PhD Fellowship in Applied Information Technology: Precision Medicine for Pain Management in Dysmenorrhea

The School of Health Sciences consists of two departments: the Department of Health and Exercise and the Department of Psychology, Pedagogy and Law.

The School provides research-based education at both bachelor’s and master’s level, along with a wide range of continuing and further education programmes. Across health sciences, pedagogy, psychology and law, the common focus is the human being, although expressed in different ways. Health sciences emphasise health promotion, prevention, rehabilitation and treatment, while pedagogy and psychology centre on human learning and development. Legal studies contribute through subject areas such as labour law, market law and health law.

The School of Health Sciences offers a diverse portfolio of study programmes including biomedicine, psychology, pedagogy, public health, nutrition, exercise science, physical activity and sports management, as well as acupuncture and osteopathy.


About the position

Kristiania University of Applied Sciences is offering a fully funded PhD fellowship in Applied Information Technology. The successful applicant will be included in a team of researchers with ambitious plans to further develop research and pedagogical activities related to Applied Information Technology at the university.

The research project focuses on dysmenorrhea (menstruation-related pain), which significantly impacts the quality of life for many women. Despite its prevalence, our understanding of the mechanisms and treatment of this condition remains limited. Therefore, new approaches are needed to deepen our understanding of the causes of the condition and how to effectively treat it. The overarching goal of the PhD project is to enhance patient care by improving precision pain treatment for women suffering from dysmenorrhea.

We envision that the PhD project will include the following elements: a) Collection of clinical data and blood samples, i.e., Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs), from two groups: 1) women with moderate to severe pain during menstruation and 2) women with mild pain during menstruation. b) RNA profiling of each group and analysis of Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs). c) Pathway enrichment analyses by clusterProfiler R package or equivalent based on the DEGs of the two groups using for example Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). d) Interpretation of the differences in RNA profiles between the two groups in terms of function, specifically explaining neuro-immune pain mechanisms, inflammatory processes, and various clinical trajectories.

Thus, we are searching for candidates with a cross-disciplinary interest that bridges the gap between bioinformatics and health.

The PhD candidate will: 

• Recruit participants and collect clinical data
• In collaboration with the research group, isolate PBMCs and extract RNA from each sample
• Ship the RNA for sequencing and, when ready, download the raw data
• Optimize the cleaning of the data, and map it to the reference genome
• Filter and process data, improve the statistics of gene expression analyses
• Use the DEG sets in functional analysis
• Disseminate results in meetings and journals

• Master’s degree (120 ECTS or equivalent) in a relevant subject area with a grade B or better on the master’s thesis and for the master’s degree overall. The master’s thesis must be a minimum of 30 ECTS or equivalent. The relevance of the subject areas is dependent on the type of project proposed by the candidate
• A relevant bachelor's degree comprising 180 ECTS credits in Human Data Science, Biosciences, Bioinformatics, Health Sciences, or an equivalent field
• Experience with sampling of data and data analysis, and interest in handling of blood samples, including wet-lab work
• Analytical thinking and enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research
• Proficiency in both written and spoken English (interviews and all communication will be in English)

• Experience with how to design clinical studies
• Written and spoken Norwegian for recruitment purposes and working with questionnaires
• Experience with pain research and bioinformatics (RNA sequencing)

• Curiosity and a strong motivation to carry out independent interdisciplinary research
• Good communication and cooperation skills
• The ability, desire and capacity to work independently, systematically, and purposefully
• Orientation toward the completion of projects and the attainment of goals

Emphasis will be placed on personal suitability for the position. The person must be able to work with vulnerable women in a Norwegian context.

• High salary compared to international standards (NOK 550,800 per year)
• Equipment at your disposal during employment (e.g., high-end laptop, mobile and mobile subscription)
• NOK 50,000 per year to support travel to conferences and other running costs
• Free health insurance, travel insurance, and pension plan
• Strong labour laws (e.g., fully paid parental and sick leaves, 25 paid days of vacation and paid sick leave)

• Motivation letter for the position
• Approved diplomas and transcripts (in Scandinavian or English language)
• CV
• At least two references
• Master’s thesis
• A project proposal of up to 4 pages (max. 2,000 words, excluding references), written in English, outlining the candidate’s intended PhD research in relation to the described PhD project, including background, relevant literature, objectives, methods and expected contributions

Admission to the PhD programme is a requirement for taking up a position as a research fellow. The application must be submitted to the School of Doctoral Studies within three months of the start date. For more information, see the Regulations relating to conditions of appointment for research fellowships: https://lovdata.no/forskrift/2024-06-28-1392/§3-19.

The PhD fellowship period is 3 years, and the earliest start date is 01.09.2026.

Working place is the School of Health Sciences. The school is located in Oslo, with numerous amenities, recreational spaces and urban fun right next door.

Kristiania University of Applied Sciences welcomes and encourages applications from diverse backgrounds. Women and persons with minority backgrounds are particularly encouraged to apply.

For more information about Kristiania, visit: https://www.kristiania.no. To learn more about the PhD in Applied Information Technology, visit: https://www.kristiania.no/en/research/phd.

If you have questions regarding the project, please contact Johannes Gjerstad.

If you have questions regarding the PhD programme, please contact Asle Fagerstrøm.

Application deadline:

02.03.2026.

Only applications received through our application portal will be considered.

We use Semac background checks in our recruitment process.

The employment is to be made in accordance with the regulation to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who, by assessment of the application and attachments, are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to Kristiania.