Are you enthusiastic about basic pain research? At Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP) and Department of Health Science and Technology, the Faculty of Medicine, one or more PhD positions in pain neuroplasticity and deep learning are open for appointment from 15 March, 2024 or soon hereafter.
Job description
Who are we?
CNAP is a basic research Center of Excellence established by the Danish National Research Foundation at Aalborg University, Denmark(www.cnap.hst.aau.dk). We do frontline fundamental research to identify novel mechanisms involved in the dynamics of pain neuroplasticity and advance the understandings of this topic. The mechanisms of pain neuroplasticity may include neuronal reorganisation, increased/decreased gain of signal transduction or transmission, altered neuronal receptor functions, or changes across the pain system. CNAP applies a basic research approach to study novel aspects of the human pain neuroplasticity, using an interdisciplinary neuro-engineering and neuroscience approach. We believe that this approach, including provoking, probing, and modulation of the dynamic neuroplastic properties of the pain system over time will foster new fundamental discoveries and change the state of the art.
CNAP is an international research center with approximately 60% of our staff from outside of Denmark and an almost 50%-50% gender balance. Our world class lab facilities enable advanced quantitative sensory/pain testing, application of advanced neurophysiological techniques, bio-medical techniques in animal models and humans.
CNAP is affiliated to the Department of Health Science and Technology, the Faculty of Medicine, that does multidisciplinary research and teaching in the area of health science and technology. The department has more than 250 employees and is responsible for more than 1700 students. More than 100 PhD students are enrolled in the doctoral school affiliated to the department.
The value of pain research in non-human animals is greatly debated, and animal models are in general thought not to be most effective for‘backward validation’, i.e. where already proven clinical effect is later substantiated in animal models. Also, there is a belief that many forms of clinical pain cannot be mimicked in animal models, due to poor match with human pain symptoms and considerable experimenter bias in pain assessment. There is therefore a need to develop non-subjective and non-behavioural measurements for chronic pain neuroplasticity to‘backward’ translate findings in human studies.
The proposed research should investigate basic pain mechanisms in animal models of acute or chronic pain conditions(e.g. neuropathic, LTP). Adaptive and maladaptive pain neuroplasticity will be investigated through analysis of invasive measurements of neural activity(intra-cortical, spinal or peripheral nerve interfaces) and/or bio-psycho-social behavioural assessment. The neural activity should be analyzed using advanced signal processing techniques and deep learning, e.g. including neural networks, artificial intelligence to overcome the challenges of conventional signal analysis to extract information from multi-channel arrays or from multiple neural centers in the body.
You will be affiliated with the Neural Engineering and Neurophysiology Research group(https://vbn.aau.dk/da/organisations/neural-engineering-and-neurophysiology) headed by Professor Winnie Jensen and your main supervisor will be Associate Professor Suzan Meijs.
Who are you?
You are a committed candidate with a Master’s degree in biomedical engineering, neural engineering or similar. Candidates who have experience with deep learning and processing of electrophysiological signals will be preferred.
It is necessary that you have a high proficiency in oral and written English, as English is our working language.
You may obtain further professional information athttp://www.cnap.hst.aau.dk or from Professor Winnie Jensen, e-mail:wj@hst.aau.dk or Associate Professor Suzan Meijs, e-mail:smeijs@hst.aau.dk
PhD stipends are allocated to individuals who hold a Master’s degree. PhD stipends are normally for a period of 3 years. It is a prerequisite for allocation of the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology in accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 1039 of August 27, 2013 on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Educational Institutions. According to the Ministerial Order, the progress of the PhD student shall be assessed at regular points in time.
Shortlisting will be applied. This means that subsequent to the deadline for applications the head of department supported by the chair of the assessment committee will select candidates for assessment. All applicants will be informed whether they will be assessed or not.
For further information about stipends and salary as well as practical issues concerning the application procedure contact Ms. Ruth Klitte, The Doctoral School at The Faculty of Medicine.
For more information of the The Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology:
https://www.phd.aau.dk/health
The application is only to be submitted online by using the”Apply online” button below.
AAU wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background or belief.
Wages and employment
Appointment and salary as a PhD fellow are according to the Ministry of Finance Circular of 15 December 2021 on the Collective Agreement for Academics in Denmark, Appendix 5, regarding PhD fellows, and with the current Circular of 11 December 2019 on the employment structure at Danish universities.
Ref number
21-24012
Deadline: 2024-02-29 at 23:59
Unit: Department of Health Science and Technology
Read the job description at the university homepage or apply.