PhD position in Medical Science with an orientation towards Pharmacology

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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 December 2022 or upon agreement. 

Description of the PhD-Project

Cannabinoid CB1 and dopamine D2 receptors can physically interact to form CB1/D2 heteromers that could constitute important therapeutic targets for a wide range of CNS disorders. However, the pharmacological importance of this interaction is yet to be determined on a molecular level. The main hypothesis we are addressing is that bidirectional allosteric interactions within CB1/D2 heteromers have functional consequences for the activity of receptor complexes in both the healthy and diseased brain. Hence, the main goal of this project is to use pharmacology to characterize the effects of different CB receptor ligands on CB1/D2 heteromer-specific signalling. The project will take advantage of the key strengths of different model systems - from transfected human cell lines, mouse/human stem cell-derived neuronal models, to a pharmacological model of schizophrenia in vivo using zebrafish.

Qualifications

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 pharmacology or biomedicine and have experience of laboratory work and method development. Practical experience of cell culturing and experience of different biochemical methods of analysis is considered a very strong merit. The applicant should 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 2022-12-01 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 2022-10-16. 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 and contact

For more information please contact Professor Stig Jacobsson, [email protected]

You who are admitted to doctoral studies at the Faculty of Medicine will be enrolled in the faculty-wide doctoral education programme. 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/).

Welcome to apply!