Job description

Applications are invited for a 3-4 year PhD-research fellowship in neuroscience at GliaLab at the Division of Anatomy, Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo. The Research fellowship is funded by the Research Council of Norway grant “What is the role of astroglial calcium signaling in hippocampal memory encoding?” (#302326). Synopsis:

How do you remember what you did yesterday or even twenty years ago? A landmark discovery in memory research revealed that neural activity patterns of daily life experiences repeat themselves when we are asleep. Such reactivations, or replay, are important for long-term memory and is a well-accepted feature of the so-called place cells, i.e. nerve cells that fire at specific locations in space. While the link between place-cells, replay and memory function is an area of intense research, the role of astrocytes - a cell type in the brain originally proposed to play mostly supportive roles to nerve cells - is not explored. We aim to identify the roles of astrocytes in memory function during sleep.

The applicant will work in a multidisciplinary team, and the main work responsibilities will be to perform microsurgeries, electrophysiological recordings, behavioral monitoring and two-photon microscopy of mice. The candidate will also take part in the analyses of such data by custom written MATLAB software.

More about the position

The fellowship period is 3 years devoted to research education, with an optional extra year for qualified candidates who can contribute to teaching and supervision duties.The research fellow must take part in the Faculty’s approved PhD program and is expected to complete the project within the set fellowship period. The main purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.

The applicant must, in collaboration with her/his supervisor, within 3 months after employment, have worked out a complete project description to be attached to the application for admission to the doctoral program. For more information, please see our web site https://www.med.uio.no/forskning/phd/

Qualification requirements

• A medical degree or master’s degree (120 ECTS) or an equivalent qualification in molecular biology, neuroscience or similar, minimum grade B (ECTS grading scale) or equivalent. The master’s degree must include a thesis of at least 30 ECTS.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
• Documented experience with experimental neuroscience work involving laboratory animals and two-photon microscopy

Personal skills

The following personal skills will be considered beneficial during evaluation of applications:

• Motivation and work capacity
• Good problem solving skills
• Ability to work both independently and as an integrated member of a multidisciplinary team
• Candidates with prior experience in neuroscience and/or experience with working with laboratory animals, two-photon microscopy, and analyses of such data will be prioritized.
• Fundamental understanding of the neurobiology of memory and the experimental methods to be used in the project (electrophysiological recordings, behavioral monitoring, two-photon microscopy)
• Good communication skills and teaching abilities

We offer

• Salary NOK 482 200 - 526 000 per annum depending on qualifications as PhD research fellow, (position code 1017)
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for cultural experiences

How to apply

The application must include:

• Cover letter statement of motivation and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work)
• Copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only)
• A complete list of publications and academic works
• List of reference persons: 2–3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “Apply for this job”. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

When evaluating the application, emphasis will be given to the applicant’s prior laboratory experience, and academic and personal prerequisites to carry out the project. Applicants may be called in for an interview.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom of 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 appointment may be shortened/given a more limited scope within the framework of the applicable guidelines on account of any previous employment in academic positions.

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

Contact information

• Associate professor Rune Enger, email: rune.enger@medisin.uio.no

Apply for this job