Assistant Professor in Neuroscience

Join a global community of excellence

Are you a bold, creative researcher ready to shape the future of medical science? Karolinska Institutet (KI), one of the world’s foremost medical universities, is launching a major recruitment initiative in 2026. KI is seeking up to 21 outstanding early- career researchers to join us as Assistant Professors in a wide range of subject areas.

At KI, we foster a vibrant and international academic environment that values curiosity, collaboration, innovation, and high-quality research. We are looking for inspiring scientists who are motivated to contribute to and further develop strong research and education environment, and who demonstrate high quality science and potential for academic leadership.

The Department of Neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet offers an exceptional environment for an ambitious early-career scientist to launch an independent research programme. Our department span molecular, genetic, systems, and cognitive neuroscience, providing rich opportunities for collaboration across levels of biological organisation and across species, from molecules to behaviour in animal models and humans. You will join a vibrant international community of leading neuroscientists, with access to state-of-the-art core facilities, strong PhD and postdoctoral programmes, and a culture of scientific rigour and openness. As an Assistant Professor here, you will be supported in establishing your own research group, pursuing external funding, and developing as an independent investigator and academic leader. We are looking for scientists with a deep passion for discovery, and we are committed to helping you build a research career that is both scientifically distinctive and lasting.

What do we offer?

If you meet our requirements and propose a groundbreaking research project, we are prepared to employ you as an Assistant Professor for six years and support you with a generous funding package of 12 MSEK to cover your salary and other research costs. KI offers the opportunity to be promoted from a time-limited (six-year) position as Assistant Professor to permanent employment as Senior Lecturer. You can read more about it here.

At KI, you will be part of an interdisciplinary research community. Our researchers work across a wide range of fields and methodologies within medicine and health, creating rich opportunities for knowledge exchange and cross-disciplinary collaboration. You will also benefit from close connections with healthcare providers, ensuring your research remains closely aligned with real-world clinical practice.

As a state university, KI offers a comprehensive benefits package governed by collective agreements. These include annual salary reviews, supplementary insurance, and opportunities to participate in institutional decision-making.

A successful research career is supported by a strong personal foundation. Sweden is known for being a family-friendly country, offering a high quality of life, generous parental leave, and excellent childcare and education systems — creating a welcoming environment for both researchers and their families.

At KI, we value differences in backgrounds and perspectives, and diversity, equity and inclusion are parts of our core values. KI is dedicated to our work for equal opportunities and rejects all forms of discrimination.

Learn more about what KI and Sweden can offer, and the different calls!

Location: Solna

Description of the subject area

The subject area of this position is neuroscience, broadly defined. We welcome candidates pursuing fundamental questions about the mechanisms underlying nervous system function, development, or disease. Research may span molecular, cellular, genetic, circuit, systems, computational, or cognitive neuroscience, and may be conducted in animal models or in humans. We are particularly interested in scientists whose work addresses central problems in neuroscience with rigour, originality, and clear conceptual ambition. Candidates employing innovative experimental, computational, or technological approaches are especially encouraged to apply, including those developing new interdisciplinary methods at the interface of neuroscience and adjacent fields. In all cases, the work should be mechanistically grounded and scientifically distinctive. The successful candidate will complement and extend the existing research profile of the Department of Neuroscience. We value research that contributes to a deeper understanding of the nervous system across levels of biological organisation. Applicants from all relevant areas of neuroscience are welcome to apply.

Your mission

This Assistant Professor position offers excellent opportunities to build a strong academic profile—primarily by developing your independence as a researcher, while also gaining valuable teaching and pedagogical experience.

You are expected to establish and lead an independent, internationally competitive research programme in neuroscience. You will recruit and mentor doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers, and build a research group that contributes to the scientific environment of the department. You are expected to apply for external research funding from national and international sources, and to publish high-quality work in leading journals. You will engage in collaboration and scientific exchange within the department, across Karolinska Institutet, and with the international research community. The position is primarily research-focused, with limited teaching obligations, although you are expected to contribute to doctoral and postdoctoral supervision and to relevant educational activities at the department. You are also expected to take an active part in the academic life of the department, and to help maintain a collaborative and inclusive research environment.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for an appointment as Assistant Professor, you must demonstrate good scientific skills according to KI’s eligibility criteria as follows:

• A PhD (or equivalent degree) in a relevant subject area
• At least two peer-reviewed original scientific publications as first or last author, in addition to the doctoral thesis

Priority is given to those who were awarded a PhD (or attained equivalent competence) no more than seven years prior to the expiry of the deadline for the application.

Those who have been awarded a doctoral degree or attained equivalent research competence earlier will also be considered if there are special circumstances for absence from research (deductible time), such as: parental leave, long-term illness, positions of trust in trade union organizations or mandatory service in total defence.

The circumstances, dates and extent must be clearly specified in the application and verified by relevant documentation.

For this call, exceptions are made from all pedagogical requirements specified in the instructions regarding the Appointment procedure for teachers at KI. However, you must complete three weeks of higher education pedagogical courses in accordance with the Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions’ recommendations, no later than two years after starting your employment as an Assistant Professor (unless you can certify that you have completed equivalent training before starting the position).

Assessment criteria

Candidates will be evaluated based on both scientific and pedagogical qualifications, with greater emphasis placed on scientific excellence. The full set of assessment criteria is outlined in the instructions regarding the Appointment Procedure for Teachers at KI.

Particularly meritorious is:

• the scientific quality, originality, and feasibility of your research plan within the relevant subject area
• documented experience in research environmentxs outside KI, with special consideration given to international research experience

These criteria reflect our commitment to fostering university with diverse and globally recognised researchers who contribute to high quality science and excellent academic citizenship.

The criteria listed will form part of the overall assessment of the applicant. All criteria will be assessed but they should not individually be seen as requirements.

Offers will be extended to the best candidate based on an overall assessment of the applicant’s expertise and merits in relation to the subject area.

Application guidelines

All applicants are expected to follow the application instructions carefully. Failure to comply with the guidelines or misrepresentation of qualifications may negatively impact on the evaluation of your application.

The application should consist of the following documents, written in English:

• A personal letter (maximum 1 page)
• Application form, including your research project (Application from)
• Up to ten published papers and optionally one manuscript, in PDF format
• PhD certificate
• If you have a PhD that is older than seven years and want to claim deductible time, you must attach a certificate of deductible time in Swedish or English.

Welcome to apply no later than August 31, 2026 (time 23.59 CEST).

For more information about conditions regarding funding and employment, see here.

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

1. Henrik Ehrsson, [email protected]

1. Björn Meister, SACO, [email protected]
2. Yongtao Xue-Franzen, ST, [email protected]