We offer a PhD fellowship in CSF dynamics commencing March 1st 2026 or as soon as possible hereafter.

Our group and research
Our research group focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying water and ion homeostasis in the mammalian brain under both physiological and pathophysiological conditions. We resolve the transport mechanisms underlying cerebrospinal fluid secretion with a technical approach spanning from molecular properties of water transport proteins to their regulation at the cellular level and their integral function in rodent in vivo models of physiology and pathophysiology and associated animal behavior.

Project description

The research project will focus on the role of a subset of transport proteins in the choroid plexus in cerebrospinal fluid secretion in in vivo animal models. The techniques will rely heavily on rodent in vivo experimentations including determination of cerebrospinal fluid secretion rate, intracranial pressure measurements, etc. with a smaller part conducted on choroid plexus organoids. Cerebrospinal fluid secretion takes place across a secretory epithelium, and applicants from the field of epithelial transport (anywhere in the body) are strongly encouraged to apply – as are candidates with experience with in vivo rodent experimentation.

Principal supervisor is Professor Nanna MacAulay, Department of Neuroscience, macaulay@sund.ku.dk, Direct Phone: +45 30267026.

Start: 1 March 2026 (or soon thereafter)

Duration: 3 years as a PhD student

Job description
Your key tasks as a PhD student at SUND are:

• Carrying through an independent research project under supervision
• Completing PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approximately 30 ECTS points
• Participating in active research environments including a stay at another research team.
• Obtaining experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project
• Writing a PhD thesis on the grounds of your project

Key criteria for the assessment of applicants
Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to a master’s degree related to the subject area of the project, e.g. biology, physiology, medicine, neuroscience, biochemistry, veterinary science, or alike life-science topics. Please note that your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (two years).

Your scientific qualifications:

• Experience with in vivo experimentation
• Experience with membrane transport is considered an advantage
• Felasa is considered an advantage
• Knowledge of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics is considered an advantage
• Good grade point average

Your personal qualifications:

• You have a passion for science and you know what it takes to succeed
• You are result-oriented
• You are robust and know your own strengths and challenges
• You know how to set professional and personal goals – and meet them
• You work independently and accept responsibility
• You are able to extract the essence of your research and convey it in both written and oral form

We provide:

• An opportunity for an ambitious student to grow and reach his/her potential as a researcher
• A dynamic research environment with room for scientific discussion

In your cover letter, please:

• Explain your motivation for applying
• Describe your former training in membrane transport/neuroscience/physiology/in vivo experimentaion that could be relevant to a project on in vivo determination of cerebrospinal fluid secretion
• Include a prior example to illustrate your drive and/or abilities that you feel would be pertinent to the position

Place of employment

The place of employment is at the Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include modern laboratories.

Terms of employment
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 3 years. The start date is 1 March 2026 or after agreement.

The employment is conditioned upon the applicant’s success­ful enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant prior to initiation of the PhD studies.

The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the Faculty’s rules on achieving the degree.

Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agree­ment between the Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary starts at approximately DKK 31,242 / approx. EUR 4,165 (November 2025-level) plus pension.

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

General information about PhD studies at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences is available at the Graduate School’s website: https://healthsciences.ku.dk/phd/guidelines/

Application procedure
Your application must be submitted electronically by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. The application must include the following documents in PDF format:

1. Motivational letter of application (max. two pages)

2. CV incl. education, experience, publications, language skills and other skills relevant for the position

3. Certified copy of original Master of Science diploma and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in other 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. As a prerequisite for a PhD fellowship employment, your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree. We encourage you to read more in the assessment database: https://ufm.dk/en/education/recognition-and-transparency/find-assessments/assessment-database. Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science

Application deadline: 24 November 2025, 23.59pm CET

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 the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor.

The assessor makes a non-prioritized assessment of the academic qualifications and experience with respect to the above-mentioned area of research, techniques, skills and other requirements listed in the advertisement.

Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

You find information about the recruitment process at: http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

The applicants will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.



The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.