Postdoctoral Students in Physics

Royal Institute of Technology

KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Engineering Sciences

Project Description

Third-cycle subject: Applied Physics

This PhD position is part of the project “Improved myopia control via peripheral image quality assessment”, funded by the Swedish Research Council and conducted within the ongoing “Stockholm Myopia Study”.

Myopia is increasing worldwide, raising the global risk of eye diseases, which makes early detection and understanding of its development crucial. Research shows that not only central, but also peripheral retinal image quality influences myopia development, and optical treatments targeting the periphery are being developed. Our longitudinal study follows the visual development of children to advance knowledge on effective strategies to slow myopia progression.

The work is highly interdisciplinary, providing a unique interface between optical engineering, vision science, and clinical practice. The project includes:

• Developing instrumentation and procedures for measuring retinal image quality through different spectacle designs
• Measuring image quality in children in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet
• Analysing data to identify biomarkers and protective mechanisms for myopia

The applicant should have broad knowledge in optics, experience in experimental work and programming (e.g. MATLAB), and a strong interest in doctoral studies. The recruited PhD student will join the Visual Optics group (www.aphys.kth.se/bon/research/vio), Department of Applied Physics, School of Engineering Sciences at KTH, Stockholm. There will also be opportunities for research exchange and short stays in visual optics laboratories across Europe.

Supervision: Linda Lundström and Peter Unsbo are proposed to supervise the doctoral student. Decisions are made on admission.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to postgraduate education (Chapter 7, 39 § Swedish Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility in accordance with either of the following:

• passed a second cycle degree (for example a master's degree), or
• completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 second-cycle higher education credits, or
• acquired, in some other way within or outside the country, substantially equivalent knowledge.

In addition to the above, there is also a mandatory requirement for English equivalent to English B/6.

Selection

In order to succeed as a doctoral student at KTH you need to be goal oriented and persevering in your work. During the selection process, candidates will be assessed upon their ability to:

• independently pursue his or her work
• familiarize themselves with new research questions
• collaborate with others
• have a professional approach
• analyze and work with complex issues
• show broad optical knowledge and experience in programming and experimental work
• show good communication skills in English as we work in an international environment

After the qualification requirements, great emphasis will be placed on personal skills.

Target degree: Doctoral degree

Information Regarding Admission and Employment

Only those admitted to postgraduate education may be employed as a doctoral student. The total length of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education in four years' time. An employed doctoral student can, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within their role, e.g. training and administration.

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

As a doctoral student, you are part of a workplace with many employee benefits and monthly salary according to KTH’s Doctoral student salary agreement.

Read more about Doctoral studies (PhD) | KTH | Sweden.

To Apply for the Position

Apply for the position and admission through KTH's recruitment system. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement.

Applications must be received at the last closing date at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

Applications must include the following elements:

• CV including your relevant professional experience and knowledge
• Brief letter describing why you apply for this position, your academic interests and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals (max 1 page)
• Copies of diplomas and grades from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (see above). Translations into English or Swedish if the original document is not issued in one of these languages. Copies of originals must be certified
• Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please provide a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text

Employment Details

• Type of employment: Temporary position
• Contract type: Full time
• Full-time equivalent: 100%
• First day of employment: According to agreement
• Salary: Monthly salary according to KTH's doctoral student salary agreement
• Number of positions: 1
• Location: Stockholm
• County: Stockholms län
• Country: Sweden
• Reference number: PA-2025-3849

Published: 04 December 2025

Last application date: 11 February 2026