Job ID: 123280

PhD Student

Position: Ph.D. Student

Deadline: 30 June 2025

Employment Start Date: 1 October 2025

Contract Length: 4 years

City: Krakow

Country: Poland

Institution: Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland

Department: Affective Cognitive Neuroscience

Description:

📢 PhD Position Available

Research project: A translational study on the impact of chronic pain and alcohol consumption on changes in the cerebral cortex and the gut-brain axis, with consideration of gender perspectives.

Where: Affective Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland

Duration: 4 years (starting October 1, 2025)

🔬 About the project

This PhD position is part of a larger research consortium, in collaboration with institutes in France and Spain, investigating the complex relationship between chronic pain and alcohol misuse. A central objective is to explore how pain may increase vulnerability to excessive alcohol consumption by altering gut-brain axis function, emotional states, and behavior.

The doctoral research will combine behavioral experiments in animal models with online studies in human participants, offering a translational framework that bridges neurobiology and psychological processes relevant to addiction and pain.

🧪 Who are we looking for

Minimum requirements:

  • Master’s degree in biology, neuroscience, psychology, or similar;
  • strong command of English (minimum B2 level);
  • willingness to work with laboratory animals (rats).

Preferred qualifications:

  • knowledge of Polish (optional but helpful);
  • experience in working with lab animals;
  • proficiency in statistics and tools such as SPSS, R, or GraphPad Prism;
  • experience in conducting online behavioral studies;
  • basic skills in mathematical modeling;
  • confidence in presenting research (e.g., at national/international conferences).

 Passion matters more than perfection

  • You don’t need to be an expert in everything from the start.
    We’re seeking curious, motivated candidates who are eager to learn, grow, and make a meaningful contribution to science. If you want to work on research that truly matters, join us!

 

 

🧪 Role and responsibilities

The PhD student will be involved in:

  • conducting behavioral and pharmacological experiments in a rodent model,
  • performing online human studies,
  • analyzing data
  • manuscript preparation.

The doctoral dissertation will be based on three scientific publications produced during the project.

🎓 What we offer

  • competitive scholarship – available upon successful admission to the doctoral school
  • mentorship by a main supervisor and two co-supervisors — experts in animal behavior and online studies,
  • access to modern research infrastructure,
  • participation in national and international conferences,
  • a supportive, interdisciplinary, and collaborative research environment.

📄 How to apply

Send your application by June 30, 2025, including:

  • a CV (with relevant academic and research experience),
  • a brief motivation letter (max. 1 A4 page),
  • optional reference letters.

 

📧 Submit your documents to:

rygula@gmail.com