Project description

Welcome to join this collaborative and interdisciplinary PhD project. The lab of Prof Jeanette Hellgren Kotaleski at Dept Computational Science and Technology at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, KTH, together with the labs of Prof Gilad Silberberg and Prof Sten Grillner at the neuroscience department at KI will together co-supervise the whole PhD project. In particular, biophysically detailed in silico models of basal ganglia nuclei will be co-developed in close interactions between all the three labs. Development of specifically the model building and analysis tools will mainly take place in collaboration with the KTH group, while the collection and interpretation of crucial experimental data needed for the modeling work will take place in interactions with the KI labs.

The KTH and KI labs involved in this PhD project have over the years developed new knowledge about the basal ganglia using both in vitro and in vivo experimentations, as well as used modeling and simulations to integrate and interpret experimental data and knowledge and to come up with new hypotheses and predictions. Especially, over the last few years the first framework for full scale simulations of basal ganglia structures has been developed.

Third-cycle subject: Medical Technology, with applications to the computational neuroscience research area.

Supervision: Prof Jeanette Hellgren Kotaleski, KTH; Prof Gilad Silberberg and Prof Sten Grillner, KI.

What we offer

• The possibility to study in a dynamic and international research environment in collaboration with industries and prominent universities from all over the world. Read more
• A workplace with many employee benefits and monthly salary according to KTH’s Doctoral student salary agreement.
• A postgraduate education at an institution that is active and supportive in matters pertaining to working conditions, gender equality and diversity as well as study environment.
• Help to relocate and be settled in Sweden and at KTH.

Admission requirements

To be admitted to postgraduate education (Chapter 7, 39 § Swedish Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility in accordance with either of the following:

• passed a second cycle degree (for example a master’s degree), or
• completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 second-cycle higher education credits, or
• acquired, in some other way within or outside the country, substantially equivalent knowledge

In addition to the above, there is also a mandatory requirement for English equivalent to English B/6, read more here

Selection

In order to succeed as a doctoral student at KTH you need to be goal oriented and persevering in your work. During the selection process, candidates will be assessed upon their ability to:

• independently pursue his or her work
• collaborate with others,
• have a professional approach and
• analyse and work with complex issues.

The applicant should have academic qualifications corresponding to a master’s degree in medicine, medical sciences, computer science, computational biology, or similar. It is desirable to have documented research experience from a multidisciplinary environment and have experiences in computational biology or neuroscience, with programming and statistics knowledge, preferably with a focus on biologically detailed modelling.

Since this is a curiosity-driven project with applications to diseases such as Schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease, thus real-world clinical interest and experience is also highly valued.

After the qualification requirements, great emphasis will be placed on personal competency. 

Target degree: Doctoral degree

Information regarding admission and employment

Only those admitted to postgraduate education may be employed as a doctoral student. The total length of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education in four years ‘ time. An employed doctoral student can, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within their role, e.g. training and administration. A new position as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, and then the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time. In the case of studies that are to be completed with a licentiate degree, the total period of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for two years.

Union representatives

KTH’s website.

Doctoral section (Students’ union on KTH Royal Institute of Technology)

section’s website.

To apply for the position

Apply for the position and admission through KTH’s recruitment system. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement.

Applications must be received at the last closing date at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

Applications must include the following elements:

• CV including your relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Application letter with a brief description of why you want to pursue research studies, about what your academic interests are and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. (Maximum 2 pages long)
• Copies of diplomas and grades from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (see above). Translations into English or Swedish if the original document is not issued in one of these languages. Copies of originals must be certified.
• Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please provide a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text.

Other information

The position may include security-sensitive activities. To become authorized, you therefore need to pass a possible security check.

Striving towards gender equality, diversity and equal conditions is both a question of quality for KTH and a given part of our values.

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process please read here.

We firmly decline all contact with staffing and recruitment agencies and job ad salespersons.

Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.