PhD Research Fellowship in advanced imaging research for people with multiple sclerosis (MS)

Oslo University Hospital with more than 24 000 employees is a learning and forward-thinking organization. We have a leading role in the development of research and innovation, as well as the development of tomorrow's healthcare, precision medicine and treatment. Here you will find some of Norway's leading experts in their fields, and be part of the largest health care workplace in the country. Our work environment is characterized by openness and respect. Regardless of educational background or experience, you will have the opportunity to develop and use your expertise in a place where it really matters.

The Neurology Department at Oslo University Hospital is the country's largest neurological department with three inpatient wards, a clinical neurophysiology laboratory, and operations at both Ullevål and Rikshospitalet. The department is responsible for patients with all neurological diagnoses and has a special focus on stroke, movement disorders, epilepsy, MS, ALS, pain, headache, cognition, and hereditary disorders. The department has a very high level of clinical and research activity.

A full time three-year PhD Research Fellowship is available at the Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital. The position will be available from 01.09.2024. The PhD Fellow will be a member the Imaging studies of MS research group at the Neuroscience Research Unit, situated at Domus Medica 4 at Gaustad in Oslo. The project involves collaboration with researchers and clinicians from the other MS research groupsat the Department of Neurology, the Multimodal Imaging group at NORMENT, University of Oslo (https://www.med.uio.no/norment/english/research/groups/multimodal-imaging/) and CRAI.

In assessing the candidate, particular emphasis will be placed on academic qualifications, the candidate’s fit with the project team and personal motivation to complete a PhD. The candidate will admit to the PhD program of the University of Oslo, which as main rule requires B or better on the master’s degree and C or better on average at Bachelor’s degree level (scale of the Norwegian education system).

The application must include:
Application letter describing the applicant’s qualifications and motivation for this Ph.D. fellowship position
CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
Copies of educational certificates, transcript of records and letters of recommendation, foreign diplomas must be translated into English by the degree-conferring institution.
Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University’s grading system. Please remember that all documents should be in English or a Scandinavian language.

In accordance with the University of Oslo’s equal opportunities policy, we invite applications from all interested individuals regardless of gender or ethnicity.

Application deadline 27.04.2024.

Tasks

The project:
The PhD research fellow will be working on the project “AIMS – Advanced Image Processing to Improve Multiple Sclerosis Treatment”. Brain scans have been a central focus of imaging-driven MS research, with an emphasis on identifying specific lesion features and establishing clinical correlations for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. Since people with MS who are treated with modern treatments rarely accumulate new lesions post-diagnosis, imaging research must adopt a more comprehensive approach that extends beyond traditional MS lesions. In this context, we propose leveraging imaging data (n=2000 subjects with MS and n=6000 brain scans) from our ongoing clinical trials, together with collected imaging cohorts over the past decade. Our approach involves advanced image processing and the latest artificial intelligence models, harmonized with leading research groups, to extract clinically relevant insights from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data for people with MS. This approach has the potential to address several critical issues and revolutionize the use of MRI data for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of MS. Our research group has active collaborations both internationally and nationally. Through these collaborations, we aim to identify innovative clinical MS correlates and gain insights into the clinico- radiological paradox, a known issue regarding the lack of robust associations between clinical and radiological markers in MS.

There will also be opportunities for close national and international collaboration through our partners. Especially, there will be an opportunity to apply for an ECTRIMS-MAGNIMS Research Fellowship Programme for international collaboration and a research period abroad with selected research groups. A full project description can be forwarded by request.The PhD research fellow will be working on the project “AIMS – Advanced Image Processing to Improve Multiple Sclerosis Treatment”.

Required qualifications

• Obtained a master's degree (total 120 ECTS) or currently working on finalizing their master thesis (at least 30 ECTS) in an area relevant to AIMS, or a foreign degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system.
• Demonstrated experience involving analyses of large and complex data sources (ie molecular or imaging data) and some proficiency in programming (R, python, jupyter)
• A research interest in deep learning, in at least one of its contributing fields of statistics, machine learning or traditional image processing
• Excellent oral and written skills in English.

Personal skill

We seek candidates who

• Are ambitious, motivated, open-minded, academically strong, creative and curious
• Have good collaborative skills and ability to work independently in a systematic and structured way
• Have strong problem-solving abilities
• Have good communication skills

We offer

• A welcoming and professionally stimulating research environment with opportunities for academic development
• Opportunities for national and international collaborations
• Membership in the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme, 2 % pension withdraw, group- and accident Insurance, as well as spare time insurance
• A work place in an inclusive working life enterprise
• Salary according to current agreements