Postdoctoral Researcher in Pain Chronotherapies
The Faculty of Medicine invites applications for a fixed-term position of
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER IN PAIN CHRONOTHERAPIES
The University of Helsinki is one of the leading universities in Nordics and Europe and an international scientific community of 40,000 students and researchers. Position of postdoctoral researcher is available at the Translational Pain Research group at Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, led by Docent Dr. Vinko Palada. Our team investigates circadian regulation of chronic pain and associated comorbidities by using the state-of-the-art methods such as high-throughput omics, molecular biology, drug library screens, characterization of the patient cohorts and the functional studies in experimental models. This is a new and exciting research field, with the goals to revolutionize our understanding of pain mechanisms and to develop new chronotherapies for pain relief. The group closely collaborates with Helsinki University Hospital and Karolinska Institute, Sweden.
Job description and key requirements:
We have recently characterised the effects of analgesics on sleep architecture and circadian rhythms under neuropathic pain conditions. Therefore, researcher will have an opportunity to join the already established project or initiate their own project within the main research areas of the group (comorbidity between sleep disorders and pain, circadian regulation of pain and pain chronotherapies). We are looking for an ambitious early career researcher with advanced analytical and problem-solving skills. The successful applicant has at least two first authorship publications and a PhD degree in neuroscience, biology, chronobiology, pharmacology, sleep medicine or other related discipline. Previous experience with drug screens, EEG recordings, neuronal cell lines and animal models are considered a strong merit for this position. Excellent communication and writing skills in English and ability to work in the international team setting are expected. The successful applicant will take part in experiments, supervision of students, drafting of the manuscripts and funding applications.
The degree requirement must be met by the beginning of the employment. The chosen applicant is expected to reside in Finland while employed by the University of Helsinki.
Application requirements:
Application should include the following documents:
1) CV (Europass CV template highly recommeded),
2) motivation letter (1 page description of how you would utilise your research skills in our group and what kind of research projects you would like to pursue),
3) list of publications and
4) two reference contacts
Application documents should be submitted as a single PDF file to the University of Helsinki electronic recruitment system, by clicking on the ‘Apply for position’ button. Internal applicants (i.e., current employees of the University of Helsinki) submit their applications by using the Employee Login button.
Deadline for application is Friday April 18th, 2025 and position will be filled as soon as the suitable applicant is found.
For further information, please contact Dr. Vinko Palada (vinko.palada@helsinki.fi).
The University of Helsinki welcomes applicants of any gender and age, linguistic or cultural background, or minority group.
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Contract and work benefits:
Employment is expected to start on May 1st 2025 as fixed 1-year position, with a possibility of prolongation. A six-month trial period will be applied. The initial salary is according to the salary system of the Finnish universities.
The University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care and health insurance, unemployment and pension fund, a generous holiday package, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers.
In 2024, Finland has been ranked as the happiest country in the world for 7th time in a row according to the annual World Happiness Report and was recently rated as the best country in the world for expat families. For more information about working at the University of Helsinki and living in Finland, please see https://www.helsinki.fi/en/university/working-at-the-university.