PhD Position in Psychology

Stockholm University

Sweden

The Department of Psychology

The Department of Psychology is a creative and international workplace for research and education. The Department of Psychology conducts successful research in occupational and organisational psychology, clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, perception and psychophysics, personality, social and developmental psychology, psychobiology and epidemiology.

Our researchers publish regularly in international journals and actively participate as experts in the media. We collaborate extensively with external organisations and we have a constant exchange of visiting students and researchers from all over the world. As a researcher with us, you will have access to modern research infrastructure. We have a recording studio, advanced laboratories for sleep and sensory research, and large databases that enable complex studies over time. We also collaborate with the Stockholm University Brain Imaging Centre, offering state-of-the-art imaging technologies, including MRI, EEG and TMS.

For more information about us, please visit the Department of Psychology.

Project description

The doctoral position is part of an ambitious project aiming to establish a scientific foundation for chronomedicine in psychiatry, a field that seeks to use the body's internal biological clock to improve treatment effectiveness and functioning. Many psychiatric symptoms (e.g., anxiety), cognitive processes (e.g., attention), and stress-related physiology (e.g., cortisol secretion) vary substantially across the day, but it remains unclear to what extent these fluctuations are driven by the circadian system or behavioural and environmental factors such as light, sleep, food intake, and stress exposures.

To address this question, the doctoral student will contribute to several interconnected studies, including ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to track cognition, mood, stress, and physiology in everyday life, a highly controlled laboratory protocol known as constant routine to isolate endogenous circadian rhythms from external factors, and experimental studies examining circadian-timed cognitive probes.

The project offers an opportunity to work at the intersection of psychiatry, neuroscience, sleep and circadian biology, and stress research. The doctoral student will gain training in intensive longitudinal data collection, cognitive and physiological measurements, and advanced statistical methods.

Qualification requirements

In order to be admitted to postgraduate education, the applicant must have the general and specific entry requirements. The qualification requirements must be met by the deadline for applications.

You meet general entry requirements if you have completed a second-cycle degree, or 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.

You meet specific entry requirements for doctoral studies in psychology if you have completed courses equivalent to at least 90 credits at undergraduate or graduate level in psychology or another scientific discipline relevant to the dissertation topic, of which at least 15 credits must consist of independent work (thesis/publication), or equivalent knowledge acquired in another way. The applicant must be able to engage with scientific literature written in English.

See the General Syllabus for Third-Cycle (Doctoral) Studies in Psychology.

Selection

In the selection process, consideration will be given to previous academic merits, and an assessment will be made of the applicant’s ability to benefit from the doctoral training programme. The main basis for this assessment is (1) the thesis/publication to be submitted with the application, and (2) other educational and professional qualifications, including previous publications (CV).

The project involves data collection, partly conducted during the evening and night in the sleep laboratory. Particular merit will be given to applicants with:

Experience working in a human sleep laboratory.
Experience working with intensive longitudinal study designs measuring stress physiology (e.g., HRV and wearable sensor technologies).
Experience with physiological measurements related to stress and autonomic function, such as heart rate variability (HRV) and wearable sensor technology.
Excellent English language skills, both written and spoken, as the candidate will be part of an international research environment.
Proficiency in Swedish, as the study involves interaction Swedish-speaking participants.

Please see the Department of Psychology’s website for further information and application instructions.

Admission Regulations for Doctoral Studies at Stockholm University.

About the employment

We offer a fixed-term employment as a doctoral student according to Chapter 5 of the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100). The period of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for four years. As a doctoral student, you should primarily devote yourself to your own doctoral education, but the employment may include work with education, research and administration to a limited extent (maximum 20 %).

A new employment as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, the employment is then renewed for a maximum of two years at a time.

Stockholm University strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.

Start date of the PhD employment: 1st of January, 2027 or as soon as possible after that.

Contact

For more information, please contact the PI, associate professor Leonie Balter, leonie.balter@su.se.

General information about the Department of Psychology and the application to the doctoral training programme is provided by the Director of Studies, Mats Nilsson, phone: +468164605, mats.nilsson@psychology.su.se.

Application

Apply for the PhD student position at Stockholm University's recruitment system. Attach a personal letter and CV as well as the attachments requested in the application form. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

The instructions for applicants are available at: How to apply for a position.

Stockholm University contributes to the development of sustainable democratic society through knowledge, enlightenment and the pursuit of truth.