atthe Department of Psychology. Closing date: 1 April 2023.
The Department of Psychology is a diverse and creative workplace for education and research in Psychology. Each semester, over 1000 students are enrolled in our courses that range from introductory level to advanced graduate level. The Department of Psychology is a workplace in development and has recently moved to the newly built university campus Albano. Together with the Stress Research Institute which is now part of the Department of Psychology, we conduct basic and applied research based on interdisciplinary and cross-methodological approaches.
Project description We are looking for a PhD student within the project of "Are brain structure and functional connectivity later in life influenced by midlife psychosocial work stress?"
Psychosocial stress at work has been suggested to play a role in the development of cognitive dysfunction, but evidence on the neural substrate (brain structure and function) of psychosocial work stress is scarce.
This project aims to examine the effect of middle-life psychosocial work stress on brain structural and functional changes in later life, and to identify protective factors that can counteract the detrimental effect.
Specific questions are: To investigate the critical level and duration of work stress that increase the probability of alterations in the structure and functional connectivity of the brain. Which of the COVID-19 crisis related changes in working conditions will have a detrimental effect on brain structure and function? Can high cognitive reserve counteract the detrimental effect of psychosocial work stress on the brain?
The study population will be derived from the ongoing national cohort study: the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH, 2006–2022), the SLOSH-MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) study, which consists of all SLOSH participants who are living at Stockholm and Uppsala and aged 50-79 years at the time of data collection during 2021-2023 (n=500). The dataset has biennially repeated measures of sociodemographic, lifestyle factors, cognition, and health status, as well as subjective and objective measures of psychosocial work stress since 2006. Information regarding working condition changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the structural (sMRI) and functional (fMRI) MRI scans were/will be collected/performed during 2021-2023.
For more information about the project, please contact Hui-Xin Wang, [email protected]
Application guidelines.
Qualification requirements In order to meet the general entry requirements , the applicant must have completed a second-cycle degree, completed courses equivalent to at least 240 higher education credits, of which 60 credits must be in the second cycle, or have otherwise acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or elsewhere.
In order to meet the specific entry requirements , the general syllabus for doctoral studies in the field of psychology stipulates that applicants must have completed at least 90 first-cycle or second-cycle higher education credits in psychology, or have otherwise acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or elsewhere. Those studies should include a thesis corresponding to a minimum of 15 credits.
General Syllabus for Doctoral Studies in Psychology.
The qualification requirements must be met by the deadline for applications.
Selection A review committee will assess the candidate's ability to successfully complete the PhD program. Criteria used in the review process are the candidate's research plan, which should be included in the application, a previous paper/publication, and other relevant educational and professional merits. For further information please see the Department of Psychology website.
Since all work from this project will be published in peer-reviewed international journals, and we have international collaborators, fluency in spoken and written English and insight into stress-related theories in relation to cognitive aging and brain health are required. Very good knowledge of the Swedish language is required as the participants in the data collection are Swedish speakers.
Admission Regulations for Doctoral Studies at Stockholm University are available at: www. su.se/rules and regulations.
Terms of employment Only a person who will be or has already been admitted to a third-cycle programme may be appointed to a doctoral studentship.
The term of the initial contract may not exceed one year. The employment may be extended for a maximum of two years at a time. However, the total period of employment may not exceed the equivalent of four years of full-time study.
Doctoral students should primarily devote themselves to their own education, but may engage in teaching, research, and administration corresponding to a maximum of 20 % of a full-time position.
Please note that admission decisions cannot be appealed.
Stockholm University strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.
Contact For general information about the Department of Psychology and the application for the PhD program please contact the Director of studies for the PhD program Mats Nilsson, telephone: +46 8 16 46 05, [email protected]
Union representatives Ingrid Lander (Saco-S), telephone: +46 708 16 26 64, [email protected], Alejandra Pizarro Carrasco (Fackförbundet ST/OFR), telephone: +46 8 16 34 89, [email protected], [email protected] (SEKO), and PhD student representative, [email protected]
Application Apply for the PhD student position at Stockholm University's recruitment system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.
For additional information please read and follow the instructions in the Application guidelines at the website of the Department of Psychology.
The instructions for applicants are available at: How to apply for a position.
You are welcome to apply!
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