Job ID: 122890

Several PhD stipends at the Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP)

Position: Ph.D. Student

Deadline: 6 June 2025

Employment Start Date: 1 September 2025

City: Aalborg

Country: Denmark

Institution: Aalborg University

Department: The Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP)

Description:

 Are  you enthusiastic about basic human pain research? The Center for  Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP) at Aalborg University is recruiting  several PhD fellows, to start 1st of September 2025 or soon hereafter.
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Who are we? CNAP strive to identify and modulate key features of human pain  neuroplasticity and its relevance for persistent pain in humans. CNAP is a research Center of Excellence inauguratDaed by the Danish  National Research Foundation at Aalborg University, Denmark  (www.cnap.hst.aau.dk). CNAP applies a basic research approach where new  advanced biomedical provocation and probing platforms are being  discovered and applied to study novel aspects of the human pain  neuroplasticity. The ambition of CNAP is to identify and modulate key  features of human pain neuroplasticity through a systematic approach,  including provoking, probing and modulation of the dynamic neuroplastic  properties of the pain system. We believe that this approach over time  will foster new fundamental discoveries and change the state of the art  and offer novel ways for pain treatment.
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Our world class lab facilities  enable advanced quantitative sensory/pain testing, application of  advanced neurophysiological techniques (e.g. EEG, TMS, TMS-EEG, rTMS,  HD-tDCS), bio-medical techniques (e.g. linked with epigenetics and  general biomarkers), quantitative sensory testing (QST) as well as  research based on animal models (e.g. rodents and pigs). CNAP is a dynamic and international research environment: approximately  60% of our staff is international, with an almost 50-50% gender  balance. Our working language is English, and you will also be writing  your thesis in English. We are highly interdisciplinary and include  experts within e.g. biomedical engineering, neuropsychology,  pharmacology, biophysics, and medicine with industrial specialisation,  and medicine. You will thus be joining an inspiring, enriching, and  productive cross-disciplinary research centre including staff with  internationally recognized track records. CNAP is affiliated to the Department of Health Science and Technology  at the Faculty of Medicine, which does multidisciplinary research and  teaching in the area of health science and technology (e.g. medicine and  biomedical engineering). The strategic focus of the department is to be  leading within digital health and being well-known for medical doctors  and engineers collaboratively developing solutions together. The  department has more than 250 employees and is responsible for more than  1700 students.
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Working at CNAP CNAP offers several PhD scholarships for exploring neuroplasticity and  pain. You will be involved in our frontline research to identify novel  mechanisms involved in the dynamics of pain neuroplasticity, and our  efforts to advance the understandings of this topic within the academic  world and beyond. Specifically, you will be focusing on the topic of  Brain Neuro-Adaptability to Pain, in particular brain oscillations in  pain conditions and non-invasive brain stimulation. PhD projects are  part of our Lundbeck Professorhip grant, which you can learn more about  here: https://www.cnap.hst.aau.dk/lundbeck-professorship
 
As a PhD fellow your tasks include:
  • Conduct research under the supervision of senior CNAP staff members.
  • Write up research results in the form of journal articles and book chapters.
  • Participate in and sometimes co-arrange national and international  research conferences and be exposed to external research environments as  e.g. a visiting researcher.
  • Disseminate the results of your research to the public.
  • Follow Ph.D. training courses.
  • Participate in the day-to-day life of the Center (e.g. research meetings, Round Table Meetings, seminars, social activities).
  • Develop a solid background in pain neuroscience that will allow you  to foster a curious and critical sense to analyse and interpret  scientific information.
 
We support students who have an ambition to conduct frontline research We are committed to offering our PhD fellows the best possible research  training. As a PhD fellow you will join Aalborg University’s Doctoral  School in in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology with more than  150 enrolled PhD students. In addition to getting first class  supervision from your supervisors who will guide you in the process of  conducting and completing your PhD project, you will have access to a  range of different PhD courses. Some will be of specific scientific  relevance to your own project, while others will be of a more general  character offering you training in transferable skills such as  communication, research, and project management. Your scientific  education will be supplemented with participation in joint events like  journal clubs, workshops, and symposia. You will be offered relevant  collaborative research training and/or research visits to external  research centres outside Denmark.You will join a research team, which is a larger group of colleagues  (PhD students, post-doc researchers, and professors) who share your  primary research interest. This gives ample opportunity for sparring and  deep discussions. We strive to foster a friendly and supportive working  environment, believing that this is the best way to ensure world class  scientific results. Please see CNAP webpage for a video of PhD life at  CNAP: https://www.cnap.hst.aau.dk/
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The PhD scholarships include:
  • A competitive salary, enabling you to enjoy living and working in a  growing, exiting and centrally located European city, Aalborg, Denmark.
  • Covered university fees.
  • Danish health insurance.
  • Research costs for your projects.
  • Travel funds for you to present your work at scientific conferences.
  • Opportunity to travel and visit our research collaboration partners.
  • A shared office for you to focus your research activities.
  • Computer and other practical office necessities.
  • Access to well-equipped laboratories.
  • Guidance on re-location to Aalborg, Denmark.
Who are you?
CNAP recruits highly qualified and committed candidates worldwide who  demonstrate great research potential. We expect that our PhD fellows  will serve as first movers in a new generation of researchers capable of  exploiting the synergies between different research disciplines and  technologies. You will be part of an endeavour to optimize and boost  innovation and advance the scientific area of biomedical and neural  engineering together with basic and integrative neuroscience within the  CNAP research groups. You hold a master’s degree in in biomedical  engineering, neuroscience, pharmacology, medicine, neuroscience,  medicine with industrial specialisation or equivalent with the prospect  of pursuing studies on human pain neuroplasticity utilizing biomedical  technologies (e.g. quantitative assessment of brain oscillations and  non-invasive brain stimulation) and human pain biomarkers. Previous  research experience on fundamental pain mechanisms and their clinical  impact is an advantage, but not a requirement. As English is our working  language, it is necessary that you have a high level of proficiency  (orally and written) in English. Good dissemination skills are  important.
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Qualification requirements
PhD stipends are  allocated to individuals who hold a Master’s degree. PhD stipends are  normally for a period of 3 years. It is a prerequisite for allocation of  the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at   the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology in  accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 1039 of August  27, 2013 on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher  Artistic Educational Institutions. According to the Ministerial Order,  the progress of the PhD student shall be assessed at regular points in  time.
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How to apply Your application must include the following:
  • A CV (e.g. using the EU model). Clearly stating your educational  background, experience, techniques, language skills and other skills or  experiences relevant for this position.
  • A motivation letter (Enter your motivation for joining CNAP; Please  present yourself in few words – this includes a description of how you  intend to succeed in pain neuroscience and why you are a good match with  CNAP; We ask you to briefly describe your work within neuroscience  until now, focusing on methods you have used yourself).
  • English language proficiency level if English is not your first or second language. Recommendation letter(s) from a previous mentor or supervisor  (Alternatively, provide names and e-mail addresses of 1-2 academic  referees).
  • A list of the main publications and presentations of research output.
  • List up to 2 scientific papers that you find especially noteworthy  and interesting for the relevant project:  brain oscillations in pain  conditions and non-invasive brain stimulation. Explain why you have  chosen these papers and why you find them interesting (max. 1 page). To  be uploaded under “project description”.
  • Diplomas (bachelor and master’s degree diploma) The application must be submitted via Aalborg University’s  recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on  Aalborg University’s website.Aalborg University wants to reflect the surrounding society and has  diversity as a core value. Therefore, everyone, regardless of personal  background and orientation, is encouraged to apply for the position.
Do you have any questions? 
If  you have any questions about the position, you are more than welcome to  contact us. You will find contact persons at the bottom of the jobpost. Further information  We recommend that you save a copy of the job posting, as it will be removed once the application deadline has passed.The assessment of candidates for the position will be carried out by qualified experts.
 

Shortlisting will be applied. This means that after the application  deadline, the head of the department, with the assistance of the hiring  committee, will select the applicants to be assessed. All applicants  will be informed whether they have been shortlisted for assessment or  not.The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk  assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new  hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace.

Read more about The Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology

 
Salary and terms of employment
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Aalborg University – Knowledge for the world Aalborg University is an international workplace with more than 3,700  employees. We offer real-world-oriented education and create world-class  research results through collaboration between researchers, students,  and public and private companies. This is how we achieve insights, new  solutions to societal problems, and knowledge that changes the world.  Our main campus is in Aalborg, but we also have campuses in Esbjerg and  Copenhagen.
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Contacts
Professor Thomas Graven-Nielsen: tgn@hst.aau.dk PhD administrator Ruth Klitte: rk@adm.aau.dk
 
Ref. number
2025/107
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Application deadline
06.06.2025