We are looking for someone who has or will soon defend their thesis, with previous education in statistics, data processing and/or bioinformatics, to contribute to research on brain diseases. You will work relatively independently as a postdoc, in a group conducting research on Parkinson’s disease and other alpha-synucleinopathies, such as multiple system atrophy (MSA) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). We want to find out what causes these diseases, how they lead to dementia, how they affect the brain and brain synapses and, if possible, how they can be cured.
www.umu.se/forskning/grupper/david-backstrom-lab/
Description of the project
The research group currently consists of 4-6 individuals in collaboration with, among others, the sections of Neurology, Pathology, Imaging and Functional Medicine at Norrland University Hospital (NUS), as well as the Department of Psychology at Umeå University. The group currently includes a group leader, a doctoral student, a postdoctoral fellow, a research nurse and, in addition, several affiliated researchers and students. Our research ranges from clinical patient studies, to studies involving cerebrospinal fluid, genetics and lifestyle factors in patients, down to molecular genetics and biochemical aspects of Parkinson’s disease and other alpha-synucleinopathies. A major focus is on studies of genetics and lifestyle factors in people affected by these currently incurable diseases, to understand what causes them. This research is conducted both by analyses of patients and molecular biological data collected on site, locally in Umeå and Västerbotten, and in international databases in collaboration with different research groups, which means that new knowledge can be secured through many observations from different geographical regions.
Work responsibilities
We offer a stimulating and interesting job where you will work together with doctoral students and affiliated researchers in various research projects. The tasks mainly consist of data analysis of existing health data, risk factors and genetic data and writing research reports for international journals. You will work with statistics, data processing and bioinformatics to investigate how risk factors interact in the onset of Parkinson’s disease and other alpha-synucleinopathies. The work may include working with researchers to assist in the development of new and existing methods for data analysis, and to some extent also work on the management and analysis of sample collections from patients. Methods include analysis of genetic data, brain imaging, health data, and protein biochemistry using statistical programs, such as R, SPSS, or similar programming languages. Statistical methods used are survival analysis, regression analysis, and analyses of associations between brain disease and various health data in databases. Administrative tasks may also be included. You will work under supervision but with some independence with the research.
Eligibility
A person who has been awarded a doctorate or a foreign qualification deemed to be the equivalent of a doctorate in medicine, epidemiology, statistics, or a similar field is eligible for appointment as postdoctoral researcher. This eligibility requirement must be met no later than the time at which the appointment decision is made.
Additional useful qualifications
We are looking for someone who has an interest in research and with previous experience in statistical processing of data, such as analysis of genetic data, health data and protein biochemistry with the help of statistical programs. You should have training in statistics, data processing and/or bioinformatics, and experience in these areas as well as in research in neurodegenerative diseases or synapse biology is meritorious.
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.
The work requires good collaboration skills, accuracy, creativity, initiative, flexibility, and an ability to plan and work independently, as well as good writing abilities in English. That you can express yourself well in speech and writing in both Swedish and English is a requirement. Great emphasis will be placed on personal suitability
More information about the position
The appointment is a full-time, fixed-term position for two years in accordance with the terms of contract for fixed-term employment as a postdoctoral researcher from 1 February 2022.
More information about the group’s research can be found on our website www.umu.se/forskning/grupper/david-backstrom-lab/
For further information about the position, please contact David Bäckström, Intuition for Clinical Science, Umeå University, david.backstrom@umu.se
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 certificates from doctoral studies and other relevant degrees
- Contact information for two reference persons
The application must be written in Swedish or English. The application must be made via our e-recruitment system Varbi and be received no later than 11 august 2024.
We look forward to receiving your application!
