Hyperspectral Nanoimaging of Alzheimer Pathology

The Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry is located at the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the Faculty of Health Care Sciences at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. At the Department research is conducted on human behaviour, neuropsychiatric processes as well as psychiatric treatment and diagnosis in close collaboration with Västra Götaland region and a number of international partners. We participate in the undergraduate programmes in Medicine and within The National Research School in Psychiatry/Southwest Sweden. At the Department there are some 15 research groups and four research centres.

Job assignments:
Third-cycle studies are equivalent to four year full-time and lead to a Degree of Doctor. Those appointed to doctoral studentships shall primarily devote themselves to their studies. Those appointed to doctoral studentships may, however, work to a limited extent with educational tasks, research and administration. Before a PhD degree has been awarded, duties of this kind may not comprise more than 20 per cent of a full-time post.

The PhD education in Medical Science comprise carrying out a scientific project and completing at least 30 credits of courses at third-cycle level. The doctoral student must also write a scientific compilation thesis or monograph corresponding to at least 120 credits. For more information about third-cycle studies at Sahlgrenska Academy, see https://medarbetarportalen.gu.se/sahlgrenskaakademin/forskarutbildning/languageId=100001

Project Description:
Current efforts of dealing with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pose an immense societal challenge, particularly as there are still no curative treatments as the pathogenic mechanisms of AD are not understood. The major hallmark of AD is the progressive accumulation of Aβ and hyperphosphorylated-tau protein, into intra- and extracellular deposits. Although Aβ has been suggested to be a critical inducer of seeding neurotoxic plaque and tangle pathology, the exact mechanisms underlying Aβ plaque pathology remain elusive. It is therefore critical to elucidate how Aβ is aggregating at the single cell level.

The major methodology in this research is based on molecular imaging using both super resolution microscopy and imaging mass spectrometry. The aim is to study chemical changes in brain tissue both in genetic mouse models of AD as well as in Alzheimer patients. The goal is to understand where, when and how Aβ peptides aggregate over time and build different plaque structures and cause neurotoxic effects downstream.

Eligibility:
To be eligible for third-cycle studies, the applicant must meet both the general and specific entry requirements.

A person meets the general entry requirements for third-cycle studies if he or she:
1. has been awarded a second-cycle qualification
2. has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle, or
3. has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad

A person meets the specific entry requirements for third-cycle studies in Medical Science if he or she: has successfully completed the English B/6 course or is considered to have acquired equivalent knowledge through previous studies

How to apply:
In order to apply for a position at the University of Gothenburg, you have to register an account in our online recruitment system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

You must include the following, in pdf format:

- Personal letter
- CV
- Diploma and transcripts showing that you meet with the general entry requirement
- Proof of completion of English 6 course or the acquired equivalent knowledge through previous studies
- If your degree is from a university outside of Sweden, check what you need to submit at https://www.universityadmissions.se/en/All-you-need-to-know1/Applying-for-studies/Documenting-your-eligibility-for-studies/Instructions-for-Masters-applicants/Specific-requirements-for-my-country1/ where you can also see what you need to submit in order to fulfill the English language requirement.

If your degree has not been verified by a Swedish authority you need to provide contact details to the issuing university, registrar or similar, that can verify the degree at our request.