PhD position – Computational Neuroscience and Systems Biology. Theme: Neural dynamics underlying survival behaviors

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

To be a doctoral student means to devote oneself to a research project under supervision of experienced researchers and following an individual study plan. For a doctoral degree, the equivalent of four years of full-time doctoral education is required.

Are you passionate about decoding how brain-wide neural dynamics generate behavior?

The Stagkourakis Lab at Karolinska Institutet and SciLifeLab in Stockholm is recruiting a PhD student in computational neuroscience. The lab is based at the Department of Neuroscience (Biomedicum) and is part of SciLifeLab, Sweden’s national center for large-scale biosciences and data-driven life science.

Our mission is to uncover the neural and neurohormonal principles that govern instinctual and homeostatic behaviors, including aggression, fear, feeding, and social interactions.

The doctoral student project and the duties of the doctoral student

We seek a candidate who will contribute to analyzing and modeling large-scale neural population recordings acquired during naturalistic behaviors in freely moving animals. The project integrates graph-theoretic, dynamical systems, and machine learning approaches to understand how distributed neural ensembles encode internal states and drive survival behaviors. We seek a candidate who will contribute to analyzing and modeling large-scale neural population recordings acquired during naturalistic behaviors in freely moving animals. The project integrates graph-theoretic, dynamical systems, and machine learning approaches to understand how distributed neural ensembles encode internal states and drive survival behaviors.

What do we offer?

A creative and inspiring environment full of expertise and curiosity. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. Our vision is to pursue the development of knowledge about life and to promote a better health for all. At Karolinska Institutet, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. As a doctoral student you are offered an individual research project, a well-educated supervisor, a vast range of elective courses and the opportunity to work in a leading research group. Karolinska Institutet collaborates with prominent universities from all around the world, which ensures opportunities for international exchanges. You will be employed on a doctoral studentship which means that you receive a contractual salary. Employees also have access to our modern gym for free and receive reimbursements for medical care.

• A creative, collaborative, and well-resourced environment
• Access to cutting-edge infrastructure at Karolinska Institutet and SciLifeLab
• Training in advanced computational neuroscience, network theory, and data science
• Opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration with experimentalists generating large-scale datasets
• Active involvement in high-impact projects with translational relevance to neuropsychiatric disorder

Eligibility requirements for doctoral education

In order to participate in the selection for a doctoral position, you must meet the following general (A) and specific (B) eligibility requirements at latest by the application deadline.

It is your responsibility to certify eligibility by following the instructions on the web page Entry requirements (eligibility) for doctoral education.

A) General eligibility requirement

You meet the general eligibility requirement for doctoral/third-cycle/PhD education if you:

1. have been awarded a second-cycle/advanced/master qualification (i.e. master degree), or
2. have satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the advanced/second-cycle/master level, or
3. have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.*

Follow the instructions on the web page Entry requirements (eligibility) for doctoral education.

*If you claim equivalent knowledge, follow the instructions on the web page Assessing equivalent knowledge for general eligibility for doctoral education.

B) Specific eligibility requirement

You meet the specific eligibility requirement for doctoral/third-cycle/PhD education if you:

- Show proficiency in English equivalent to the course English B/English 6 at Swedish upper secondary school.

Follow the instructions on the web page English language requirements for doctoral education.

Verification of your documents: Karolinska Institutet checks the authenticity of your documents. Karolinska Institutet reserves the right to revoke admission if supporting documents are discovered to be fraudulent. Submission of false documents is a violation of Swedish law and is considered grounds for legal action.

(A) and (B) can only be certified by the documentation requirement for doctoral education.

Skills and personal qualities

Candidate Profile

We are looking for a motivated and creative student with a strong quantitative background and a deep interest in neural computation and behavior. The ideal candidate enjoys formulating models from data, developing analytical tools, and integrating theory with experiment.

Required qualifications

• Degree in in Computational Neuroscience, Physics, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Bioengineering, or related field
• Strong programming and data analysis skills (Python, MATLAB, or Julia)
• Experience with large-scale data analysis, signal processing, or statistical modeling
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team

Desirable skills (one or more of the following):

• Knowledge of dynamical systems, network science, or machine learning applied to neuroscience
• Experience with neural population analyses (e.g., PCA, UMAP, GLMs, HMMs, or graph models)
• Familiarity with time-series analysis, state-space modeling, or causal inference methods
• Interest in linking neural activity to behavior using multimodal datasets
• Basic experience with version control (Git) and reproducible data pipelines

Terms and conditions

The doctoral student will be employed on a doctoral studentship maximum 4 years full-time.

Location

The lab is located at:

• Biomedicum D8, Dept. of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, Solna.
• SciLifeLab Gamma 5, Tomtebodavägen 23A, Solna. 

Application process

Submit your application and supporting documents through the Varbi recruitment system. Use the button in the top right corner and follow the instructions. We prefer that your application is written in English, but you can also apply in Swedish.

Your application must contain the following documents:

- A personal letter and a curriculum vitae
- Degree projects and previous publications, if any
- Any other documentation showing the desirable skills and personal qualities described above
- Documents certifying your general eligibility (see A above)
- Documents certifying your specific eligibility (see B above)

We strongly encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible. 

Selection

A selection will be made among eligible applicants on the basis of the ability to benefit from doctoral education. The qualifications of the applicants will be evaluated on an overall basis.

Karolinska Institutet uses the following bases of assessment:

- Documented subject knowledge of relevance to the area of research
- Analytical skill
- Other documented knowledge or experience that may be relevant to doctoral studies in the subject.

All applicants will be informed when the recruitment is completed.

For a brief overview of the lab and our research, see here.

Want to make a difference? Join us and contribute to better health for all