"Postdoctoral Researcher in Experimental Psychology"

Do you want to contribute to improving human health?

We are currently looking for a driven and curious postdoctoral researcher who wants to join Mats J. Olsson’s research group in the Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience. Here, you will work on several exciting research projects focused on the body’s behavioral defenses against disease – a rapid and cost-effective first-line of defense against disease.

This position offers excellent opportunities to strengthen your academic portfolio and develop toward a future independent research career. You will become part of a dedicated, international, and creative research environment where you will contribute to top-level research.

Your mission

Using primarily experimental design (IRL and web-based), you will together with the team investigate the physiological (including fMRI and immune response markers), perceptual, motivational and emotional processes that promote adaptive behavior in relation to sick kin and strangers. You will be part of a productive and dynamic research environment and, in collaboration with the study team, will carry out new and ongoing research in the form of:

• Planning and conducting experiments.
• Developing analysis plans to test study hypotheses and conducting statistical analyses.
• Preparing manuscripts for publication.

The position is for 2 years with the possibility of extension.

Your profile

To be eligible for employment as a postdoctoral researcher, a PhD or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a Swedish PhD is required. This eligibility requirement must be fulfilled at the latest at the time of the employment decision. Completion of your doctoral degree within the last three years is considered an advantage. If there are special reasons, your degree may have been completed earlier.

Applicants must have a PhD in psychology, human behavioral ecology, cognitive science / neuroscience, biomedicine or an allied discipline. We would prefer that you have experience of conducting experiments, data management, collecting and managing biological samples and analysis. Excellent English skills in speaking and writing is a requirement and good Swedish skills are meritorious. Research experience in the field of the behavioral defense, perception (visual, vocal, or olfactory) of social cues (such as outgroupness, attractiveness and trustworthiness) is also meritorious.

We also attach great importance to personal characteristics such as independence, being well structured and being a good team player.

What do we offer?

A creative and inspiring environment with wide-ranging expertise and interests. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. At Karolinska Institutet, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. At KI, you get to meet researchers working with a wide range of specialisms and methods, giving you ample opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience with the various scientific fields within medicine and health. It is the crossover collaborations, which have pushed KI to where it is today, at the forefront of global research. Several of the people you meet in healthcare are educated at KI. A close relationship with the health care providers is important for creating groundbreaking top quality education and research. Karolinska Institutet is also a state university, which entitles you to several benefits through our collective agreement.

Location: Solna

Why become a researcher at KI
Read more about The Division of Psychology

Application

An employment application must contain the following documents in English or Swedish:

• PhD certificate
• A complete resumé, including date of the thesis defence, title of the thesis, previous academic positions, academic title, current position, academic distinctions, and committee work
• A complete list of publications
• A summary of current work (no more than one page)

The application is to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system.

Want to make a difference? Join us and contribute to better health for all!

Type of employment: Temporary position
Contract type: Full time
First day of employment: According to agreement
Salary: Monthly salary
Number of positions: 1
Full-time equivalent: 100%
City: Stockholm
County: Stockholms län
Country: Sweden
Reference number: STÖD 2-1307/2026