Postdoctoral position in neuroscience

The Department of Diagnostics and Intervention is looking for up to two postdoctoral research fellows for projects focusing on imaging of brain plasticity, with applications towards aging and dementia. The research is performed in a multidisciplinary environment, and candidates from different backgrounds are welcome to apply.

Description of the project

You will join the Umeå University priority research area Learning and Brain Plasticity throughout the Lifespan. Brain plasticity is the foundation for memory functions. Brain plasticity can be impaired in aging and neurodegenerative diseases, and it can also vary among healthy individuals. We still have limited insights into the factors that promote and constrain brain plasticity. This project will contribute new insights by developing and using brain imaging methods as a window into human brain plasticity. Projects will combine new data acquisition with analysis of existing datasets, and may leverage: MRI (structural, diffusion, and functional), PET (e.g., targeting synaptic plasticity), Behavioral and cognitive assessments, and Longitudinal and large-scale datasets to identify signatures of maintained brain function in ageing.

You will collaborate closely with researchers across neuroscience, psychology, biomedical engineering, and clinical disciplines and will be involved in human lab experiments. Specific aims will be shaped jointly with supervisors, aligning with your expertise and the needs of the program. Core tasks include study design, data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of imaging data.

Work responsibilities

An appointment as a postdoctoral fellow aims to give the employee an early opportunity to develop independence as a researcher after completing his or her doctorate and to create the conditions for further qualifications. The postdoctoral fellow will potentially be given the option to teach on undergraduate and advanced levels.

Eligibility

The candidate is required to have a Ph.D. degree in a relevant area, and expertise in quantitative research design and statistical analysis, preferably in neuroscience, medical imaging, biomedical engineering, or related/close fields. In ranking qualified applicants, special consideration will be given to experience with brain imaging techniques. The position further requires that the applicant is proficient in academic written and spoken English.

Additional useful qualifications

Since appointment as a postdoctoral researcher is a career-development position for junior researchers, we are primarily interested in applicants who completed their doctoral degree no more than three years before the application deadline. If there are special reasons, an applicant who has completed their degree earlier than that may be considered. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, clinical practice, appointments of trust for a trade union organisation or other similar circumstances, and for relevant duties/assignments within the subject area.

More information about the position

The positions are two-year full-time with a focus on research and a maximum of 20 percent teaching, in accordance with the terms of contract for fixed-term employment as a postdoctoral researcher.

You will be an integral part of UFBI (Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging), which offers state-of-the-art MRI and PET facilities and strong methodological support. The project is embedded within the Umeå University profile area Learning and Brain Plasticity throughout the Lifespan, a network of 20 principal investigators across three faculties (overall lead: Prof. Lars Nyberg; sub-project lead: Assoc. Prof. Anders Wåhlin). Work on existing databases to identify individuals with maintained brain function in ageing is conducted in collaboration with Prof. Erik Westman at Karolinska Institutet.

Application

The application must include:

• A brief description of your research interests and a statement describing why you are interested in the position.
• CV
• List of publications
• Degree certificate from doctoral studies and other relevant degrees
• Contact details of two reference persons

The application must be written in Swedish or English andmust be made via our e-recruitment system Varbi latest 16 January 2026.

We look forward to receiving your application!