Doctoral student position of oligodendrocytes in Alzheimer's disease and lifestyle interventions

Doctoral Student Position On The Role Of Oligodendrocytes In Alzheimer's Disease Progression And Lifestyle Interventions

The Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS) conducts world leading research in aging, dementia, epidemiology and care sciences. This research extends from basic molecular and cell levels to clinical research and societal studies. NVS educates almost a third of KI students at basic and advanced levels. The Department has approximately 540 employees and a revenue 2023 of 530 million SEK.

It comprises seven divisions, located at Campus Flemingsberg and Campus Solna.

The Division of Clinical Geriatric, with over 100 employed and affiliated researchers are located both in Neo, Campus Flemingsberg and in the Q-building in Solna. We conduct research focusing on cognitive impairment, dementia, and other aging related disorders, and education, among other medical graduates. Our research is multi-faceted and is in close collaboration with leading institutions and clinics worldwide. The research is clinically oriented with an emphasis on diagnosis, prevention and treatment.

The division has a close cooperation with the Medical Unit Aging within Theme Inflammation and Aging at Karolinska University Hospital.

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To be a doctoral student means to devote oneself to a research project under supervision of experienced researchers and following an individual study plan. For a doctoral degree, the equivalent of four years of full-time doctoral education is required.

The research group "Nordic UK Brain Network" (NBN) at the Centre for Alzheimer's Research offers a dynamic and international research environment where the healthy brain aging is the focus. NBN is part of the Division of Clinical Geriatrics at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS)  goal of the NBN research is to identify and prevent the development of cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

Our activities include research, implementation, and information dissemination. We participate in international research networks with both prevention and treatment studies, such as multimodal lifestyle interventions for people at risk for developing cognitive problems and clinical drug-trials for dementia.

The announced position will be in collaboration with the division of Neurogeriatrics at the same department (NVS) which has a focus on disease mechanisms and basic research in neurodegeneration. This collaboration offers a translational research environment.

In this PhD proposal, the student will contribute to advancing the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying white matter changes in the early pathogenesis and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). By exploring the effects of lifestyle interventions on myelination as a potential protective factor, this PhD program aims to identify new strategies for enhancing resilience against AD.

The candidate will examine the role of oligodendrocytes and myelination in neurodegenerative disorders through a multifaceted approach. This includes research on fluid biomarkers, including work in extracellular vesicles in Alzheimer's disease, as well as analyses of brain tissue samples from both mice and humans.

The biomarker studies will be conducted within observational cohorts and randomized clinical trials (RCTs) using both MRI-data, fluid biomarker data and clinical data.

In addition to fulfilling doctoral courses at Karolinska Institute (KI) and accruing the necessary credits, the doctoral student will engage in literature reviews and data analyses, focusing on both experimental data and databases from the observational cohorts and RCTs. Furthermore, the student will interpret results and prepare publications for scientific journals. The PhD candidate will also be expected to present research findings at seminars and conferences and take an active role in experimental design and presentations.

A creative and inspiring environment full of expertise and curiosity.…