Parkinson’s Disease
• Experience on stereotaxic manipulations of mice, particularly microinjections of catecholamine toxins, such as 6-hydroxydopamine, and viruses in multiple areas of the brain.
• Experience on stereotaxic implantation of optic fibers in multiple areas of the brain.
• Knowledge of in vivo behavioural tests, including tail suspension test, forced swimming test, open field, light-dark box and elevated plus maze.
• Experience in fiber photometry recordings and analysis in freely moving mice during behavioural paradigms

It is meritorious that the applicant has shown

• Knowledge of basic biochemical techniques, including western blotting, immunofluorescence and ELISA.
• Experience in co-supervising students at the Master level.
• Ability to present data in international meetings.

After an overall assessment of the expertise and merits of the applicants in relation to the subject area, Karolinska Institutet will determine which of them has the best potential to contribute to a positive development of the activities at KI.

What do we offer?

A creative and inspiring environment with wide-ranging expertise and interests. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. Here, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. At KI, you get to meet researchers working with a wide range of specialisms and methods, giving you ample opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience with the various scientific fields within medicine and health. It is the crossover collaborations, which have pushed KI to where it is today, at the forefront of global research. Several of the people you meet in healthcare are educated at KI. A close relationship with the health care providers is important for creating groundbreaking top quality education and research. Karolinska Institutet is also a state university, which entitles you to several benefits through our collective agreement.

Location: Solna

Gilberto Fisone laboratory of Molecular and circuit neuropharmacology

Application

We prefer that Your application is written in English, but You can also apply in Swedish. An application must contain the following documents:  PhD certificate, resumé, qualifications and description of planned research, presented in accordance with Karolinska Institutet's qualifications portfolio.

Welcome to apply at the latest 2026-01-19.

The application must be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system.

Permanent position is initiated by a six months trial period.

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