项目介绍

2026年5月22日

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 58 000 students and 6800 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

At the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, at the Sahlgrenska Academy, we conduct research and education covering a wide range of knowledge areas. The institute comprises five different departments: Clinical Neuroscience, Health and Rehabilitation, Pharmacology, Physiology as well as Psychiatry and Neurochemistry.

The Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher position at the Department of Pharmacology.

The position is linked to a research project within the Molecular Neuroscience and Pharmacology research group led by Francesco Longo. The research group focuses on the molecular, cellular, and circuit mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders.

Current projects investigate basal ganglia-related dysfunction, with a particular focus on cortico-striatal and dopaminergic circuitry and their contribution to repetitive behaviours, behavioral inflexibility, and compulsive-like phenotypes in fragile X syndrome and autism spectrum disorders. A central aim is to understand how dysfunction in the autophagy-lysosome pathway within dopaminergic neurons contributes to behavioral inflexibility in fragile X syndrome, and how pharmacological modulation of these molecular and circuit-level mechanisms may provide novel therapeutic strategies for neurodevelopmental disorders.

Using mouse models in combination with behavioral, molecular, electrophysiological, and circuit-level analyses, the research examines how impaired cellular clearance mechanisms affect dopamine signaling and basal ganglia function. The work integrates molecular neuroscience, synaptic biology, systems neuroscience, and preclinical pharmacology to evaluate how disrupted intracellular signaling contributes to repetitive and inflexible behaviours, as well as to assess the efficacy and mechanisms of potential therapeutic interventions.

The successful candidate will work in a collaborative and interdisciplinary research environment with opportunities to interact with both preclinical and translational neuroscience researchers within and outside the department.

Subject area

Pharmacology with specialization in neurodevelopmental disorders

Subject area description

Within the field of neurodevelopmental disorders, pharmacology aims to understand how alterations in brain development, synaptic function, and neural circuit activity contribute to behavioral and cognitive impairments, and how these mechanisms can be targeted therapeutically. This research area is highly interdisciplinary, integrating neuroscience, molecular biology, physiology, and translational medicine to develop novel treatment strategies for disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and fragile X syndrome.

Job assignments

The employee will conduct research within a multidisciplinary project focused on the molecular and circuit mechanisms underlying fragile X syndrome and related neurodevelopmental disorders. The employee will combine spatial transcriptomics, metabolic profiling, molecular and histological techniques, behavioral testing, and imaging approaches to investigate autophagy-lysosome pathway dysfunction and its impact on neuronal signaling and synaptic function.

The employee is expected to contribute to experimental design, data analysis, manuscript preparation, and dissemination of results. The candidate will also participate actively in lab meetings, supervision of students, and collaborative research activities within an interdisciplinary neuroscience environment.

Eligibility

The eligibility criteria for employing teaching staff are set out in Chapter 4 of the Higher Education Ordinance and in the Appointment Procedure for Teaching Posts at the University of Gothenburg.  

To be eligible for appointment as a postdoc, the applicant is required to have a doctoral degree, a doctoral degree in art or a foreign degree that is deemed to be equivalent to a doctoral degree. This eligibility requirement must be met before the employment decision is made. 

In the first instance, those who have completed their degree no more than three years prior to the end of the application period shall be considered. Those who have completed their degree more than three years prior to the end of the application period may also be considered in the first instance if special grounds exist. Special grounds relate to leave of absence due to illness, parental leave, commissions of trust within union organisations, service within the defence services or other similar circumstances, as well as clinical service or service/assignment relevant to the subject area.  

To qualify as a postdoctoral researcher for this employment, the applicant should hold a PhD in physiology or medical science.

Assessment

To be eligible, the applicant should have documented experience in experimental laboratory research, including in vivo models and molecular and histological techniques, as well as experience in studying cellular and tissue-level mechanisms underlying disease-related phenotypes. Very good knowledge of English, both spoken and written, is required.

Experience in cellular autophagy and metabolism is considered an advantage. Furthermore, hands-on expertise in molecular biology techniques such as histology, spatial transcriptomics and western blotting and in vivo experimental models is desirable. Additional merit is given to candidates with experience in advanced data analysis, including gene expression profiling, or other large-scale omics approaches. Previous experience in multidisciplinary and international research environments will be considered highly advantageous. Great emphasis will be placed on personal suitability.

Employment

The employment is limited (temporary) for 2 years, 100% of full-time, and is placed at the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology. Starting date: as soon as possible or as agreed. 

Contact information 

If you have questions regarding the employment please contact Researcher/Project leader Francesco Longo, phone: +46 768 792 134, e-mail: francesco.longo@gu.se

Manager in charge is Professor/Head of Department Michael Winder, phone: +46 31 786 34 77, e-mail: michael.winder@pharm.gu.se

Application documents are not to be submitted through the contact persons.

Unions

Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here: https://www.gu.se/en/work-at-the-university-of-gothenburg/how-to-apply

Application

Submit your application via the University of Gothenburg’s recruitment portal by clicking the “Apply” button. It is your responsibility to ensure that the application is complete as per the vacancy notice, and that the University receives it by the final application deadline.  

Please enclose PhD certificate with the application.

Applications must be received by: 2026-06-11