PhD Position in Medical Science

Project Title: Development of Nucleic Acid-Based Techniques for Clinical Diagnostics

General information about what it means to be a PhD student at the University of Gothenburg can be found on the university's PhD pages here (https://www.gu.se/utbildning-till-att-bli-forskare).

Job Description

Education in medical science involves conducting a scientific project and participating in doctoral-level courses totaling at least 30 credits. The education concludes with the PhD student writing a scientific compilation thesis or a monograph equivalent to at least 120 credits. For more information about doctoral education at the Sahlgrenska Academy, see here (https://www.gu.se/sahlgrenska-akademin/var-forskarutbildning).

Project: Cancer is one of our most common diseases that can affect individuals of all ages. Treatment often involves a combination of therapies such as advanced surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Despite improved treatments, these are often prolonged and associated with severe side effects, making it important to tailor treatment to each individual patient's disease and needs. Today, it is difficult to track precisely how well a treatment is progressing and to detect early if cancer recurs or if other complications such as infections arise. These challenges can be addressed by analyzing cell-free DNA and RNA in blood samples. These measurements can provide insights into disease status, how different medications affect tumor cells, and whether treatment should be adjusted or terminated.

The goal of this project is to develop entirely new molecular techniques and contribute to a new research area that allows us to examine DNA and RNA molecules in detail, especially in blood samples. We are particularly focused on analyzing antisense oligonucleotides that can be used for targeted treatments in cancer care and other diseases. The methods will be developed and applied within basic research projects and clinical studies, eventually aiming for implementation in healthcare. A long-term goal is to personalize treatment for individual cancer patients and to reduce over- and under-treatment.

A PhD position is now being advertised within the research group led by Anders Ståhlberg at the Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research. The project will focus on developing innovative measurement techniques in molecular diagnostics and mapping the benefits of blood analyses in the treatment and follow-up of cancer patients. Within the project, the PhD student will work with molecular biological methods such as PCR, sequencing, and graphene-based measurement methods, bioinformatics, and handling experimental and clinical data. The project will be conducted in close collaboration with other researchers in academia, industry, and healthcare both nationally and internationally.

For more information about the research group's work, see: here (https://www.gu.se/forskning/anders-stahlberg).

Doctoral education comprises four years of full-time study and leads to a doctoral degree.

Admission and Employment

Once you have been admitted to doctoral education, you will receive a PhD position at the University of Gothenburg. Regulations for employment as a PhD student can be found in the ordinance SFS 1993:100. The first employment as a PhD student may last for a maximum of one year and may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time. A PhD student may be employed for a maximum of eight years, but the total employment period must not exceed what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for four years.

The position is an MSCA PhD position within a Marie Skłodowska Curie program with MSCA funding. To be granted MSCA funding, the applicant must not have resided in Sweden for studies or work for more than 12 months during the last 3 years at the time of application. The applicant must also not have worked in research for more than 4 years after their master's degree (equivalent full-time research experience) and must not have defended a thesis in any other field. PhD students employed through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie program will receive a salary according to the Marie Curie rules for PhD students during the grant period (36 months). This means that the gross salary (i.e., after deductions for employer contributions but including employee taxes) is approximately (depending on the exchange rate) 34,000 SEK/month (excluding any family allowance). During the remaining time of studies, the PhD student will be employed according to a standard PhD contract, according to the agreed salary scale for PhD students.

Location: Sahlgrenska Academy, Department of Biomedicine, Laboratory Science Division. Scope 100%. Start date by agreement.

The university applies a local agreement on salary setting for PhD students.

Contact Information for the PhD Position

If you have questions about the project, please contact the main supervisor, Anders Ståhlberg, Professor, Department of Biomedicine, email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]).

Application

For further information and to apply for the position, see the full advertisement here (https://www.gu.se/om-universitetet/jobba-hos-oss/lediga-anstallningar).

The application must be submitted by: 2026-02-10

The university actively works for a work environment with equal conditions and values the qualities that diversity brings to the organization.

The university applies individual salary setting.

According to the National Archives' regulations, the university is obliged to store application documents for two years after the appointment decision. If you, as an applicant for a position, specifically request the return of your documents, they will be sent back after the two years have passed; otherwise, they will be disposed of.

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