Assistant Professor in AI in Brain and Behaviour within Neurology, Psychiatry or Psychology

Join a global community of excellence

Are you a bold, creative researcher ready to shape the future of medical science? Karolinska Institutet (KI), one of the world’s foremost medical universities, is launching a major recruitment initiative in 2025. KI is seeking 20 outstanding early- career researchers to join us as Assistant Professors in a wide range of subject areas.

At KI, we foster a vibrant, international research environment where curiosity, innovation, and excellence thrive. We are looking for inspiring, driven, and visionary scientists with exceptional research achievements and the potential to become future leaders in their fields.   

The Department of Clinical Neuroscience (CNS) conducts comprehensive research on brain function, spanning from molecular mechanisms to population-level analyses. With over 75 research groups, CNS excels in integrating disciplines such as neurobiology, psychology, psychiatry, ophthalmology, and insurance medicine to address complex neurological and psychiatric conditions. The work at the department is closely integrated with the clinical activities at Region Stockholm. 

When working within CNS, you will have access to state-of-the-art research and core facilities, such as world class imaging, access to unique basic and clinical data, and the possibility to collaborate with multiple research groups at KI as well as with other universities that are world leaders within their respective research field. 

Learn more about the Department of Clinical Neuroscience!

What do we offer?

If you meet our requirements and propose a groundbreaking research project, we are prepared to employ you as an Assistant Professor for six years and support you with a generous funding package of SEK 9 million to cover your salary and other research costs. KI offers the opportunity to be promoted from a time-limited (six-year) position as Assistant Professor to permanent employment as Senior Lecturer. You can read more about it here.

At KI, you’ll be part of an interdisciplinary research community. Our researchers work across a wide range of fields and methodologies within medicine and health, creating rich opportunities for knowledge exchange and cross-disciplinary collaboration. You’ll also benefit from close connections with healthcare providers, ensuring your research remains closely aligned with real-world clinical practice.

As a state university, KI offers a comprehensive benefits package governed by collective agreements. These include annual salary reviews, supplementary insurance, and opportunities to participate in institutional decision-making.

Sweden is known for being a family-friendly country, offering a high quality of life, generous parental leave, and excellent childcare and education systems — creating a welcoming environment for both researchers and their families.

Learn more about what KI and Sweden can offer, and the different calls!

Location: Stockholm

Description of the subject area 

Our department invites applications for a research position focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) approaches in neurology, psychiatry, and/or psychology. We seek you who excel in developing and applying computational and AI-driven techniques that will facilitate early diagnosis, prognostication and personalized treatments for neurological and/or psychiatric disorders or further our understanding of human psychology. You will be free to choose your own research topic and will be organizationally affiliated with one of the divisions within the department based on that topic. An interdisciplinary research approach that includes several of the departments research divisions is, however, highly encouraged.

Your mission 

This Assistant Professor position offers a unique opportunity to build a strong academic profile -  primarily by developing your independence as a researcher, while also gaining valuable teaching and pedagogical experience.

Your responsibility is to conduct research using state-of-the-art AI methods that utilize data sources such as omics data, brain images, behavioural analyses, data from clinical experiments and registries. You are expected to collaborate closely with interdisciplinary teams, translating big data insights into impactful clinical or basic research findings. You are also expected to secure external research funding and contribute to undergraduate and doctoral education, supervise PhD students and postdocs, and engage in national and international collaborations. 

Eligibility requirements 

To be eligible for an appointment as Assistant Professor, you must demonstrate good scientific skills according to KI’s eligibility criteria as follows:

• A PhD (or equivalent degree) in a relevant subject area
• At least two peer-reviewed original scientific publications as first or last author, in addition to the doctoral thesis

Priority is given to those who were awarded a PhD (or attained equivalent competence) no more than seven years prior to the expiry of the deadline for the application.

Those who have been awarded a doctoral degree or attained equivalent research competence earlier will also be considered if there are special circumstances for absence from research (deductible time), such as: parental leave, long-term illness, positions of trust in trade union organizations or mandatory service in total defence.

The circumstances, dates and extent must be clearly specified in the application and verified by relevant documentation.

For this call, exceptions are made from all pedagogical requirements specified in the instructions regarding the Appointment procedure for teachers at KI. However, you must complete three weeks of higher education pedagogical courses in accordance with the Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions’ recommendations, no later than two years after starting your employment as an Assistant Professor (unless you can certify that you have completed equivalent training before starting the position).

Candidates will be evaluated based on both scientific and pedagogical qualifications, with greater emphasis placed on scientific excellence. The full set of assessment criteria is outlined in the  instructions regarding the Appointment Procedure for Teachers at KI.

Particularly meritorious is:

• The scientific quality, originality, and feasibility of your research plan within the relevant subject area
• Documented experience in research environments outside KI, with special consideration given to international research experience

These criteria reflect our commitment to fostering globally competitive researchers who contribute to high-impact science and academic excellence.

It is further meritorious that you have demonstrated:

• An interest in performing transdisciplinary work
• Expertise in advanced AI methods using data sources such as omics data, brain images, behavioral analyses, clinical and registry data
• A capacity to attract funding

The criteria listed will form part of the overall assessment of the applicant. All criteria will be assessed but they should not individually be seen as requirements.

Offers will be extended to the best candidate based on an overall assessment of the applicant’s expertise and merits in relation to the subject area.

Application guidelines

All applicants are expected to follow the application instructions carefully. Failure to comply with the guidelines or misrepresentation of qualifications may negatively impact on the evaluation of your application.

The application should consist of the following documents, written in English:

• A personal letter (maximum 1 page)
• Application form, including your research project (the form can be found here)
• Up to ten published papers and optionally one manuscript, in PDF format
• PhD certificate
• If you have a PhD that is older than seven years and want to claim deductible time, you must attach a certificate of deductible time in Swedish or English.

Welcome to apply no later than September 2nd, 2025 (time 23.59 CEST).

For more information about the calls, conditions regarding funding and employment, see here.

Want to make a difference? Join us and contribute to better health for all!

1. Bo Melin, Professor, [email protected],+46852482453
2. Vendela Breeze, HR partner, [email protected],+46852487906

1. Bodil Moberg, ST-OFR, +46852483601
2. Henry Wölling, SEKO, [email protected]