We seek talented, creative, and motivated students and postdoctoral candidates to join our team. We are especially interested in people with experience in electrophysiology, in vivo imaging, behavioral paradigms, or population-level analysis. Please check for any open positions below and use the application portals described in the postings when applying. If you are writing independently, please send your CV and list of references to Peter C Petersen (petersen.peter@sund.ku.dk).
Opportunities for students
Prospective graduate students can learn more about our Graduate Program in Neuroscience here.
Potential Ph.D. students should check out the Neuroscience Academy and any job listings below.
Current or recent open positions
We are seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow for a project focused on building BrainSTEM: A web application designed as an electronic lab notebook for describing neurophysiological experiments as well as a data-sharing platform for the community, where researchers can store and share the information and metadata about their experiments (www.brainSTEM.org). The research will take place at the Department of Neuroscience (in.ku.dk) at the University of Copenhagen in the lab of Dr. Peter C. Petersen (PetersenLab.org).
The postdoc position is focused on the development of BrainSTEM, involving the design of a standard language for describing experimental neuroscience, semantic search functionality, stronger adoption of the FAIR principles, and stimulating and supporting community uptake. The project is primarily funded by the NIH, through the Brain Initiative U19 Oxytocin grant. The project will include occasional travels, e.g., to New York (NYU), Brain Initiate meetings, SfN, FENS, and pilot user labs.
Our research
Our lab was founded in 2022, with the goal of understanding the neuronal mechanisms involved in memory and cognition and how imbalances in the circuits can lead to pathological conditions. In particular, we study spatial memory, and theta oscillations in behaving rats. We are using state-of-the-art methods for measuring and manipulating neuronal activity at large-scale and high specificity, together with advanced data analysis. This includes using Neuropixels and other high-density silicon probes, applying optogenetics, thermal and other perturbation techniques, dimensionality reduction, and other advanced population-analysis methods.
But we are also strong supporters of open science and have developed several tools and solutions for the neuroscience community (both software and hardware solutions. We built CellExplorer – a framework for analyzing single cells (CellExplorer.org) and are now developing BrainSTEM (BrainSTEM.org). The ultimate goal with BrainSTEM is to make neuroscience more open and FAIR, promote collaborations, break down barriers between labs, and for BrainSTEM to become the chosen platform of the community for sharing experimental work, within labs, and across the scientific community.
Profile
We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic scientist with the following competencies and experience:
Essential experience and skills:
- You have a PhD in Neuroscience, Software engineering, Data science, or other related sciences.
- You are experienced in coding in Python.
- Proficient communication skills and ability to work in teams.
- You have experience with or an active interest in learning more about Neurophysiology.
- Excellent English skills written and spoken.
- Present results internally, via talks, and to the external community, via conferences and publications
Desirable experience and skills:
- Experience in machine learning, semantic search, or knowledge graphs.
- Experience with the Django web framework.
- Experience with relational databases and various data formats.
- Knowledge of in-vivo electrophysiological experiments or imaging methods.
Place of employment
You will be employed at the Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen in the center of Copenhagen. The successful applicant will join a thriving international neuroscience environment. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment.
The applicant will be the major participant in all aspects of the project, from designing, developing, and implementing technical solutions, to performing community outreach, working with pilot groups, and presenting results at conferences. Please contact peter.christian.petersen@sund.ku.dk for questions and comments or go to PetersenLab.org for more information.
Submit your application here: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/?show=160177
Deadline: October 20, 2023.
The position is a limited to a period of 2 years, with the possibility of extension. The desired starting date is March 1, 2024.
Salary, pension and other conditions of employment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or other relevant organisation. Currently, the monthly salary starts at 36,400 DKK/approx. 4,880 EUR (October 2023 level). Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated. The employer will pay an additional 17.1 % to your pension fund.
Foreign and Danish applicants may be eligible for tax reductions if they hold a PhD degree and have not lived in Denmark for the last 10 years.
The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2020.
Living in Copenhagen
Copenhagen is a fantastic city and a wonderful living experience, and it has consistently been ranked among the world’s best cities to live in. Our lab is located centrally in the neighborhood Nørrebro, which recently was ranked as the world’s coolest neighborhood by Time Out Magazine. University of Copenhagen has an International staff mobility program to help accommodate international researchers with practical matters, before arrival such as with residence permit, housing, and childcare/school as well as during the stay with salary, tax, pension, insurance, banking as well as getting accustomed with language and culture.
We are offering a PhD fellowship in Systems Neuroscience commencing on March 1, 2024, or as soon as possible hereafter. The research will take place at the Department of Neuroscience (in.ku.dk) at University of Copenhagen in the lab of Dr. Peter C. Petersen (PetersenLab.org).
Our group and research
Our lab was founded in 2022, with the goal of understanding the neuronal mechanisms involved in memory and cognition and how imbalances in the circuits can lead to pathological conditions. In particular, we study spatial memory, and theta oscillations in behaving rats, and how the distributed populations of neurons across the distributed brain circuits central to memory, are coordinating their dynamics to generate complex cognitive functions in awake rodents.
We are using state-of-the-art methods for measuring and manipulating the neuronal activity at large-scale and high specificity, together with advanced data analysis. This includes using Neuropixels and other high-density silicon probes, applying optogenetics, thermal and other perturbation techniques, dimensionality reduction, and other advanced population-analysis methods.
Project description
We are seeking a highly motivated student for a project addressing the generation and functions of theta oscillations in spatial navigation using systems neuroscience and population-level approaches. The research will take place at the Department of Neuroscience (in.ku.dk) at University of Copenhagen in the lab of Dr. Peter C. Petersen (PetersenLab.org).
The project involves performing electrophysiological recordings from freely moving animals using chronically implanted high-density Neuropixels silicon probes and applying optogenetics for single cell tagging, and behavioral manipulations.
Principal supervisor is Assistant Professor, Peter C. Petersen, Department of Neuroscience, petersen@sund.ku.dk, Direct phone: +45 42414004.
Duration: 3 years as a PhD student + 6 months as Research Assistant for enrolment, if relevant.
Job description
Your key tasks as a PhD student at SUND are:
- Carrying through an independent research project under supervision.
- Completing PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approximately 30 ECTS points.
- Participating in active research environments including a stay at another research team.
- Obtaining experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project
- Teaching and disseminating your knowledge.
- Writing a PhD thesis on the grounds of your project
Key criteria for the assessment of applicants
Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to a master’s degree related to the subject area of the project, e.g., Neuroscience, Physics, Molecular biomedicine. Please note that your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (two years).
Other important criteria are:
- The grade point average achieved
- Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
- Previous publications
- You are experienced in electrophysiology
- Knowledge of and experience with optogenetics/virus/genetic techniques and tools
- Experience in data analysis using Matlab or Python
- A curious mind-set with a strong interest in brain’s memory mechanisms
- Written and spoken English skills
- Relevant work experience
- Other professional activities
- Ability to work in teams
Place of employment
You will be employed at the Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment.
The successful applicant will join a thriving international neuroscience environment. The applicant will be the major participant in all aspects of the project, from designing and performing experiments, developing technical advances, performing data analysis, and presenting the results. Please contact petersen.peter@sund.ku.dk for questions and comments or go to PetersenLab.org for more information.
Living in Copenhagen
Copenhagen is a fantastic city and a wonderful living experience, and it has consistently been ranked among the world’s best cities to live in. Our lab is located centrally in the neighborhood Nørrebro, which recently was ranked as the world’s coolest neighborhood by Time Out Magazine. University of Copenhagen has an International staff mobility program to help accommodate international researchers with practical matters, before arrival such as with residence permit, housing, and childcare/school as well as during the stay with salary, tax, pension, insurance, banking as well as getting accustomed with language and culture.
Terms of employment
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.
The PhD position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 3 years. The start date is March 1, 2024 or after agreement.
The employment is conditioned upon the applicant’s successful enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.
The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the Faculty’s rules on achieving the degree.
Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary starts at approximately 28,900 DKK/Roughly 3,800 EUR (October 2023 level) plus pension.
Submit your application here: https://employment.ku.dk/phd/?show=160356
Application deadline: November 20, 2023, 23.59pm CET
