PhD fellowship in PET-AlphaSY at the Neurobiology Research Unit, Rigshospitalet and University of

A 3-year PhD fellowship is available at the Neurobiology Research Unit (NRU) at Rigshospitalet and (UCPH), , with an anticipated start on February 1st 2019, or before. The stipend is funded by the ’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 813528.

About PET-AlphaSY Our consortium has assembled 6 radiopharmaceutical frontline academic and 10 non-academic partners to train the next generation of radiopharmaceutical scientists. Our training will be focused on an unmet scientific need for Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Fibril formation of protein α-synuclein is thought to be the hallmark for PD, but presently, there are no validated PET tracers available for visualization of pathogenic aggregates of this protein. Our scientific goal is to develop such tracer. A successful tracer will have a strong impact on PD-diagnosis and facilitate the development of effective disease modifying treatments. To reach our goals, it is necessary to train our early stage researchers in a highly interdisciplinary fashion spanning from chemistry, over biology, GMP and pharmacy to nuclear medicine.

About your project Together with 3 other Early-Stage Researchers (to be recruited respectively by Stichting VU University Medical Centre Amsterdam (VUMC), Eberhard Karl’s Universität Tübingen (EKUT), and Uppsala University (UU)), you will contribute to the implementation of PET-AlphaSy’s Work package 3 which focuses on biological evaluation.

Predictive in vitro and in vivo assays are essential to validate the potential of possible α-synuclein tracers. The candidate will establish several Parkinson’s Disease in vivo models, which will be used to characterize and compare the binding behavior of tracers developed within the consortium.

Whereas EKUT and UU will develop suitable in vitro assays, VUMC, EKUT and UU will establish transgenic rodent models. NRU's task is to develop a novel α-synuclein Parkinson’s Disease pig model where novel can subsequently be tested.

Mobility within the PET-AlphaSy European Training Network is of high importance and you are therefore expected to spend 3 months at Uppsala University and 3 months at Department of Nuclear Medicine at Fundación Arturo López Pérez (FALP), Santiago, Chile. The candidate will be enrolled at the Drug Research Academy (Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, http://dra.ku.dk/) at the University of Copenhagen. The graduate program requires the student to obtain 30 ECTS points during the three-year period in order to graduate. Mandatory courses/schools are the Annual DRA Summer School (including e.g. a course for responsible conduct of research) (3.9 ECTS), a Scientific Project Planning and Management course (3.2 ECTS) and an Introduction to University Pedagogy course (2.9 ECTS). A broad set of PhD courses are offered (https://phdcourses.ku.dk/). The school offers financial support for a 6-month stay abroad and funding for 2 external courses.

Eligibility criteria

- The researcher must not have resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of his/her host organization for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to his/her recruitment - unless as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention1. - The researcher must be Early-Stage Researcher (ESR): at time of recruitment he/she must be in the first 4 years (full-time equivalent research experience) of his/her research careers and must not have been awarded a doctoral degree.

Further requirements We are looking for a dedicated and skilled individual with the following qualifications:

- Obtained a Master’s degree, preferably within , life sciences or engineering. To be considered for the position, it is a condition that your Master’s degree is considered to be equivalent to a Danish Master’s degree.

- Passed course in Laboratory Animal Science EU Function ABD (formerly FELASA Category C).

- Fluency in English.

About NRU Neurobiology Research Unit (NRU), the Neuroscience Center, Rigshospitalet, is a research center with approximately 45 scientists focusing on conducting translational neuroscience research on brain neurotransmission with the aim to promote preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic advances. We make use of in vivo molecular, structural, and functional brain imaging (PET and MRI) combined with genetic and biochemical approaches and behavioral assessments to uncover disease mechanisms and risk correlates as well as to determine drug effects. We also make use of animal and cell models as well as human brain tissue to investigate drug effects and diagnostic value in the clinic. We identify biomarkers and mechanisms behind neurobiological and psychiatric disorders

1 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol and develop new treatment or prevention strategies. We bring discoveries from cells and animals into healthy volunteers and patients with brain disorders as early as possible. NRU collaborates with many national and international research institutes and is partner in and houses the management of three larger research centers; Center for Experimental Medicine Neuropharmacology (NeuroPharm), COGNITO - Novel Treatments of Cognitive Dysfunction (Cognito), and Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging (Cimbi).

NRU wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Terms of employment Employment will start February 1st 2019, or before.

The terms of employment and salary are in accordance with the agreement between Danish Regions and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the Regions and according to the rules and regulations laid down by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action European Training Network.

More information More information about NRU can be found at https://nru.dk/. For further information about the position, applicants may contact Professor Gitte Moos Knudsen (phone: +45 3545 6720; email: [email protected]) or Junior Group Leader Mikael Palner (phone: +45 3545 4888; email: [email protected]).

Application The application must include a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, a list of peer reviewed publications, as well as possible letters of recommendation and diplomas. The closing date for applications will be November 19, 2018. Candidates must submit their application electronically by clicking the following link: https://candidate.hr- manager.net/ApplicationInit.aspx?cid=342&ProjectId=214376&DepartmentId=17200&MediaId=5&SkipAdv ertisement=False