Call for applications for a fully financed PhD fellowship
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is among the most feared age-related neurodegenerative disorders, particularly due to the dismal prognosis. ALS typically strikes people in their 60’s and 70’s although it can occur at earlier ages as well. ALS affects muscle control and patients gradually lose the ability to move, speak, and breathe. Dementia, cognitive impairment and executive dysfunction have been detected in more than 50% of ALS patients. Most patients die of respiratory failure less than three years after the initial diagnosis. The underlying etiology of ALS is poorly understood and is one of most heterogeneous neurodegenerative conditions, in terms of etiology, phenotype and progression. However, great advances have been made in the genetics of ALS, but only an estimated 10% of cases are genetically inherited. Other lines of evidence have led to the suspicion that environmental factors may contribute to ALS risk. However, the identification of non-genetic risk factors for ALS has proven difficult.
The project will be based on population nationwide data from high-quality Danish databases. All patients who have had hospital contact with an ALS diagnosis from 1980-2025 will be extracted from the National Patient Register and constitute the case population. We expect to include approximately 6000 ALS patients, which allows much higher statistical precision for studied associations than previous studies and offers unique opportunities to study associations between a rare condition, such as ALS, and other diseases, treatments and socioeconomic conditions. This allows us to investigate possible risk factors and prognosis.
The results are expected to provide a better understanding of the disease mecha-nism that leads to the development of ALS and how the disease affects prognosis. By shedding light on these aspects, we hope to identify new targets for preventive and therapeutic interventions that can be tested in prospective studies.
A master’s degree (120 ECTS) in medicine.
Clinical experience with the treatment of neurological diseases.
Documented experience with research, projects, and at least one publication in an international journal.
Result-oriented dynamic work mentality with a focus on collaboration and innovation.
Experience in conducting statistical data analyses.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills (in English).
Strong collaborative skills as the successful candidates will join a multidisciplinary research envi-ronment.
Please submit your application via this link. Application deadline is 10 April 2026 23:59 CET. Preferred starting date is 1 May or 1 June 2026.
For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide.
Please contact Associate Professor Lotte Sahin Levison, lotlev@rm.dk for more information.
All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.
