Reference number ORU 2.1.1-03933/2025

Örebro University is seeking a doctoral student for postgraduate education leading to a PhD in Medical Science with specialization in Biomedicine at the School of Medical Sciences, with studies commencing in early autumn 2025.

Project description

PAN Sweden - Plant-based Proteins for Health and Wellbeing is a national interdisciplinary research center that clarifies the connection between processing, structure, bioavailability, digestion and fermentation of proteins and health effects in terms of intestinal, metabolic and mental health, also with a focus on consumer preferences and behaviors. PAN Sweden is coordinated by Örebro University and is a collaboration with Chalmers University of Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala University and RISE Sweden, together with Swedish partner organizations in industry and public health. The center's vision is that sustainably produced foods with health benefits are the consumers' first choice. PAN Sweden is currently expanding its scientific staff of early-stage researchers with a genuine interest in interdisciplinary research with several new junior research positions.

The doctoral project is linked to studies on the effects of plant-based proteins and dietary fibers on intestinal-, metabolic- and mental health. The project applies microbiome analysis, metabolomics, functional brain imaging, and nutritional analyses, amongst others.

The doctoral position is located at the School of Medical Sciences (MV) at Örebro University, a modern, expansive university with around 1,600 employees and 17,000 students, and with a university-overarching Food and Health Center in which PAN Sweden constitutes an important research and innovation hub. MV is home to the university's medical school and several strong research environments  whose main focus is inflammation, metabolism and nutrition

Supervision: The PhD student will be supervised by Professor Robert Brummer (principal investigator and centre director), and others.

The programme and the doctoral studentship

The doctoral programme consists of courses and an independent research project that you will present in a doctoral thesis. The programme concludes with a doctoral degree and comprises 240 credits, which corresponds to four years of full-time study.

Our ambition is for your doctoral studies to be stimulating and purposeful throughout the programme until you have obtained your doctoral degree. A thorough introduction will therefore get you off to a good start and provide a solid foundation on which you can build your studies. As a doctoral student at Örebro University, you will be offered a specially tailored seminar series, covering matters ranging from doctoral programme rules and careers to support during the study period and networking.

The place on the programme is linked to a full-time doctoral studentship for the duration of the study programme, which corresponds to four years of full-time study. More information on doctoral studentships, part-time studies and part-time doctoral studentships can be found in the Regulations Handbook. The initial salary for a doctoral studentship is SEK 31 300 a month.

Entry requirements and selection

For admission to doctoral studies, applicants are required to meet both general entry requirements and specific entry requirements. In addition, applicants must be considered in other respects to have the ability required to benefit from the programme. For a full account of the entry requirements, refer to the admissions regulations as well as to annex 2 to the general syllabus for Biomedicine or Medicine.

Applicants meet the specific entry requirements for doctoral studies in the subject if they have received a passing grade in courses of at least 90 credits, including an independent project on the advanced course level in a main field of study of significance for the relevant specialisation within medical science. A person who has acquired substantially corresponding knowledge, in Sweden or abroad, also meets the specific entry requirements.

We are looking for candidates with a (bio)medical background, and with practical experience of laboratory work. A requirement is good language skills in English, and language skills in Swedish are an advantage. Special merit is competence in nutrition, microbiology, immunology, and experience in human studies.

Information

For more information about the programme and the doctoral studentship, contact Professor Robert Brummer (robert.brummer@oru.se) or the Head of unit, Associate Professor Isak Demirel (isak.demirel@oru.se).

At Örebro University, we expect each member of staff to be open to development and change; take responsibility for their work and performance; demonstrate a keen interest in collaboration and contribute to development; as well as to show respect for others by adopting a constructive and professional approach.

Örebro University actively pursues equal opportunities and gender equality as well as a work environment characterised by openness, trust and respect. We value the qualities that diversity adds to our operations.

Application to the programme and for the doctoral studentship

The application is made online. Click the button “Apply” to begin the application procedure.

For the application to be complete, the following electronic documents must be included:

• Covering letter explaining why you are applying for the position and what skills you can contribute
• CV
• Copies of the original certificate and official transcript for Bachelor's degree
• Copies of the original certificate and official transcript for Master's degree
• Independent project (degree project)
• Other relevant documents, course and degree certificates verifying eligibility

As a main rule, application documents and attachments are to be written in Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, or English. Certificates and documents in other languages verifying your qualifications and experience must be translated by an authorised translator to Swedish or English. A list of authorised translators can be obtained from Kammarkollegiet (the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency), www.kammarkollegiet.se/engelska/start.

When you apply for admission, you automatically also apply for a doctoral studentship.
More information for applicants will be found on our career site: https://www.oru.se/english/career/available-positions/applicants-and-external-experts/

The application deadline is 2025-08-18. We look forward to receiving your application!

As we have already made our choices in terms of external collaboration partners and marketing efforts for this recruitment process, we decline any contact with recruitment agencies and advertisers.

As directed by the National Archives of Sweden (Riksarkivet), we are required to deposit one file copy of the application documents, excluding publications, for a period of two years after the appointment decision has gained legal force.