Job ID: 121250

Postdoctoral studies in Computational Neuroscience – Stagkourakis Lab

Position: Post-doctoral Position

Deadline: 2 February 2025

City: Stockholm

Country: Sweden

Institution: Karolinska Institute & SciLifeLab

Department: Neuroscience

Description:

Do you want to contribute to top quality research? The Stagkourakis lab, located in state-of-the-art facilities at the interface of Karolinska Institute and the Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab) in Stockholm, is recruiting for a postdoctoral position in computational neuroscience. The lab operates within a highly interdisciplinary, world-class environment for neuroscience research – the Department of Neuroscience at Karolinska Institute – and is part of SciLifeLab, a Swedish national center for large-scale research in molecular biosciences. The aim of the lab is to advance our understanding of the neural basis of prototypical behaviors, including instinctual and homeostatic behaviors such as aggression, fear, food, and water intake. Primary computational approaches in the lab include large-scale data analysis, graph-theoretic modeling, neural population dynamics, and diverse machine learning techniques applied to neural and behavioral data.

Applicants must submit their application through Varbi. For a brief overview of the lab and related publications to the lab’s research program, visit: https://www.scilifelab.se/researchers/stefanos-stagkourakis/.

Division. The Department of Neuroscience at Karolinska Institute hosts 35 research groups and teams dealing with different aspects of nervous system function, both under normal conditions and during disease: https://ki.se/en/neuro/research/group-leaders-at-the-department-of-neuroscience.
SciLifeLab is a national resource of unique technologies and expertise available to life scientists, closely intertwined with the community of researchers in areas such as biomedicine, ecology, and evolution. Its purpose is to bring scientists together across traditional boundaries and foster collaborations with industry, healthcare, public research organizations, and international partners: https://www.scilifelab.se/.

Candidate’s profile. Research in our lab integrates computational and experimental approaches, making us open to individuals from diverse backgrounds. A strong foundation in quantitative fields (e.g., mathematics, computer science, physics, engineering) or prior experience in computational neuroscience, machine learning, or data science is essential. Candidates are expected to demonstrate previous productivity, often by publications, but not exclusively.

Candidates with demonstrated expertise in at least one, but ideally more, of the following domains are invited to apply:

  • Analysis of large-scale neural and behavioral datasets, including neural recordings (e.g., electrophysiology and/or imaging data).
  • Application of machine learning or statistical models to biological data.
  • Graph-theoretic modeling of neural or behavioral networks.
  • Neural population dynamics and dimensionality reduction techniques.
  • Development of custom algorithms or pipelines for data analysis.
  • Experience with programming languages such as Python, MATLAB, or R.
  • Familiarity with neural data formats and platforms, such as DataJoint or Bonsai.
  • Collaboration with experimental researchers to design integrative projects.

What we provide. A creative and inspiring environment with wide-ranging expertise and interests. Karolinska Institute (KI) is one of the world’s leading medical universities. At KI, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. Here, you will meet researchers working across a wide range of methodologies, offering ample opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations.

The Stagkourakis lab will provide comprehensive training in scientific and technical skills. In addition to developing your computational expertise, we mentor postdocs in writing research proposals and papers, analyzing and presenting data, giving talks, and supervising students. Our collaborative culture emphasizes learning and teaching within the lab. Postdocs will also benefit from exposure to the vibrant Neuroscience community at KI and the support of outstanding technical teams at KI and SciLifeLab. This includes access to expertise in bioinformatics, data science, machine learning-based techniques.

Required academic qualifications. Scholarships for postdoctoral qualification can be established for foreign researchers who place their qualifications in Sweden. The purpose of scholarships for postdoctoral qualification is to promote internationalization and contribute to research qualification after a doctorate or equivalent. A scholarship for carrying out postdoctoral research can be granted for a maximum of two years within a four-year period following the receipt of a doctoral degree or equivalent.

To be eligible for a postdoctoral scholarship, the person must have obtained a doctorate or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a doctorate. Applicants who have not completed a doctorate at the end of the application period may also apply, provided that all requirements for a completed degree are met before the (intended) start date of the post-doctoral education. The head of the department determines whether their previous training and scholarly qualifications correspond to a Swedish doctorate or higher.

 

The Stagkourakis Lab is located at Biomedicum and SciLifeLab, at the Karolinska Institute Solna Campus:

Biomedicum, Dept. of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Solnavägen 9, 171 65 Solna
SciLifeLab, Gamma 5, Tomtebodavägen 23, 171 65 Solna