Doctoral Researcher / Project Researcher

Human Emotion Systems Laboratory at Turku PET Centre is looking for 1-2 Doctoral Researchers or Project Researchers for a fixed term position starting in Autumn 2024 (starting date negotiable) to 31 December 2028.

We are recruiting new personnel for our flagship project on imaging the whole-body emotion circuits, led by Prof. Lauri Nummenmaa and funded by the European Research Council. In the project we use newly developed state-of-the-art methods in positron emission tomography and signal analysis for studying the emotion circuits spanning from brain to the periphery in health and disease.

Job description

The Doctoral Researcher / Project Researcher will be responsible for designing and conducting the total-body PET studies, analyzing and reporting the data, and helping with maintaining the laboratory’s digital data archives.

Who we are looking for

We are seeking for an aspiring individual with strong motivation and skills for research in human in vivo imaging, cognitive and affective neuroscience, or psychiatric imaging. The applicant should also be interested in studying human affective and cognitive functions. The candidate should have a background and a master’s degree in medicine, engineering, computational science, physics, cognitive science, psychology, or related fields, and skills for working with empirical imaging data. Good command of the English language (written and oral) as well as skills for teamwork in a multidisciplinary research group are essential. The applicants are expected to have background or capability to learn using human imaging methods and statistical analysis of biomedical data.

The qualification requirements for the position of a Doctoral Researcher are stated in the Rules of Procedure of the University of Turku: https://www.utu.fi/en/university/organisation

In addition, when acquiring a doctoral degree, doctoral researchers are required to have demonstrated the ability and motivation to undertake postgraduate studies and the capacity to complete a doctoral degree in accordance with the research plan.

In case the successful candidate does not hold the right to study for a doctorate, the position fill be filled with the title of Project Researcher. 

What we offer

• Competitive salary

• Cutting-edge research infrastructure for PET, MRI and SPECT studies

• Excellent working environment with hands-on training to PET and MR imaging science

• Opportunity to work in a motivated, skilled, inspired and supportive group

• A chance to work in Finland - one of the most beautiful countries in the World

Salary and trial period

The salary is determined in accordance with the university salary system for teaching and research personnel. The salary will be in the beginning of the employment around 2400-2600 euros/month, when working full-time. The amount of the salary is defined when the employment contract is prepared and is influenced by previous experience and skills.

A six (6) month trial period applies to the position.

How to apply

Please submit your application through our online recruitment system. The closing date for applications is 14 November 2024 at 16.00 (EEST GMT+3 / at 13:00 UTC). Please write your application and accompanying documents in English. Applicants should enclose with their application:

• A letter of intent

• Curriculum vitae

• Degree certificates

• Letters of recommendation (with contact information) for the applicant this position from two prior academic supervisors or persons acquainted with the applicant and his work.

Further information

For further information on the position please contact prof. Lauri Nummenmaa at Turku PET Centre (latanu@utu.fi)

For further information on the recruitment process, please contact HR Specialist Ms. Mirjami Jaakkola (mirjami.a.jaakkola@utu.fi)

Please also visit our web pages at
http://emotion.utu.fi (Human Emotion Systems Laboratory) and http://pet.utu.fi (Turku PET Centre).