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Doctoral position in Medical Science

Project title: Regulation of respiratory mucus in disease

The Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition is located at the Institute of Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. At the Department, research in several different areas are conducted, such as endocrinology, hematology, gastroenterology, hypertension, pulmonary medicine and allergology and clinical nutrition. Research is focused on body composition and energy metabolism. Research is conducted in close cooperation with health care at both the Sahlgrenska University Hospital and Mölndal hospital.

General information about being a doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg can be found on the university's doctoral student pages https://www.gu.se/en/doctoral-studies

Duties   

Doctoral education in Medical Science comprises carrying out a scientific project and completing at least 30 credits of courses at third-cycle level. The doctoral student must also write a scientific compilation thesis or monograph corresponding to at least 120 credits. For more information about third-cycle studies at Sahlgrenska Academy, see https://www.gu.se/en/sahlgrenska-akademin/doctoral-studies

Project: Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory disease that affects 8% of the population in Sweden. Inflammatory signals in the lungs drive the development of goblet cells that produce mucus in the airways. Mucus is a fundamental defense system that functions by capturing particles and pathogens in inhaled air to transport it out of the lungs. In lung diseases such as asthma, overproduction of mucus leads to airway plugging which impairs airflow. Increased lung mucus has long been considered a central feature of asthma pathogenesis, however, it is currently not clear how mucus affects disease progression of asthma beyond airway obstruction. Specifically, how molecular changes in mucus and mucus-producing goblet cells shape the immune system of the lungs, including reactions to airborne allergens, remain unclear.

The goal of the project is to identify signaling pathways that regulate mucus production in goblet cells and determine how changes in mucus affect the immune system in the lungs. Cell cultures of airway epithelium, experimental mouse models of asthma, and clinical airway samples will be used. 

It is desirable that the applicant has documented practical experience of laboratory work. Experience of working with cell cultures, mouse models, flow cytometry and/or analysis of RNAs and proteins using molecular biology techniques is an advantage. Good abilities in English, both spoken and written, is necessary. The applicant is expected to be able to work independently but also collaborate with other researchers in a larger team. Great emphasis will be placed on personal suitability with regards to personal characteristics such as being structured, thorough and having problem-solving analytical abilities. 

Doctoral studies comprises four years of full-time study, and leads to a doctoral degree.  As part of your employment as a doctoral student, you may have departmental duties corresponding to up to 20 % of full-time employment, distributed throughout your study period, and result in a corresponding extension of the studies. Departmental duties usually consist of teaching at first- and second-cycle levels, but may also include research and administration.    

Eligibility   

Doctoral education requires general eligibility and, where appropriate, specific eligibility as set out in the general syllabus for the subject.  

The general eligibility requirements for doctoral studies are:    

1. having completed a degree at second-cycle level, or
2. the fulfilment of course requirements totalling at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits must be at second-cycle level, or  
3. the acquisition of equivalent knowledge in some other way, either in Sweden or abroad. 

Specific entry requirements for this subject, according to the general syllabus, are:

having successfully completed the English B/6 course or is considered to have acquired equivalent knowledge through previous studies. 

Assessment criteria    

The selection of applicants who meet the basic and specific eligibility requirements will be based on the ability to assimilate the doctoral studies. The assessment shall attach particular importance to documented qualifications for:

- specific knowledge and skills within the subject area and related research fields
- experience of scientific theory and relevant research methodology
- scientific analysis and presentation verified through an academic paper, degree project, scientific
journals or the like.   

Admission and employment   

Once you have been admitted to doctoral studies, you will be employed as a doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg. The provisions for employment as a doctoral student can be found in ordinance SFS 1993:100. Initial employment as a doctoral student may apply for a maximum of one year, and may be renewed by a maximum of two years at a time. A doctoral student may be employed as a doctoral student for a maximum of eight years, but the total period of employment may not be longer than the equivalent of full-time education at doctoral level for four years.   

Location: Sahlgrenska Academy, Institute of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition. Extent: 100%. First day of employment: as agreed.

The University applies a local agreement on salaries for doctoral students.

Please note, doctoral studies at the Institute of Medicine requires physical presence to conduct the studies. If the admitted applicant needs a residence permit for higher education to pursue studies in Sweden, the Institute of Medicine has the right to revoke the admission decision if the applicant cannot present a valid residence permit no later than at the start of the studies.  

Contact information 

For more information about the project please contact principal supervisor
Kristina Johansson, Associate Senior Lecturer, Institute of Medicine, 
phone: +46 760490607, e-mail: kristina.bc.johansson@gu.se 

Unions 

Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here:   
https://www.gu.se/om-universitetet/jobba-hos-oss/hjalp-for-sokande     

Application   

You can apply to be admitted to doctoral education via the University of Gothenburg’s recruitment portal. It is your responsibility to ensure that the application is complete as per this notice, and that the University receives it by the final application deadline.   

You must include the following, in pdf format

• Personal letter




• CV




• Diploma and transcripts showing that you meet with the general entry requirement




• Proof of completion of English 6 course or the acquired equivalent knowledge through previous studies

If your degree is from a university outside of Sweden, make sure that you attach a diploma and full transcripts that makes assessing your degree easier.  

If your degree has not been verified by a Swedish authority you need to provide contact details to the issuing university, registrar or similar, that can verify the degree at our request.

For information on what you need to submit in order to fulfill the English language requirement see https://www.universityadmissions.se/en/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/

Applications must be received by: 2025-05-20

Information for International Applicants 

Choosing a career in a foreign country is a big step. Thus, to give you a general idea of what we and Gothenburg have to offer in terms of benefits and life in general for you and your family/spouse/partner please visit: 

https://www.gu.se/en/about-the-university/welcome-services 
https://www.movetogothenburg.com/ 

The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.

Salaries are set individually at the University.

In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden’s regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.

In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.