About the position

Applications are invited for a 3-year Postdoctoral Fellowship in neuroimaging of functional neurological disorder based at the Department of Behavioural Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Norway. 

The fellowship period is devoted to carrying out a project entitled FiNDCortex: The Cerebral Cortex in the Pathophysiology of Functional Neurological Disorder.

FiNDCortex is based at the Department of Behavioural Medicine and collaborates with leading researchers in psychiatry and neurology, with expertise in phenotyping, neuroimaging, and rehabilitation at the University of Oslo, the Oslo University Hospital, the Vestfold Hospital Trust, and the Functional Neurological Disorder Unit at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Moreover, the present project is part of a larger national research initiative on FND that includes collaboration with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. 

 

More about the position

Functional neurological disorder (FND), also known as conversion disorder, is common, disabling, undertreated, and markedly understudied. The pathophysiology of FND remains to be clarified, yet emerging evidence suggests that distinct cortical regions and corticothalamic connectivity may have central roles. The overall goals of the present research are to provide new insights into the roles of the cerebral cortex and its connectivity with the thalamus in FND. 

We will include functional and structural brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) data, as well as clinical variables from 80 individuals with FND. These will be compared with already collected data from ~800 healthy controls, ~1000 patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, and ~480 individuals with multiple sclerosis. The patients with FND will undergo MRI at baseline, whereas clinical characterization will be performed at baseline and at follow-up after six months of standard clinical care. Applicants should either have experience with analysis of MRI or EEG data or clinical experience from neurology or psychiatry. The successful candidate will focus on analyses of neuroimaging data and/or clinical aspects of the study. 

Qualifications requirements

• A PhD in neurology, psychiatry, psychology, cognitive neuroscience, or a related field is required.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Experience with analyses of MRI and EEG data.
• Prior experience from clinical work in neurology and/or psychiatry.

We offer 

• Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development.
• Good welfare schemes.
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours.
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities. 
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Salary in position as Postdoctoral Fellow, position code 1352 in salary range NOK from 579 700 – 667 700 to, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.

Read more about the benefits of working in the public sector at Employer Portal.

Inclusive worklife and diversity at UiO

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

We hope that you will apply for the position. 

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.

Application

Your application should include:

• Cover letter statement of motivation and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work)
• Copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only)
• A complete list of publications and academic works
• List of reference persons: 3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number)

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for the position".

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

General information

The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews. 

Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we can't, you will hear from us.

Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian) and Guidelines concerning appointment to post doctoral and research posts at UiO (Norwegian).

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc.