PhD student at the Department of Diagnostic Radiology (PA2025/1308)

Description of the workplace
The research group consists of Professor Pia Maly Sundgren (neuroradiologist), an associate professor (MR physicist), a research administrator, a research nurse, a couple of postdoctoral researchers, and several PhD students. We collaborate closely with rheumatologists Anders Bengtsson and Andreas Jönsen, as well as neurologist Kristoffer Zervades.
The group has a broad research focus, with an emphasis on using advanced MRI techniques to study brain damage in patients with SLE, as well as in patients with RA and MS. The MRI findings are correlated with epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory data.

Within the research group, we value a good work environment characterized by respect and care in our relationships with one another. We continuously work to foster conditions for job satisfaction, personal development, and inclusion for all employees.

What we offer
Lund University is a government agency, which means you receive specific benefits, generous vacation time, and a favorable occupational pension. We also have a flexible working hours agreement, which enables a good balance between work and leisure. Read more on the university's website about working at Lund University: Work with us.

Job duties and responsibilities
Project Description
As a PhD student in our group, you will carry out four sub-studies within the doctoral project – Advanced MRI Imaging of the Brain with a Focus on SLE Patients.
You will further develop and investigate diffusion-weighted MRI sequences on a 3T scanner, as well as examine the extent of white matter changes in the brains of SLE patients.
Additionally, you will participate in a newly initiated MRI and clinical study of SLE patients experiencing depression, cognitive fatigue, and pain. This study includes analysis of various advanced MRI sequences aimed at investigating neuroinflammation as a possible cause of fatigue, depression, and pain, along with other clinical and laboratory data in SLE patients, correlated with MS, RA, and healthy controls.
You are expected to publish four scientific papers as a result of this project.

Qualifications
To be eligible for the position, you must:

• Have completed or be in your final term of medical studies by autumn term 2025.
• Be conducting or have completed your master's thesis in radiology.
• Have solid knowledge of brain MRI and an understanding of MR physics.
• Be familiar with the department’s post-processing software Eval-Gui and other in-house processing programs.
• Have experience with CNS-VS (a neurocognitive test) and MATLAB.
• Possess good computer skills.
• Have a sound understanding of the disease SLE and knowledge of manual segmentation analysis of various brain structures in SLE patients.
• Be proficient in using the OLEA post-processing analysis system.
• Be skilled in analyses using 3D Slicer.
• Have worked with the following ML/AI programs: Raidionics and DeepBraTumIA.
• Be familiar with and understand Brain Tumor Segmentation (BraTS) as an ML tool.

Personal qualities
To thrive in this role as a PhD student, we see that you are an ambitious team player and conduct your work with scientific accuracy and attention to detail.

Merits:

• Additional university credits outside the medical program that are relevant to the position.
• Previous familiarity with the department.
• Having published or being in the process of publishing a radiological article focused on brain MRI.

Other information
We are currently seeking a PhD student for a full-time, fixed-term position of 4 years in accordance with Chapter 5, Section 7 of the Higher Education Ordinance (HF).
The desired start date is June 1, 2025, or as agreed.

Eligibility
Students with basic eligibility for third-cycle studies are those who- have completed a second-cycle degree- have completed courses of at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits are from second-cycle courses, or- have acquired largely equivalent knowledge in some other way, in Sweden or abroad.

The employment of doctoral students is regulated in the Swedish Code of Statues 1998: 80. Only those who are or have been admitted to PhD-studies may be appointed to doctoral studentships. When an appointment to a doctoral studentship is made, the ability of the student to benefit from PhD-studies shall primarily be taken into account. In addition to devoting themselves to their studies, those appointed to doctoral studentships may be required to work with educational tasks, research and administration, in accordance with specific regulations in the ordinance.

Type of employment
Limit of tenure, four years according to HF 5 kap 7§.

We welcome your application!