LEDIG STILLING VED UNIVERSITETET I BERGEN

PhD-position (4 years) - Department of Biomedicine

Deadline: 01.09.2022

University of Bergen

The University of Bergen is a renowned educational and research institution, organised into seven faculties and approximately 54 institutes and academic centres. Campus is located in the centre of Bergen with university areas at Nygårdshøyden, Haukeland, Marineholmen, Møllendalsveien and Årstad.


There are five departments and seven centres at Faculty of Medicine.


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PhD-position (4 years)

At the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, a PhD-position (100 %) is available for a period of four (4) years or max 4 months after completed the PhD-degree, if this is achieved within a shorter time than four years. The positions include 25 % required duties such as teaching, exam work or supervision, depending on the demands at the department.

The position is part of the consortium project ”Understanding plasticity and neural circuit dynamics in the brain” (TMS Brain Research Initiative), funded by the University of Bergen and "Trond Mohn Stiftelse" (TMS). Expected starting date is January 1, 2023.

About the project/work tasks:

  • The main objective of the TMS Brain Research Initiative is to identify core principles of plasticity and neural circuit dynamics in the brain.
  • The project is hosted by the University of Bergen and organized as a consortium collaboration between the Department of Biomedicine at the University of Bergen (UiB) and the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
  • The consortium project is organized into five interactive work packages, based on multidisciplinary collaborations between the UiB and NTNU partners.
  • The PhD fellow will be linked to a work package studying the neuromodulation of retinal microcircuits for vision in starlight, twilight, and daylight.
  • The PhD fellow will join an active neuroscience research group with two principal investigators (prof. Espen Hartveit and prof. Meg Veruki). The project focuses on investigating plasticity of neuronal microcircuits involving amacrine cells in the mammalian retina, including functions of ion channels and chemical and electrical synapses. Primary methods include patch-clamp electrophysiology, two-photon microscopy, including two-photon uncaging, and two-photon FLIM-FRET of intracellular signaling. The experimental work will be performed with the mammalian retina as the model system.
  • The laboratory has modern setups for in vitro electrophysiology combined with two-photon microscopy, including uncaging and FLIM-FRET.

Qualifications and personal qualities:

  • You must hold a master's degree or equivalent in neuroscience, cell physiology, biophysics, molecular biology, biochemistry, or a related discipline.
  • Experience from relevant research projects will be considered favourably.
  • You must have a keen interest in cellular neurophysiology and imaging and wish to work on challenging problems related to mechanisms of neuronal plasticity and the correlation of structure and function of intact neural circuits.
  • Practical experience with patch-clamp electrophysiology, cellular imaging (including calcium imaging) and the use of biosensors to investigate intracellular transduction mechanisms is an advantage.
  • Experience with two-photon imaging and two-photon photo stimulation / uncaging in brain slices is an advantage.
  • Experience with live-cell FLIM-FRET is an advantage.
  • Experience with the design and expression of proteins for imaging is an advantage
  • Experience with the use of recombinant viral vectors for gene transduction in tissue and experimental animals is an advantage.
  • Proficiency in programming environments like Igor Pro, Matlab, and Python is an advantage.
  • You will be expected to work independently and in a structured manner, be self-motivated, have good collaborative skills and have a great work capacity and enthusiasm for research.
  • You must be able to document a proficient knowledge of English (spoken and written).

Applicants whose education is from another country than Norway, need to also attach a certified translation of the diploma and transcript of grades to English or a Scandinavian language, if the original is not in any of these languages. It is required that the applicant must enclose a review from NOKUT whether the education in question (bachelor and master's degree) is of a scope and level that corresponds to the level of a Norwegian master’s degree. Please see www.nokut.no/en for more information about NOKUT’s general recognition. The review from NOKUT may take some time and the application should be sent to NOKUT as soon as you have decided to apply for the position. If an answer from NOKUT has not been received prior to the application deadline, please enclose documentation from NOKUT that they have received your application.

For language qualifications, please see here.

About the PhD position (applies to university PhD positions):

Organized research training (PhD program):

The candidate must take part in the University of Bergen's approved PhD program leading to the degree within an effective time period of 3 years. To qualify for the position, your application to the organized research training (PhD program) at the Faculty must have been granted. Application for admission to the PhD program, including a project plan outline for the training component must be submitted no later than three months after the date of commencement.

The PhD-position:

PhD positions are fixed term positions. You cannot be employed in a PhD position for more than one fixed term period at the same institution or have had similar employment at an institution in the region.

We can offer:

  • Exciting development opportunities as part of your role in a strong professional environment.
  • Salary at pay grade 54 (code 1017/pay framework 20.10) NKR 491 200 before taxes, in the state scales. Further increases in salary will be based on seniority in the position. For applicants with at least one year of employment in a position as a General Practitioner or Dentist, salary level 56 NKR 507 600. Medical specialist starts on wage level 59 NKR 534 400.
  • Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
  • Good welfare benefits

Your application must include:

  • A brief account of the applicant's research interests and motivation for applying for the position.
  • Certified copies of diplomas and transcripts of grades. Applicants whose education is from another country than Norway, need to also attach a certified translation of the diploma and transcript of grades to English or a Scandinavian language, if the original is not in any of these languages. It is required that the applicant must enclose a review from NOKUT whether the education in question (bachelor and master's degree) is of a scope and level that corresponds to the level of a Norwegian master’s degree. Please see www.nokut.no/en for more information about NOKUT’s general recognition. The review from NOKUT may take some time and the application should be sent to NOKUT as soon as you have decided to apply for the position. If an answer from NOKUT has not been received prior to the application deadline, please enclose documentation from NOKUT that they have received your application.
  • Documentation of language skills (English)
  • Complete list of publications.
  • Publications (PDF). It is important that each of the scholarly works on which the evaluation committee should place special emphasis, is attached in its entirety.
  • Names and contact information for two references.

General information:

Detailed information about the position can be obtained by contacting:

The state labour force shall reflect the diversity of Norwegian society to the greatest extent possible. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.

The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions.

Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.

The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at all times.

For further information about the recruitment process, click here.

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