PhD Position: Mapping the Effects of Menopausal Hormone Therapy on the Female Brain (MenoBrain MSCA Doctoral Network) Diakonhjemmet Hospital in Norway

The Division for Mental Health and Substance Abuse at Diakonhjemmet Hospital in Oslo, Norway, is offering a fully funded PhD position as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network project 'Brain Health in Menopausal Women' (MenoBrain). This three-year doctoral fellowship focuses on mapping the effects of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) on the female brain and health outcomes later in life. The project aims to address the inconsistent findings regarding the neuroprotective effects of MHT by leveraging epidemiological data from Norwegian registries and neuroimaging data from a prospective longitudinal cohort study centered on the perimenopausal years.

The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary and international research environment, benefit from excellent academic and transferable skills training within the MSCA network, and participate in training weeks, summer schools, international conferences, and research secondments in Germany and Austria. The position offers attractive welfare benefits, generous pension agreements, and a family-friendly environment in Oslo.

Applicants must hold (or expect to soon obtain) a master’s degree in neuroscience, psychology, medicine, or a related field, and be eligible for the PhD program at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo. Fluency in English is required. Additional strengths include experience with neuroimaging, epidemiological data analysis, research in neuroscience or mental health, and skills in statistical analysis and programming (R, Python). Candidates must meet MSCA mobility and early-stage researcher eligibility criteria.

The application deadline is November 30, 2025, and the position starts in February 2026. For more information, contact Prof. Dr. Claudia Barth or visit the project website.