PhD position (Doctoral Candidate 7) in ‘Frontier Research Competences for Neuro-modulation and Oscillations in Pain

PhD position (Doctoral Candidate 7) in ‘Frontier Research Competences for Neuro-modulation and Oscillations in Pain

Apply for EU funded support to undertake cutting edge research within a high-level European Training Network consortium of seven research intensive institutions and universities. You will benefit from a team approach, integrated international mobility, high level subject and transferable skills development oriented to your future employment in research and the wider economy. Frontier Research Competences for Neuro-modulation and Oscillations in Pain (FRESCO4NoPain) is an EU-funded Doctoral Network (DN) under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) - (Grant number 101167856 - HORIZON-MSCA-2023-DN-01).

Jobbeskrivelse
More information about the project can be found onwww.fresco4nopain.com.
FRESCO4NoPain offers 17 Doctoral Candidates positions to begin on 1st of September 2025 or soon before and a list of all available position can be found onwww.fresco4nopain.com. Please consult the‘Guide for Applicants’ document for further details.

This specific PhD/DC position is for Individual research Project(IRP)7:‘Personalise by synchronisation: Analgesic effects of neuromodulation-driven entrainment of pain-related cortical oscillatory activity’. Doctoral Candidate 7 will describe the changes in brain oscillatory activity triggered by human experimental pain models; characterise the anti-nociceptive effects of neuromodulation-driven entrainment of oscillatory activity in humans and describe how neuromodulation guided by EEG oscillatory pattern affects experimental pain models compared to classic neuromodulatory approaches.

Supervisory team:
Main supervisor Professor Thomas Graven-Nielsen, Aalborg University, Denmark. Co-supervisor: Professor Rohini Kuner, Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany. Mentor: Dr. Christoph C. Guger, g.tec, Austria.

Workplace:
Main workplace will be Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain(CNAP) Aalborg University, Denmark. Two secondments are planned for Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany and at the company g.tec, Austria.

Candidate eligibility
The DC position is open for highly motivated candidates holding a master’s degree within a relevant area(biomedical engineering, neuroscience, pharmacology, medicine, physiotherapy or equivalent). Applicants should not be in possession of a doctoral degree at the time of the call deadline. Furthermore, applicants must not have resided or carried out your main activity(e.g. work, studies) in the country where you have been recruited, for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date. Applicants must demonstrate that their ability to understand and express themselves in both written and spoken English is high for them to derive the full benefit from the network training.

How to apply
The application is only to be submitted online. Please follow the link below and be aware, that your application must include the following:

• Motivation letter(max. 2 pages) including the following:
  o Brief presentation of the DC
  o The main reasons for choice of DC project
  o General knowledge on the research topic
  o Main research and training goals
  o Future plans
  o Complimentary skills
  • Curriculum Vitae:
  o A CV(e.g. using the EU model) which states your educational background, experience, techniques, language skills and other skills or experiences relevant for this position. In accordance with mobility rules, it is crucial to provide detailed information about your employment and academic history, including residence details for at least the past three years.
  • Certificate of academic degree:
  o A copy of the original master’s degree with full transcripts. In case the master’s degree has not been obtained at the call closing date applicants must upload their BSc degree/diploma in English and upload the transcript of the exams sustained so far during their master course, with a clear indication of the conclusion of the studies.
  • Recommendation letter:
  o Attesting to the academic standing and potential of the applicant. Must be from an academic supervisor or collaborator, line manager, and/or company CEO. Must contain referees’ contact details(will only be contacted upon prior agreement) and name of applicant.

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace.

AAU wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background or belief.

The application is only to be submitted online by using the"Apply online" button below.

For more information of the The Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology:http://www.medicine.aau.dk/doctoral-school/

Contact information
For further information about stipends and salary as well as practical issues concerning the application procedure contact Ms. Ruth Klitte, The Doctoral School at The Faculty of Medicine, email:[email protected]

Assessment
All applicants will be informed whether they have been shortlisted for assessment or not.
When the hiring process is completed, a final rejection will be sent to the applicants who are not considered for the position.

PhD stipends are allocated to individuals who hold a Master's degree. PhD stipends are normally for a period of 3 years. It is a prerequisite for allocation of the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology in accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 1039 of August 27, 2013 on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Educational Institutions. According to the Ministerial Order, the progress of the PhD student shall be assessed at regular points in time.

Contact
You may obtain further information about CNAP at our websitewww.cnap.hst.aau.dk and Centre Director, Professor Thomas Graven-Nielsen:[email protected]

You will receive access to shared office space and access to laboratory facilities. CNAP also provides administrative assistance to relocate to Aalborg, Denmark. Please find more information about working at Aalborg University, living in Denmark etc. at the homepage of Aalborg University’s International Staff Unit:https://www.en.hr.aau.dk/

About the workplace
CNAP is a research Center of Excellence inaugurated by the Danish National Research Foundation at Aalborg University, Denmark. CNAP applies a fundamental research approach where new advanced biomedical provocation and probing platforms are being discovered and applied to study novel aspects of the human pain neuroplasticity. The ambition of CNAP is to identify and modulate key features of human pain neuroplasticity through a systematic approach, including provoking, probing and modulation of the dynamic neuroplastic properties of the pain system. We believe that this approach over time will foster new fundamental discoveries and change the state of the art and offer novel ways for pain treatment. Our world class lab facilities enable advanced quantitative sensory/pain testing, application of advanced neurophysiological techniques(e.g. EEG, TMS, TMS-EEG, rTMS, HD-tDCS), bio-medical techniques(e.g. linked with epigenetics and general biomarkers), as well as research based on animal models(e.g. rodents and pigs). CNAP is a dynamic and international research environment: approximately 60% of our staff is international, with an almost 50-50% gender balance. Our working language is English, and we are highly interdisciplinary and include experts within e.g. biomedical engineering, neuropsychology, pharmacology, biophysics, and medicine with industrial specialization, and medicine. You will thus be joining an inspiring, enriching, and productive cross-disciplinary research center including staff with internationally recognized track records.

Selection process
The Selection Committee will oversee and manage the entire selection process to ensure fairness, transparency, and compliance with the established criteria and MSCA guidelines. This committee is responsible for reviewing applications, shortlisting candidates, and conducting interviews. The Selection Committee will consist of the supervisory team and the Head of Department.
By 5th of May 2025, the candidates will be shortlisted based on their applications. The evaluation criteria for shortlisting applications can be found in the‘Guide for Applicants’. Candidates will be invited for an online interview which will take place in the period 5th of May to 2nd of June 2025. Please refer to the‘Guide for Applicants’ for details on the process and evaluation criteria for the interview.

Løn og ansættelsesvilkår
The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities(the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state(AC collective agreement)(only in Danish).

Ansøgningsfrist
2025-04-07

Ref. nummer
21-25015

Afdeling
Department of Health Science and Technology