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Doctoral (PhD) student position in bone pain research : Solna, Stockholm, Sweden

Karolinska Institutet, the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology

At the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology (http://ki.se/fyfa_english) we teach and conduct research in physiology, pharmacology, anesthesiology and intensive care. We have around 350 employees, 30 research groups, and 90 doctoral students.

A doctoral position is an available doctoral education project to which a PhD student is to be recruited. After the selection process the process for admission to doctoral education will commence. An admission decision will not be taken until an individual study plan has been approved by the departmental admission board.

For more information regarding doctoral (PhD) education, see: http://www.ki.se/doctoral.

Research group
The overall research mission of the unit for molecular pain research led by Dr. Camilla Svensson is to advance our understanding of the mechanisms that drive chronic pain states, in particular persistent pain in arthritis and autoimmune disease. We are exploring how the immune system in the periphery and glial
cells in the spinal cord affect the nervous system and contribute to the regulation of pain signal transmission. Intracellular signaling pathways that are activated or deactivated in this process are being dissected and studied in relation to persistent pain. We use a number of behavioral, immunohistochemical, electrophysiological and molecular biological techniques to dissect pain pathways in vivo and in cell culture systems.

The doctoral education project and the duties of the student
Millions in Europe and beyond suffer from bone pain, which is a debilitating complication of many
musculoskeletal disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and bone metastasis. The overall aim of the PhD project is to study the role of bone cell activity in chronic joint pain. The successful applicant will study mechanisms driving persistent pain in rheumatoid arthritis and perform behavioral tests combined with in vitro experiments to delineate the role of the bone degrading cells, the osteoclasts,
and related immunological processes in the initiation and maintenance of arthritis pain. The student will use different in vivo behavioral assays, histology, pharmacological and genetic tools, and assays for gene and protein expression.

The project is part of the EU-funded Innovative Training Network BonePain. BonePain is the first
European platform to promote frontline research, innovation and education within bone pain. The BonePain network have participants from 5 European countries and encompasses 6 academic groups and 3 industries all committed to creating an outstanding training program for early stages researchers to elucidate the mechanisms of bone pain and develop new medicines.

Entry requirements for doctoral education at KI
To be eligible for doctoral education following requirements has to be met:

General entry requirements
A person meets the general entry requirements for doctoral/third-cycle/PhD education (according to Higher Education Ordinance Chapt 7, section 39) if he/she:
1. has been awarded advanced/second-cycle/master qualification (i.e. master degree) or
2. has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle/master level, or
3. has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

Specific entry requirements
Proficiency in English equivalent to the course English B/English 6 at Swedish upper secondary school:
Proficiency in the English language can be documented by an internationally recognized test such as TOEFL or IELTS, see web-link below for more information.
Applicants who meet the general entry requirements (1 or 2 above) from a university in one of the Nordic countries fulfill the requirements in English.

The candidate must not have resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Sweden for more than 12 months in the last 3 years immediately prior to the reference date.

For more information regarding general and specific entry requirements: http://ki.se/en/education/entryrequirements-eligibility-for-doctoral-education

Skills and personal qualities
We are seeking a highly motivated, talented student who has the maturity and desire to study hard and independently as well as work in a group setting. The day-to-day studies are to a large extent laboratory based and require self-motivation. In addition, the research is team based and the group have multiple
ongoing collaborative projects and as such the applicant must have strong communication skills and an ability to interact effectively and work productively in a collaborative manner. The applicant must be fluent in English, with excellent communication and writing skills. A genuine high level of curiosity for
research in general and in the pain field in particular is advantageous. Previous experience in the fields of neuroscience, immunology and/or behavioral pharmacology is considered an advantage for this project. Emphasis will be placed on personal skills, motivation and previous experience of laboratory work.

Assessment criteria
A selection will be made among qualified applicants on the basis of the ability to benefit from doctoral education. 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

The qualifications of the applicants will be evaluated on an overall basis.

Terms and conditions
The most common way of financial support for doctoral students at KI is doctoral grant the first year and a doctoral studentship (doctoral employment) for year 2, 3 and 4. During the time between recruitment and admission a short-term employment can be offered for up to 6 months.

Application process
An application must contain the following documents in Swedish or English:
• A personal letter and curriculum vitae
• A copy of degree certificates and associated certificates
• A copy of degree projects and any previous publications

The application is to be submitted through the MyNetwork recruitment system.

Link to ad https://ki.mynetworkglobal.com/en/what:job/jobID:59339/…

Don't forget to mention Naturejobs when applying.