Doctoral (PhD) student position in Neuroimaging - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

A doctoral student is admitted to third-cycle/doctoral education. A doctoral education consists of supervised research, combined with courses and other educational activities. An individual study plan is established for each doctoral student. For a doctoral degree, the equivalent of four years of full-time doctoral education is required.

Research group
The doctoral studies will take place in the research group of Associate Professor Eric Westman within the Division of Clinical Geriatrics (NVS), which is localized in the Neo building at KI Campus Flemingsberg. The focus of the research group has long been on different imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) and its applications in neurodegenerative disorders (https://ki.se/en/nvs/westman-neuroimaging-group).

The doctoral student project and the duties of the doctoral student
The complexity and heterogeneity within Alzheimer disease (AD) are poorly understood. Currently, there are no disease modifying treatments (curable treatments) for AD and many clinical trials have failed (over 200 AD trials to date). More homogeneous populations need to be recruited with the same underlying etiology of the disease so future trials will have a chance of success. Until we have new pharmacological treatments, non-pharmacological interventions are our best hope. Therefore, at-risk individuals who may benefit most from these interventions need to be identified. The main aims of this project are to translate our previous findings and methods for defining AD subtypes to the early stages of the disease as well as to test if different subtypes respond better to treatment/prevention. The role of the student is to learn and perform advanced image and statistical analysis to get a better understanding of what is driving the heterogeneity in the early stages of AD as well as investigating treatment response in different subtypes of the disease. The student will work independently to coordinate and execute her/his doctoral project as well as in close collaboration with the whole research group and the supervisors.

Eligibility requirements for doctoral education
In order to participate in the selection for a doctoral position, you must meet the following general (A) and specific (B) eligibility requirements at latest by the application deadline.

It is your responsibility to certify eligibility by following the instructions on the web page Entry requirements (eligibility) for doctoral education.

A) General eligibility requirement

You meet the general eligibility requirement for doctoral/third-cycle/PhD education if you:

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

Follow the instructions on the web page Entry requirements (eligibility) for doctoral education.

*If you claim equivalent knowledge, follow the instructions on the web page Assessing equivalent knowledge for general eligibility for doctoral education.

B) Specific eligibility requirement

You meet the specific eligibility requirement for doctoral/third-cycle/PhD education if you:

• Show proficiency in English equivalent to the course English B/English 6 at Swedish upper secondary school.

Follow the instructions on the web page English language requirements for doctoral education.

Verification of your documents Karolinska Institutet checks the authenticity of your documents. Karolinska Institutet reserves the right to revoke admission if supporting documents are discovered to be fraudulent. Submission of false documents is a violation of Swedish law and is considered grounds for legal action.

Skills and personal qualities
We are looking for an open and outgoing person, who likes to work independently and drive her/his research project forward as well as collaborate in a multidisciplinary research group.

 Required

• Excellent knowledge of the English language
• Previous experience of advanced medical statistical analysis in large dataset
• Good computer programming ability
• Previous experience of image analysis

 Merits are previous experience of working with machine learning as well as dementia research.

Terms and conditions
The doctoral student will be employed on a doctoral studentship maximum 4 years full-time.

Application process
Submit your application and supporting documents through the Varbi recruitment system. Use the button in the top right corner and follow the instructions.

Your application should contain the following documents:

• A personal letter and a curriculum vitae (Swedish or English)
• Degree projects and previous publications, if any (Swedish or English)
• Any other documentation showing the desirable skills and personal qualities described above (Swedish or English)
• Documents certifying your general eligibility (see A above)
• Documents certifying your specific eligibility (see B above)

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

All applicants will be informed when the recruitment is completed.