Medical PhD-position available in a clinical research project at Copenhagen University Clinic for Psychedelic Research, University of Copenhagen

Would you like to be a researcher in a dynamic, psychedelic research environment? Then we have a three-year medical position available for a PhD candidate at the Copenhagen University Clinic for Psychedelic Research (NOESIS), University of Copenhagen.

The position is available from 1 March 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter.

About the project: PsiloZonic Depression
The project is a clinical research project where we will investigate the effects of psychotherapy in psilocybin therapy for depression. We will also examine the significance of listening to music during acute psychoactive effects of drug administration.

The project is a two-factorial randomized study, where your tasks will be project management, recruitment, medical screenings, handling of blood samples and vital signs, informing participants about project participation, and being available during dosing sessions to provide medical assistance, if necessary. Additionally, to clinically monitor patients after drug intake, including conducting psychiatric interviews and rating scales under supervision of a specialist in psychiatry.

Some broader tasks involve ensuring that the medical facilities and structures in the clinic are functional and supervising students in the clinic. Other ad hoc tasks will be coordinated during the PhD period. In particular, you will be expected to also medically assist psilocybin dosing sessions on other projects, e.g., a randomized, controlled trial of psilocybin therapy in neurological patients with a depression related to their disorder.

Within this PhD position you will gain extensive experience with project management, interdisciplinary collaboration, recruitment of research participants, practical execution of psychedelic treatments, data analyses as well as presentation and publication of scientific papers.

The PsiloZonic Dep project is led by:
Associate Professor and Psychologist Dea Siggaard Stenbæk, head of Copenhagen University Clinic for Psychedelic Research, Department of Psychology (NOESIS), University of Copenhagen.

In collaboration with:
Professor and Psychiatrist Vibe Gedsø Frøkjær, Neurobiology Research Unit, Rigshospitalet and Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen.

Assistant Professor and Psychologist Sophia Armand, Copenhagen University Clinic for Psychedelic Research, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen.

Medical Doctor Mathias Ebbesen Jensen, Copenhagen University Clinic for Psychedelic Research, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen.

Copenhagen University Clinic for Psychedelic Research (NOESIS)
NOESIS is a research clinic at the Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, that investigates psychological and psychiatric aspects of psychedelic therapy, primarily using the psychedelic drug psilocybin. The clinic houses a number of clinical studies and collaborates closely with both national and international psychedelic research groups.

The successful candidate will be affiliated with NOESIS, and it is vital that the candidate has the capacity for and interest in developing ongoing and future research projects at NOESIS – with a particular focus on the medical aspects of these treatments.

Qualifications
Applicants must have a three-year Master of Science (MSc) in Medicine (180 ECTS) and have excellent collaborative skills. The qualifications of applicants with non-Danish master’s degrees will be assessed to decide whether they correspond to the Danish level.

Earlier involvement in psychedelic or other clinical research will be an advantage, in particular experience with psychiatric and neurological populations.

The candidate must be fluent in Danish as conducting psychedelic sessions with Danish research participants is part of the tasks associated with the position.

Duties and Responsibilities
Further information about the PhD study programme is available on the website of Copenhagen Graduate School of Social Sciences:

https://samf.ku.dk/phd-skolen/english/

https://samf.ku.dk/phd-skolen/

Under "Legal basis" on the website you will find information about the rules and guidelines for the PhD programme and the Danish Ministerial Order on the PhD programme at the Universities.

Information about the PhD study programme is also available on the PhD website of the Department of Psychology.

PhD enrollment
The successful candidate will be enrolled at the PhD school at Department of Psychology and Associate Professor Dea Siggaard Stenbæk will be main supervisor. Professor and Psychiatrist Vibe Gedsø Frøkjær will be co-supervisor together with Assistant Professor and Psychologist Sophia Armand and PhD and Medical Doctor Mathias Ebbesen Jensen.

The candidate will have an obligation to the Department of Psychology of up to 840 hours over the 3-year period of time without additional pay. The work obligation can include for instance teaching.

Terms of Employment
Terms of appointment and salary is in accordance with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne).

Contact information
Additional information about the position can be obtained from:

Head of NOESIS, Associate Professor Dea Siggaard Stenbæk, e-mail: dea@psy.ku.dk

Information about the recruitment process is available from HR, e-mail: hrsc@hrsc.ku.dk, please refer to ID number: 211-1852/24-2H #1.

How to Apply
Submit a complete application at our online portal. Click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of the page to apply. 

Your application must be written in English and include the following documents:

• Motivated application
• Curriculum vitae 
• Diploma and transcripts of records
• List of potential publications or disseminations (poster etc.)
• Relevant recommendations

After the expiry of the deadline for applications, applicants will be notified whether they are invited for an interview. We expect the interviews to be conducted in mid-January.

Application process
On the website of Copenhagen Graduate School of Social Sciences you will find information about the application process, and enclosures to include with your electronic application:

https://samf.ku.dk/phd-skolen/english/applicants/application/current_advertisement/

https://samf.ku.dk/phd-skolen/til_ansogere/ansoegning/aktuelle_opslag/

The recruitment process
Further information on the recruitment process at University of Copenhagen can be found here: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

The following criteria are used when shortlisting candidates for assessment:

• Research qualifications as reflected in the candidate’s application.
• Qualifications and knowledge in relevant disciplines, such as psychedelics, psychiatry and neurology.
• Performance (grades obtained) in graduate and post-graduate studies.

Selected applicants are notified of the composition of the assessment committee, and 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 here.

An Equal Opportunity Workplace
The University of Copenhagen is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore encourages all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of personal background, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity etc. For more on the diverse working place environment at the University and the University’s participation in the HRS4R HR Excellence in Research, see https://employment.ku.dk/working-at-ucph/eu-charter-for-researchers/

International applicant?
The University of Copenhagen offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including support before and during your relocation and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about these services as well as information on entering and working in Denmark here: https://ism.ku.dk/

The University of Copenhagen wishes to encourage everyone interested in the positions to apply, regardless of personal background.

The closing date for applications is 1 December 2024 at 23:59 [CET]

Applications or enclosures received thereafter will not be considered.