Job description

Applications are invited for a 3-year temporary position as Researcher (SKO 1109) to be based at the Department of Psychology, University of Oslo

The position is funded by the ERA-PerMed (http://www.erapermed.eu) project Improved personalized medicine through machine learning in mental disorders (IMPLEMENT), which is an international consortium with partners in Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, and Norway. The successful candidate will be affiliated with the Multimodal Imaging group (PI, Lars T. Westlye, l.t.westlye@psykologi.uio.no) at the Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), University of Oslo. NORMENT is a Norwegian Centre of Excellence aiming to disentangle the neurobiological, genetic, psychological and environmental factors contributing to the development of mental illness. Through our infrastructure for clinical evaluations, cognitive assessment, neuroimaging and biobanking we are assembling a large imaging genetics database comprising data from healthy controls and patients suffering from schizophrenia and bipolar disorders, in addition to other brain disorders.

NORMENT Multimodal Imaging group (https://www.med.uio.no/norment/english/research/groups/multimodal-imaging) is funded by an ERC Starting Grant in addition to several grants from the Research council of Norway and the Norwegian Regional Health Authorities, and currently comprises two faculty, nine researchers/postdoctoral fellows and several PhD fellows and graduate students. The group is directly involved in various large-scale international collaborative efforts and consortia, to which the successful candidate is expected to contribute.

More about the position

The primary objective of IMPLEMENT is to develop a framework to identify biologically defined subgroups of schizophrenia using various levels of information (‘multi-OMICS’), including brain imaging and genetics. The successful applicant will play a central role in the analysis and dissemination of data from large imaging genetics databases, in particular focusing on developing and applying multivariate tools for data mining, classification and prediction.

A central aim of the Norwegian part of IMPLEMENT will be to characterize neurodevelopmental trajectories associated with genetic and environmental risk for mental disorders. In addition to the international IMPLEMENT team, the research will be carried out as an integrated part of a cross-disciplinary group in close collaboration with other NORMENT core groups and international collaborators.

Qualification requirements

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, biomedical engineering, biostatistics, or other relevant fields.
• An innovative, active and strong research profile with excellent documented potential for performing high quality research.
• Documented experience with some or all of the following: Advanced neuroimaging analysis, imaging genetics, network analysis, and machine learning/prediction analysis.
• Documented experience with statistical analysis and programming (R, Matlab, python or similar).
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Documented interest and experience in performing and/or promoting Open Science practices and research transparency will be regarded as a substantial strength.

Personal skills

• Ambitious and innovative with a documented ability to contribute and thrive in an inter-disciplinary and active research environment.
• Excellent communication and collaborative skills (team player).

We offer

• Salary (NOK 497,900 - 597 400 [approx. €51k - 63k] per year[LW1] ), - depending on experience and qualifications.
• An ambitious and exciting research environment with a strong multidisciplinary profile and excellent opportunities for academic development.
• Attractive welfare benefits (https://www.uio.no/english/for-employees/employment/welfare/), including excellent benefits for families (kindergarten, paid paternal/maternal leave etc) and a generous pension agreement. In addition, Oslo offers a highly family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities in its immediate surroundings.
• Starting date: May 1st 2019

How to apply

The application must include:

• Cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest, career plan).
• CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity including grant applications etc).
• Copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only).
• A complete list of publications (including preprints with valid links). Publications should not be submitted along with the initial application.
• List of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number)

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented academic qualifications, as well as the candidate’s motivation and personal suitability. Interviews with the shortlisted candidates will be arranged.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral and Researcher positions at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contact information

• Title: Associate professor Lars T. Westlye, phone number: +47 971 63 221, e-mail: l.t.westlye@psykologi.uio.no

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