项目介绍

2026年11月1日

16th November 2026

Languages English

The Department of Biology has a vacancy for a

PhD Candidate in Zebrafish Neuroscience

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This is NTNU

NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim.

At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

About the position

Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities? As a PhD Candidate with us, you will work to achieve your doctorate, and at the same time gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education and research, in and outside academia.

The position is in the research group led by Dr Nathalie Jurisch-Yaksi, which consists of an international team of biologists and neuroscientists. The main scientific goal of our research group is to understand principles underlying brain development and function, with a strong emphasis on the role of glia, brain barriers and cerebrospinal fluid dynamics. More information is available at https://www.ntnu.edu/employees/nathalie.jurisch-yaksi.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About the project

The overall goal of this project is to uncover the biological mechanisms that promote resilience to adversity. Specifically, we aim to determine how non-neuronal processes, including brain barrier systems and glial cells, regulate neural circuits that enable adaptation to a wide range of challenges, including environmental and social stressors, injuries and diseases.

You will primarily work with zebrafish as an in vivo model system and employ a broad range of cutting-edge approaches, including genetics, omics technologies, histology, advanced microscopy, behavioral analysis, and computational data analysis. This multidisciplinary project offers the opportunity to gain expertise across multiple experimental and analytical techniques in a collaborative environment while contributing to fundamental discoveries in neuroscience.

Please read our recent publications to familiarize with research questions, techniques and approaches used in our research group.

Duties of the position

Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate

Carry out research of good quality and reproducibility within the framework described above

Disseminate research findings through academic publications and popular science outreach

Participate in research activities in the Jurisch-Yaksi group https://www.ntnu.edu/employees/nathalie.jurisch-yaksi

Participate in international activities including collaborations, workshops and conferences

A possibility of other career-promoting work can be decided together with the PhD candidate during the employment period.

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

You must have an academically relevant background within neuroscience.

You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty’s Doctoral Programme (link), see Section 6-1 of the PhD regulations for more information.

You must have a relevant Master’s degree in life science, neuroscience, or equivalent. Your degree must include a major independent project (minimum 30 ECTS) equivalent to a master’s thesis. The master’s degree must have been obtained by the time of application deadline.

You must have a strong and relevant academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master’s degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU’s grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you have a weaker academic background, you may be considered if you can document that you are exceptionally suited for a PhD education, for example through relevant work experience and/or peer-reviewed academic works.

Good oral and written presentation skills in English

The following expertise is required:

proven experience working with animals, preferably zebrafish

technical skills in laboratory work

skills in programming languages such as Matlab, Python or equivalent

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

Certification for animal experimentation (CareIn course in Norway or FELASA equivalent)

Proven experience working with zebrafish at various developmental stages

Technical skills in molecular and cellular biology, immunostaining, imaging and genetics

Prior experience in neuroscience research, including measuring animal behaviour and brain imaging

Hands-on experience in quantitative data analysis and data processing using programming languages.

Personal characteristics

To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to:

Work independently and in a cross-disciplinary team

Work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them

Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject

Analyze data, assess different perspectives and draw well-founded conclusions

Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

An exciting job with an important mission in s