PhD fellowship in Systems Neuroscience at the Department of Neuroscience

We are offering a PhD fellowship in Systems Neuroscience commencing on February 15, 2023, or as soon as possible hereafter. The research will take place at the Department of Neuroscience (in.ku.dk) at University of Copenhagen in the lab of Dr. Peter C. Petersen (PetersenLab.org).

Our group and research

Our lab was founded in 2022, with the goal to understand the neuronal mechanisms involved in memory and cognition and how imbalances in the circuits can lead to pathological conditions. In particular, we study spatial memory, and theta oscillations in behaving rats, and how the distributed populations of neurons across the distributed brain circuits central to memory, are coordinating their dynamics to generate complex cognitive functions in awake rodents.

We are using state-of-the-art methods for measuring and manipulating the neuronal activity at large-scale and high specificity, together with advanced data analysis. This includes using Neuropixels and other high-density silicon probes, applying optogenetics, thermal and other perturbation techniques, dimensionality reduction, and other advanced population-analysis methods.

Project description

We are seeking a highly motivated student for a project addressing the generation and functions of theta oscillations in spatial navigation using systems neuroscience and population-level approaches. The research will take place at the Department of Neuroscience (in.ku.dk) at University of Copenhagen in the lab of Dr. Peter C. Petersen (PetersenLab.org).

The project involves performing electrophysiological recordings from freely moving animals using chronically implanted high-density Neuropixels silicon probes and applying optogenetics for single cell tagging, and behavioral manipulations.

Principal supervisor is Assistant Professor, Peter C. Petersen, Department of Neuroscience, petersen@sund.ku.dk, Direct phone: +45 42414004.

Start:                  February 1, 2023

Duration:          3 years as a PhD student + 3 months as research assistant for enrolment, if relevant.

Job description
Your key tasks as a PhD student at SUND are:

• Carrying through an independent research project under supervision.

• Completing PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approximately 30 ECTS points.
• Participating in active research environments including a stay at another research team.
• Obtaining experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project
• Teaching and disseminating your knowledge.
• Writing a PhD thesis on the grounds of your project

Key criteria for the assessment of applicants
Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to a master’s degree related to the subject area of the project, e.g. Neuroscience, Physics, Molecular biomedicine. Please note that your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (two years).

Other important criteria are:

• The grade point average achieved
• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Previous publications
• You are experienced in electrophysiology
• Knowledge of and experience with optogenetics/virus/genetic techniques and tools.
• Experience in data analysis using Matlab, Python or R
• A curious mind-set with a strong interest in brain’s memory mechanisms
• Written and spoken English skills
• Relevant work experience
• Other professional activities
• Ability to work in teams

Place of employment

You will be employed at the Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment.

The successful applicant will join a thriving international neuroscience environment. The applicant will be the major participant in all aspects of the project, from designing and performing experiments, developing technical advances, performing data analysis, and presenting the results. Please contact petersen.peter@sund.ku.dk  for questions and comments or go to PetersenLab.org for more information.

Living in Copenhagen

Copenhagen is a fantastic city and a wonderful living experience, and it has consistently been ranked among the world’s best cities to live in. Our lab is located centrally in the neighborhood Nørrebro, which recently was ranked as the world’s coolest neighborhood by Time Out Magazine. University of Copenhagen has an International staff mobility program to help accommodate international researchers with practical matters, before arrival such as with residence permit, housing, and childcare/school as well as during the stay with salary, tax, pension, insurance, banking as well as getting accustomed with language and culture.

Terms of employment
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 3 years. The start date is February 15, 2023 or after agreement.

The employment is conditioned upon the applicant’s success­ful enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the Faculty’s rules on achieving the degree.

Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agree­ment between the Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary starts at approximately 27,800 DKK/Roughly 3,700 EUR (October 2021 level) plus pension.

Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.

General information about PhD studies at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences is available at the Graduate School’s website: https://healthsciences.ku.dk/phd/guidelines/

Application procedure
Your application must be submitted electronically by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. The application must include the following documents in PDF format:

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page)

2. CV incl. education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position

3. Certified copy of original Master of Science diploma and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in other language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted. As a prerequisite for a PhD fellowship employment, your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree. We encourage you to read more in the assessment database: https://ufm.dk/en/education/recognition-and-transparency/find-assessments/assessment-database. Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science

4. Publication list (if possible)

Application deadline: 22 November, 2022, 23.59pm CET

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The further process
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor.

The assessor makes a non-prioritized assessment of the academic qualifications and experience with respect to the above-mentioned area of research, techniques, skills and other requirements listed in the advertisement.

Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

You find information about the recruitment process at: http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

The applicants will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

Interviews are expected to be held in week 49, 2023.

The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.