Research assistant in headache research

We are looking for a highly motivated and dynamic research assistant for a 1-year position, who will investigate the role of putative migraine inducing proteins to commence 15 September 2025.

Center for Translational Neuromedicine focuses on developing new approaches for examining and treating neurological diseases, primarily using the tools of physiology and imaging coupled with cell and gene therapy. Our emphasis is on using these technologies to enable neural and glial cell replacement in the adult brain and spinal cord, as a means of both disease modeling and therapeutic repair.

Information on the department can be found at: https://ctn.ku.dk/.

Our center
Center for Translational Neuromedicine currently has 55 employees and students and is divided into five labs. CTN is characterized by a highly ambitious research environment. The Center is highly interdisciplinary and has many international collaborators. The research assistant will be part of the Kaag Rasmussen lab, Division of Pain Volume Transmission. Being part of the Kaag Rasmussen lab offers an opportunity to work in an in vivo lab engaged in neuroscience, focusing on transgenic animal models, in vivo imaging and pain pathology. 

CTN is part of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, and is located at Panum. The Center comprises modern laboratories and excellent facilities within neuroscience. The project that we are recruiting for focuses on the effects of cerebrospinal fluid proteins that are elevated after induced migraine with aura and according to a bioinformatic analysis has the potential to be activators of peripheral nerves that signals pain.

Your job
You will be investigating how certain cerebrospinal fluid borne proteins activate nociceptors in the trigeminal ganglion. As a research assistant in the Kaag Rasmussen lab, you will be working with in vivo fluorescent imaging and calcium sensitive fluorophores to explore how cerebrospinal fluid proteins influence neuronal activity in the trigeminal ganglion.

The successful candidate will utilize advanced surgery, in vivo imaging techniques with calcium sensitive fluorophores to characterize nociceptor firing patterns upon application of putative migraine inducing cerebrospinal fluid proteins. This research aims to unravel how cerebrospinal fluid proteins elevated after migraine with aura might drive the migraine phenotype.

You will utilize advanced surgery skills to expose trigeminal ganglia in the skull base. Then with in vivo imaging approaches, you will monitor peripheral nervous system activity in C and A-delta fibers that signal pain information. Then you will monitor the firing patterns before, during and after application of proteins that we have reason to believe alter the firing patterns in the nociceptors. Your tasks will include the design and execution of experimental workflows that integrate real-time imaging, calcium imaging, and analysis of the recordings. Additionally, you will perform behavioral assessments to evaluate the pain phenotype.

Profile
We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic research assistant with the following competencies and experience:

Essential experience and skills:

• You have a master’s degree in neuroscience or related field
• You have experience with surgery and in vivo imaging in mice
• You are highly experienced in fluorescent imaging
• You have an active interest in neurophysiology with focus on the glymphatic system and pain
• You have experience in recording, analysing and interpretation of mouse behaviour
• Proficient communication skills and ability to work in teams
• Excellent English skills written and spoken
• Coding (Python)

Place of employment

The place of employment is at Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include modern laboratories and state-of-the-art equipment.

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 1 year. The start date is 15 September 2025 or after agreement.

You will refer to Group Leader Martin Kaag Rasmussen

Salary, pension and other conditions of employment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or other relevant organisation. Currently, the monthly salary starts at 33,100 DKK/approx. 4,400 EUR (April 2025 level). Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated. The employer will pay an additional 17.1 % to your pension fund.

Foreign and Danish applicants may be eligible for tax reductions, if they hold a PhD degree and have not lived in Denmark the last 10 years.

The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2020.

Questions
For further information please contact Martin Kaag Rasmussen martin.rasmussen@sund.ku.dk or Center Administrator Ann Christensen, ann.christensen@sund.ku.dk.

International applicants may find this link useful: www.ism.ku.dk (International Staff Mobility).

Application procedure
Your online application must be submitted in English by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. Furthermore, your application must include the following documents/attachments – all in PDF format:

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page).
2. CV incl. education, work/research experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position.
3. A certified/signed copy of a) PhD certificate and b) Master of Science certificate. If the PhD is not completed, a written statement from the supervisor will do.
4. List of publications.

Deadline for applications: 26 June 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. 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 can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

The applicant 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.