Researcher

About the position

A full-time researcher position (SKO 1109) is available at the Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition (LCBC), Department of Psychology (PSI), Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Oslo. The researcher will work full time on the Horizon Europe project SHIELD - Sources of Health Inequalities from Environmental Pollution in Lifespan Brain Development, funded by the Horizon Europe programme. SHIELD investigates how environmental exposures affect brain health and brain diseases across the entire lifespan, from conception to old age.

The position will focus on environmental exposure modelling and the generation of environmental exposure maps for the SHIELD cohorts, as well as MRI data analysis. We are particularly looking for a candidate who can work at the interface of brain imaging and environmental exposure data, with a strong research background in MRI data analysis and experience with using environmental and geographic databases. Transdisciplinary experience and interest will be an advantage, as the consortium involves partners from multiple fields, including (but not limited to) psychology, medicine, physics, environmental epidemiology and statistical modelling.

As SHIELD is expected to generate significant impacts, the researcher will be expected also to contribute to stakeholder engagement and science communication activities, for example by participating in stakeholder workshops and contributing to policy briefs, newsletters, and social media posts.

The research position is funded until the end of the project, 31 December 2031. LCBC is the coordinator of the SHIELD consortium, which includes 13 partners, and this position will be one of the key roles in the entire consortium. The position and its associated tasks are funded only for the stated period and will end when the funding period expires.

More about the position and the research center

The goal of LCBC is to understand differences and changes in brain and cognition across the entire lifespan, and to identify how brain function and cognition can be optimized. LCBC is an active, multidisciplinary research center with around 25 full-time staff members, including four professors, two researchers, several postdoctoral fellows and PhD candidates, chief and senior data engineers, full- and part-time research assistants, administrative support, and several affiliated international researchers.

LCBC has excellent research infrastructure, including access to a 3T Siemens Prisma MRI scanner, PET and EEG facilities, and comprehensive neuropsychological and somatic testing facilities. English is the main working language at the center.

LCBC has secured several large grants, including four European Research Council (ERC) grants, a Horizon 2020 grant, and several grants from the Research Council of Norway, the National Health Association of Norway, and the University of Oslo. In 2015, the group was designated “world-leading” and is one of only five such groups at the University of Oslo. More information is available on the LCBC website: https://www.lcbc.uio.no.

Your main tasks will be

• Processing and analyzing multimodal brain MRI (structural, diffusion, and quantitative imaging) and cognitive trajectory and modeling these in relation to exposures.
• Processing and analyzing behavioral and health data and modeling these in relation to brain and exposure data.
• Characterizing and modelling historical air pollution concentrations (PM2.5, PM10, NO2, etc.) for the SHIELD cohorts by integrating Chemical Transport Model (CTM) simulation outputs with emission inventories and observational datasets.
• Generating environmental exposure maps extending back to 1920 by combining diverse open-source datasets (meteorological, emissions, and land-use data) for SHIELD's Age-Period-Cohort (APC)-corrected analyses.
• Contribute to harmonization, expansion and application of EXPANSE maps.
• Collaborate with other SHIELD researchers and participate in the SHIELD consortium meetings.
• Write and publish scientific articles.
• Contribute to stakeholder engagement and science communication activities of SHIELD: participating at workshops, writing policy-briefs, newsletters, social media posts etc.

Qualifications

In this role you must have

• PhD in a relevant field such as Neuroscience, Meteorology, Physics, Biophysics, Complex systems, Data Modelling, or a highly related, quantitative natural science/interdisciplinary field.
• Research experience in Computational Neuroimaging analysis (structural, functional, diffusion, or quantitative MRI).
• Experience with the use of meteorological/climate, spatial, or similar multidimensional databases.
• Strong programming skills in Python and/or R.
• Very good proficiency in written and spoken English is a prerequisite.

It is an advantage if you have

• Experience with secure computing and data-handling environments suitable for sensitive human cohort data.
• Experience with research in interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary research environments.
• Experience in science communication and outreach activities.

Personal qualities

In the evaluation of applicants, emphasis will be placed on the following personal skills:

• Cooperation skills, and the ability to successfully join an international academic collaboration.
• Professional and personal ability to work independently.

In assessing applications, particular emphasis will be placed upon the quality of the candidate's academic qualifications. Interviews with selected candidates will be arranged where the applicant's prerequisites, interest in and motivation for the field of research, and cooperative skills will be assessed.

We need different perspectives in our work

UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no.

We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues—could you be the next one?

We will provide appropriate accommodations should you need them. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.

If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps, we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian).

The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports.

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.

We hope you will apply for the position with us.

We offer

• Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development.
• Committed, highly competent colleagues in a good working environment.
• Good welfare schemes.
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours.
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities.
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Salary in position as Researcher, position code 1109 in salary range NOK 720 000 - 820 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.

Read more about the benefits of working in the public sector at Employer Portal.

Planned start date: 1st April 2027.

Application

Your application should include:

• Letter of application, 1-2 pages, explaining the motivation for applying.
• Curriculum Vitae summarizing education, positions, and academic work.
• Copies of educational certificates, publications/academic work (if any) that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee.
• Names and contact details of at least two references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail, and telephone number).
• International applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University’s grading system.

Your CV must be entered in Jobbnorge’s CV form and cannot be submitted only as an attachment. This requirement is intended to ensure correct documentation and record-keeping in accordance with the Public Administration Act, Section 15.

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for this job".

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

General information

Please note that we are unable to add documentation after the application deadline. As the deadline applies equally to all applicants, this policy ensures equal treatment throughout the recruitment process. If you experience difficulties uploading documents in Jobbnorge, please contact their customer service: Phone: +47 75 54 22 20 or Email: support@grade.com

The primary method of communication throughout the process will be e-mails and messages through the recruitment system Jobbnorge. When you receive a notification of a message in Jobbnorge, please log in to read it, as it may be important.

The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews.

Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we cannot, you will hear from us.

Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian) and Rules for the use of research posts SKO 1108, 1109, 1110 and 1183 at UiO.

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees to secure the rights to all research results and related intellectual property.