at Umeå center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI) and related institutes/labs.
3-year researcher position in neuroimaging and cognitive change of aging
at Computational Radiology and Artificial Intelligence (CRAI), Oslo universitetssykehus HF
The shift to a biomarker-based definition of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has left a large, un-characterized group of older adults with clinically meaningful decline but negative amyloid/tau markers. Understanding, assessing, and managing decline in this population is both a scientific challenge and a pressing clinical need. This project, which is funded by Helse Sør-Øst, will systematically identify the mechanisms, risk factors, and intervention targets for cognitive decline in AD biomarker-negative older adults, translating findings into practical tools for healthcare. Objectives of the project relevant to this position include to develop a clinical phenotype classification for types and rates of decline and derive parallel brain-phenotype classifications aligned with cognitive subtypes, identifying risk and resilience factors for decline.
The aim of the project is to identify the mechanisms, risk factors, and intervention targets for cognitive decline in older adults who are negative for biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease, translating findings into practical tools for healthcare.
Doctoral (PhD) Position in Medical Science at Umeå University
The doctoral student will work on a research project on successful cognitive aging, aiming to identify and characterize older individuals with preserved memory and other cognitive functions. The main focus will be on biological blood-based biomarkers and brain imaging, although the project may also include other types of data such as lifestyle variables. The project is based on existing large-scale databases with extensive longitudinal data.
The doctoral student will be part of the research environment at the Umeå center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), and will also have the opportunity to engage with the research environment at the Department of Psychology at Umeå University.
Within the project, the doctoral student will manage, process, and analyze large datasets, including data from cognitive tests, blood biomarkers, and brain imaging. The position also includes conducting independent literature reviews and presenting scientific results in both written and oral formats.
The position leads to a doctoral degree, and the main responsibility of the doctoral student is to pursue their own doctoral education, including participation in research projects as well as doctoral courses, journal clubs, seminars, and related activities.
Projektet undersöker hur hjärnans GABA-system bidrar till regleringen av funktionella hjärnnätverk och kognitiv funktion genom vuxenlivet och åldrandet. Studien omfattar friska deltagare i åldern 30–90 år och kombinerar kognitiv testning, blodprovstagning och samtidig PET/MR-avbildning för att undersöka samband mellan GABA-signalering, hjärnans nätverksdynamik och kognitiv prestationsförmåga. Projektet syftar också till att öka förståelsen för varför kognitiv funktion bevaras hos vissa individer under åldrandet, medan andra uppvisar försämring eller tidiga tecken på neurodegenerativa förändringar.
Arbetsuppgifter Projektassistenten kommer att arbeta nära forskningsgruppen och bidra till datainsamling samt det praktiska genomförandet av projektet. Arbetsuppgifterna omfattar:
rekrytering av studiedeltagare
screening av deltagare enligt inklusions- och exklusionskriterier
genomförande av kognitiv testning
koordinering av deltagarbesök och studiesessioner
medverkan vid datainsamling relaterad till PET/MR
stöd vid datahantering, kvalitetskontroll och analys av PET/MR data
sammanställning av rapporter och forskningsdokumentation
Research Engineer to a project within neuropsychology at Göteborg University
The Learning and Plasticity (LEaP) Lab research focus lied in the use of ultra-high field MRI to investigate rapid structural brain plasticity during learning. We are seeking a Research Engineer to join our team. The position involves the development and optimization of analysis pipelines for ultra-high-field structural and functional MRI data.
Main responsibilities include: - Development and maintenance of MRI preprocessing and analysis pipelines (structural, functional, and diffusion MRI) - Adaptation and validation of methods for ultra-high-field (> 7 T) MRI - Implementation of automated workflows using Python and relevant neuroimaging toolboxes (e.g., FSL, SPM, Nilearn, SUITPy, Nighres) - Contributing to the interpretation and quality control of neuroimaging data in the context of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology - Collaborating with researchers and contributing to scientific publications and grant reporting
Required Qualifications A university degree (master's level or higher) in a relevant field such as medical physics, biomedical engineering, neuroscience, or equivalent is required. Applicants must have demonstrable experience with MRI data acquisition and/or analysis, and strong programming skills in Python. Excellent communication skills, written and spoken, in English are necessary since we work in an international environment.
PhD Position in Applied Physics with Specialization in Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience
at the Department of Applied Physics and Electronics.
We are recruiting a PhD student in Applied Physics with Specialization in Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience. The project aims to develop and apply advanced imaging approaches to study brain maintenance and resilience across the lifespan, with applications towards aging and dementia.
The project is part of the activities within the Umeå University priority research area Learning and Brain Plasticity throughout the Lifespan. A central goal within this initiative is to understand why some individuals maintain cognitive function and brain health during aging whereas others develop cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disease. Despite major advances in neuroscience, important mechanisms underlying maintained brain function remain poorly understood.
