PhD position for 3 years in neuronal circuits of movement arrest Full-time

PhD Position in Neuroscience

A 3-year PhD position is available in the laboratory of Professor Ole Kiehn at the Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. The lab focus is to understand the mechanisms by which neurons and neuronal circuits operate and integrate to generate and control movements. The aim of the project is to investigate and understand the contribution of distinct supraspinal neuronal circuits to the arrest of movement in mammals. The position is scheduled to commence on the 1st of August 2026.

Principal supervisor is Professor, Ole Kiehn, Department of Neuroscience, ole.kiehn@sund.ku.dk

Start: 1st of August 2026

Duration: 3 years as a PhD student

Scientific environment: This PhD position offers the opportunity to work in a creative and international environment, focusing on functional operation of neuronal networks controlling movements as well as pathophysiological aspects of motor control at supraspinal and spinal levels. The laboratory is part of the Department of Neuroscience at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. The department consists of more than 25 research groups working within different areas of neuroscience.

Job Description

The posted PhD position focuses on experimentally investigating the role of supraspinal neuronal circuits in motor control and movements. The experimental approach relies heavily on in vivo techniques, such as mouse genetics, stereotaxic surgeries, imaging, optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations, and viral tracing strategies. Highly motivated and ambitious candidates are encouraged to apply.

The Kiehn Laboratory is seeking an ambitious and highly motivated PhD student that have a strong educational and research background in the field of neuroscience. The candidate must be intrigued by understanding the neuronal circuits that underlie the control of mammalian locomotion, and the candidate must be very interested in the project that aims to increase the knowledge of the neuronal circuits that control movement arrest. The environment of the Laboratory is vibrant and motivating with continuous discussions on the most appropriate experimental approaches, potentials for optimisation and possibilities for fruitful collaborations. Researchers in the Laboratory have expertise in different areas of the mammalian nervous system and its control of locomotion, and they represent diverse methodological backgrounds. As part of the Kiehn Laboratoy, you have access to this wealth of expertise and, consequently, you can rely on constructive guidance.

The technologies and methodologies you will apply are:

• Transgenic mouse lines to target cell-type-specific neuronal populations in order to dissect neuronal circuits
• Performing stereotaxic surgeries for viral injections or implantations of diverse fibres.
• Advanced and diverse viral approaches including adeno-associated virus (AAV) and rabies virus (RV) among others to enable functional perturbations and anatomical tracings.
• Behavioural assessment of locomotor phenotypes in mice and advanced analysis of gait and step cycle during optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations of cell-type-specific neuronal populations.
• Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridisation to visualise infected neurons and determine molecular/genetic identity of neuronal populations.
• Imaging of brain and spinal cord tissue in advanced microscopes and analysis of acquired images.
• Annotation of neurons and mapping of acquired images onto atlases of the mouse brain to gain precise anatomical information on studied neuronal circuits.

Key criteria for the assessment of the applicants:

The following requirements for the candidate will be assessed as key criteria for the recruitment.

Mandatory requirements:

• Master's degree in neuroscience
• Prior research experience (e.g. research assistant position) in the field of motor neuroscience
• Fluency in written and spoken English

• Prior experience from in vivo rodent research, especially experience with transgenic mouse lines and colony management, and experience with stereotaxic surgeries (viral injections, implantation of diverse fibres etc.)
• Approved FELESA course
• Documented survival surgery skills for rodent
• Prior experience in designing and performing optogenetic and chemogenetic experiments including behavioural assays and analysis

Preferential requirements:

• Prior experience with dissection of tissue(s) from perfused rodents
• Prior experience with in situ hybridisation and immunohistochemistry
• Prior experience with confocal microscopy and light-sheet microscopy on diverse systems (Zeiss, Miltenyi, Bruker Luxendo etc.)
• Prior experience with image analysis and mapping with various softwares
• Extracurricular work experience in the field of neuroscience during BSc and MSc studies

It is expected that you as the candidate have experience with designing and planning experiments that can span several months, and that you can independently manage your time. Furthermore, it is expected that you are open to collaborations on your own projects and that you are positive towards lending a hand to your colleagues. It is also an expectation that you are capable of presenting your own research or the research of other in a comprehensible maner to colleagues, and that you can engage constructively and critically with work presented to you.

PhD Programme Description: The PhD programme is a three-year full-time research education within the framework of the 5+3 scheme, intended for candidates holding a relevant academic degree within the project's subject area (e.g., [relevant degrees]).

Qualifications: The admission to the PhD programme requires a completed Master's degree in neuroscience (equivalent to 180 ECTS BSc + 120 ECTS MSc).

As part of the assessment of whether you meet the educational requirements, you must also achieve a positive academic evaluation and be assessed as the best qualified for the position.

Assessment criteria: In the assessment of qualifications, we will emphasize the perceived research potential of the applicant and the direct relevance of previous research experience. We are looking for a candidate that fulfill the mandatory and preferential requirements.

Terms of salary, work, and employment: The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 3 years. The employment is conditioned upon the applicant's successful enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the Faculty's rules on achieving the degree. Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State.

Candidates from abroad may be eligible to reduced tax payment, according to the Special Tax Scheme for Researchers. More information about this can be found here: https://ufm.dk/en/research-and-innovation/cooperation-between-research-and-innovation/researchers-mobility/the-special-tax-scheme-for-researchers

Application procedure: Your application must be submitted electronically by clicking 'Apply now' below. The application must include the following documents in PDF format:

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
2. CV incl. education, experience from previous research projects, previous employments, technical skills, language skills and other skills relevant for the position + contact information of two references.
3. Certified copy of original Master of Science diploma and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in other language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted. As a prerequisite for a PhD fellowship employment, your master's degree must be equivalent to a Danish master's degree. We encourage you to read more in the assessment database: https:// ufm.dk/en/education/recognition-and-transparency/find-assessments/assessment-database. Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science
4. Publication list

Optional: reference letters

Contact: Ole Kiehn, ole.kiehn@sund.ku.dk

Ima Mustafic, imalea@sund.ku.dk

Application deadline May 7 2026, 23.59pm CET. We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

Assessment procedure: After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor.