PhD in Movement Neuroscience and Sleep in Childhood

The section for Movement & Neuroscience, at the Department of Nutrition, Exercise & Sports, Faculty of Science, at the University of Copenhagen, invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in the effects of sleep extension on learning, cognitive functions and neuroplasticity in childhood. The project is part of the research project “A randomized controlled trial of sleep extension to reduce overweight and improve learning in prepubescent children” (acronym: MORE2SLEEP), which is financed by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. (See relevant press release).

Start date is expected to be the 1st of January, 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project
This PhD scholarship will be anchored in the More2Sleep study, which is a 3-month randomized controlled trial assessing the effects of sleep extension on the health of 300 school-aged children. Half of the children will be randomized to 12-weeks of sleep extension intervention (facilitated by the parents), whereas the other half will act as controls. Measurements will be taken before and after the intervention (months 0 and 3), and after a 6-month follow-up (month 9). The focus of this PhD will be on the effects on outcomes related to learning and memory, cognitive functions, neurophysiology and neuroplasticity, although the project itself has a wider focus and also includes outcomes related to body weight homeostasis (body composition, energy intake and expenditure, diet and physical activity habits), measures of brain morphology based on MRI etc.

Who are we looking for?
The successful candidate is expected to participate actively in all parts of the trial, including but not limited to: upkeeping of regulatory paperwork, communicating with relevant entities (e.g. ethical committee), scheduling of participants’ visits (e.g. for information meetings, screening, and examinations), conducting these visits, performing the measurements and collecting data (e.g. Electroencephalography (EEG), Electromyography (EMG), polysomnography (PSG), cognitive tests, behavioural measures etc.), processing of data upkeeping of the electronic database, performing statistical analysis, and writing up scientific papers.

Due to the nature of the project, feeling comfortable will working with young children and their parents is a requirement. It is expected that the majority of participating children and their parents will be Danish nationals; therefore, fluency in oral and written Danish (native or C1/C2 equivalent) is required, as is fluency in oral and written English for the daily communication with the rest of the research team and for dissemination purposes (papers, conferences, thesis).

Previous engagement in clinical trials or experimental studies involving human subjects, and particularly children will be an advantage. Experience with relevant methods for assessing learning and memory, cognitive functions and neurophysiological techniques such as EEG, EMG and PSG, physical activity and sleep measures is not mandatory but will be viewed upon as favourable during the assessment of applications.

Our group and research- and what do we offer?
The section of Movement & Neuroscience undertakes high-quality, small- and large-scale intervention trials and observational studies. Our work is broad and includes investigations of learning and memory, studies of motor control, neurophysiology, and plastic changes in the central nervous system during development, with ageing and as effect of interventions including motor training, physical activity, sleep etc. We use a variety of methods and tools to study humans across the lifespan.

The section is a part of the Department of Nutrition, Exercise & Sports, Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment in the center of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Principal supervisor isJesper Lundbye-Jensen, Associate Professor in Motor Control and Neurophysiology, Head of Section, Movement & Neuroscience Tel +45 29611953, Email [email protected]

The PhD programme
You will undertake the PhD programme as a three year full-time study within the framework of the regular PhD programme (5+3 scheme), if you already have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master’s degree.

Getting into a position on the regular PhD programme

Qualifications needed for the regular programme
To be eligible for the regular PhD programme, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the project, e.g. in Human Physiology, Psychology, Medicine etc. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.

Terms of employment in the regular programme
Employment as PhD fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years.

Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Responsibilities and tasks

• Carry through an independent research project under supervision
• Complete PhD courses corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS / ½ FTE
• Participate in active research environments, including a stay at another research institution, preferably abroad
• Teaching and knowledge dissemination activities
• Write scientific papers aimed at high-impact journals
• Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project

We are looking for the following qualifications:

• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project, as described above
• Relevant publications
• Relevant work experience
• Other relevant professional activities
• Curious mind-set with a strong interest in human development, learning and memory
• Good language skills ( in Danish and English)

Application and Assessment Procedure
Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include:

• Cover letter (max. one page) including your motivation for applying for the specific PhD project.
• Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position.
• Original diplomas for Bachelor of Science or Master of Science and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in another 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.
• Publication list (if applicable)
• Reference letters (if available)

Application deadline:

The deadline for applications is Tuesday 7 November 2023, 23:59 GMT + 2.

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.

The further process
After deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessor. You are notified, whether you application will be passed for assessment. The assessor will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above mentioned research area, techniques, skills and other requirements. The assessor will conclude whether each applicant is qualified and, if so, for which of the two models. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.

Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held shortly after the application deadline.

Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.

General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School’s website: https://www.science.ku.dk/phd/.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.

Kilde: Jobnet.dk