PhD position in Medical Science with an orientation towards cell biology

The Department of Integrative Medical Biology is now announcing a Ph.D student position. The position is on fulltime for four years, starting 1st of September 2022 or upon agreement. 

You who are admitted to doctoral studies will be enrolled in the faculty-wide doctoral education programme at the Faculty of Medicine. The doctoral programme comprises 25 credits and is offered in two study variants: 25 credits spread over 8 terms (a total of 4 years) or over 12 terms (a total of 6 years), starting each autumn and spring semester. More information about the programme can be found on the faculty’s web page for doctoral studies (https://www.aurora.umu.se/en/organisation-and-management/organisation/faculties/faculty-of-medicine/doctoral-studies/).

Description of the project

Brachial plexus injuries (BPI), whether traumatic or obstetrical, cause a dramatic loss of motor function in the arms and hands. Although surgical techniques exist which may promote regeneration of the injured nerve structures, the end-organ muscles are at risk of deteriorating to the degree that functional reinnervation is impossible. The distance from the site of injury to the intrinsic muscles of the hand is normally too far for the muscle to survive until the regenerating axons reach the target. The purpose of this translational project is to introduce a novel treatment regime. We propose the administration of an advanced therapy based on stem cells, for delivery of factors to rescue muscle damage. This PhD-project aims to address pre-clinical testing and characterization of the cell-based product both in vitro and in an established animal model.

Eligibility

The applicant is required to have completed a university level degree of at least 240 ECTS credits, of which at least 60 ECTS credits are at Master program level.

Specific admission requirements

In order to be admitted to postgraduate studies, it is required that the applicant has:

• Necessary knowledge from university higher education or corresponding education and/or special professional experience that is assessed in relation to the research area.
• Good skills in both spoken and written English are a requirement for the position. Evaluation of these skills is made by having the intended PhD student present his/her research plan in English for the Department’s designated postgraduate education group.

Additional merits

In addition the applicant should, through university studies or other equivalent education, have gained basic theoretical knowledge in biomedicine and have good experience of laboratory work and method development. Experience of work with bioprinting, stem cell culture, hydrogels and tissue engineering is considered a significant strength, together with experience of tissue handling, immunohistochemistry and other biochemical methods of analysis. The applicant must be able to work both independently and as part of a team, and high focus will be given to the candidate’s potential collaborative skills.

Terms of employment

The appointment aims at a PhD degree and the main task of the PhD student is to pursue doctoral studies, which includes participation in research, seminars and courses. According to the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance (Chapter 12, Section 2), the decision on employment as a PhD student cannot be appealed. The employment is limited to four years full-time starting 2022-09-01 or upon agreement. The salary corresponds to the established salary level for doctoral employment. 

Application

The application shall be written in English or Swedish, documents must be in Word or pdf format. Applications must be submitted electronically using the e-recruitment system of Umeå University Varbi and be received no later than 2022-08-01. A complete application should contain the following documents:

• A cover letter including a description of your research interests, your reasons to apply for the position, and your contact information
• A curriculum vitae, certified copies of degree certificates and other completed academic courses
• Contact information for two reference persons

Other

For more information please contact Assistant Professor Gustav Andersson, [email protected]

Welcome to apply!