PhD Research Fellowship

IMPROVISED MS - Improved visualization and detection of chronic active lesions with advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Oslo University Hospital (OUH) 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.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the major imaging modality of choice for persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Advanced MRI techniques have particularly contributed to improved diagnostic brain imaging of degenerative, inflammatory, vascular, and neoplastic diseases. OUH has comprehensive clinical activity in the field of central nervous system disorders, with well-established and internationally recognized MS research activity.

The project:
Pathology studies have documented the presence of chronic inflammatory activity in some MS lesions, with activation of local microglia and macrophages, and shown that this chronic activity causes irreversible tissue damage. While microglia regulate central nervous system (CNS) growth and integrity in healthy individuals, a pro-inflammatory state of these cells is upregulated in chronic active MS lesions. Until recently, studying this process has been limited to biopsy/autopsy studies or Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging with radiotracers, which is costly, time-consuming and involves ionizing radiation. The more recent Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) is a non-ionizing and non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method that both visualizes iron deposition and gives an indirect measurement of chronic lesion activity in pwMS, whereas conventional MRI sequences only capture new inflammation. In addition to being very sensitive to iron and demyelination, QSM produces quantitative measures of the change in susceptibility due to these destructive processes. The project will focus on QSM as a biomarker of chronic active lesions in MS, and use it to evaluate treatment response in pwMS treated with high-efficacy therapies, and with hematopoietic stem cell therapy (HSCT). All the different imaging data are under collection, so the PhD candidate will have data to work on right away.

There will also be opportunities for close national and international collaborationthrough our partners. Especially, there will be an opportunity to apply for anECTRIMS-MAGNIMS Research Fellowship Program for international collaboration anda research period abroad with selected research groups. A full projectdescription can be forwarded by request.

Oslo University Hospital is a workplace with great diversity. We believe this is a key quality to perform the tasks required of us. Therefore, we pursue diversity also among our job applicants and encourage everyone to apply regardless of who you are and what background you have.

Work tasks

A full-time three-year PhD Research Fellowship is available at the Department of Physics and Computational Imaging (FBA), OUH. The PhD Fellow will be a member of relevant research groups at OUH, providing a good research environment. The project is embedded in the multiple sclerosis (MS) research group at the hospital (https://www.ous-research.no/ims), where the PhD Fellow will be a member, and work in close collaboration with clinicians and researchers, also from the other MS research groups (https://www.ous-research.no/ms/). At our hospital, we have established a multi-disciplinary MS-MRI team of neurologists, neuro-radiologists and physicists, which all are represented in the supervisory team. We are looking for a candidate with a particular interest in advanced MRI imaging and MS research, who would like to work with MRI data analysis and radiological interpretation, either by him/herself, or in close collaboration with neuro-radiologists. We can offer a workplace together with other PhD candidates at the neuro-radiological department at Ullevål hospital, where the project is organised (OUH - Radiology & Nuclear Medicine (https://www.ous-research.no/)).

Qualifications

Required qualifications:

• Obtained an MD degree and preferably experience within radiology/neuroradiology
• A special interested in neuroimaging/MRI of neurological diseases
• Excellent oral and written skills in English
  

Personal skills

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 workplace in an inclusive working life enterprise
• Salary according to current agreements