PhD scholarship in 3D Cochlear Histopathology in Ageing and Systemic Disease - DTU Health Tech

Are you interested in advancing our understanding of cochlear pathology in ageing and systemic disease using cutting-edge 3D microscopy and image analysis?

We invite applicants for a 3-year PhD position investigating the spatial and temporal relationships between vascular and sensorineural pathology in the cochlea. The project will examine these relationships in healthy ageing as well as in age-related conditions such as dementia and metabolic syndrome.

The methodological focus of the project is the development of preclinical immunolabelling and light-sheet microscopy imaging pipelines to study the cochlea in rodent models of the above-mentioned diseases, with the eventual implementation of advanced image analysis approaches.

The developed methodologies are intended not only to deepen our understanding of the pathogenesis of hearing loss and its connections to ageing and age-related diseases, but also to provide new tools for the detailed assessment of therapeutic responses and thereby inform future treatment strategies.You will join the interdisciplinary team at the Centre for Auditory Neuroscience within the Hearing Systems section at DTU Health Tech recently established with support from the William Demant Foundation.

You will work alongside neurobiologists, cognitive neuroscientists, acousticians, computer scientists, and medical doctors. You will have opportunities to collaborate with preclinical and clinical scientists within and outside Denmark.

Responsibilities and tasks

• Design and carry out experimental studies in rodent models of hearing loss and systemic disease
• Develop and validate tissue clearing and whole-organ immunolabelling protocols for the cochlea
• Acquire light-sheet fluorescence microscopy datasets from intact cochleae
• Develop quantitative measures of cochlear pathology and contribute to the development of image-analysis pipelines for the acquired data
• Interpret findings in relation to auditory function and markers of metabolic and neurodegenerative disease
• Publish scientific papers, present your work at international conferences, and contribute to teaching and supervision at DTU

You will complete 30 ECTS of PhD coursework and undertake a research stay of three to six months at a partner laboratory.

Qualifications

You must have a two-year master’s degree (120 ECTS points) or a degree of equivalent academic level in neuroscience, medicine, biomedicine, veterinary medicine, biomedical engineering, molecular biology, or a related field. You should have:

• Hands-on experience with laboratory rodents, in a research setting
• Practical experience with immunofluorescent tissue labelling and optimization of tissue-processing protocols
• Experience acquiring and evaluating fluorescence microscopy data
• Demonstrated aptitude for quantitative analysis, for example through scripting, image analysis, or statistics, whether acquired through formal training or self-study
• A strong interest in inner-ear pathology and the ability to formulate research questions and pursue them independently
• The ability to handle delicate preparations meticulously and to document experimental protocols rigorously
• Strong written and spoken English, and the ability to work effectively in a collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment

Familiarity with the auditory system or inner-ear biology, as well as prior experience with tissue clearing, light-sheet microscopy, or image analysis, would be an advantage.

Approval and Enrolment

The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education .

Assessment

The assessment of the applicants will be made by Torsten Dau, Jens Hjortkjær and Serhii Kostrikov.

We offer

DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms

The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Please see DTU’s salary structure for scientific staff: www.inside.dtu.dk/en/human-resources/during-employment/salary/salary-structures .

The period of employment is 3 years. The expected starting date is 1 March 2027 or according to mutual agreement.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here .

Further information

Further information may be obtained from Serhii Kostrikov mailto:[email protected] .

You can read more about the Hearing Systems section at www.healthtech.dtu.dk/Research/Research-Sections/Section-Hearing-Systems .

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark . Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “ PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar ” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU.

Application procedure

Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 25 November 2026 (23:59 Danish time) . Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file . The file must include:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale
• Recommendation letters (up to two) are welcome but not necessary.

You may apply prior to obtaining your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.

DTU Health Tech (Department of Health Technology) works to improve health and quality of life through technology. The department brings together engineering, natural sciences and clinical expertise in research, education and innovation, developing technologies that improve the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care of disease. It is a strongly interdisciplinary and international environment, with colleagues from more than 40 countries.

DTU – For the benefit of society since 1829

DTU is one of Europe's leading elite technical universities. Through research and education at an international top level, we create solutions to the major societal challenges of our time and help secure Europe's global leadership in sustainable technological development. Since Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU almost 200 years ago, our mission has remained the same: We develop and create value through the natural and technical sciences for the benefit of society.

DTU has 13,800 students, 1,600 PhD students, and 6,500 employees. We work in an international environment and have an inclusive, stimulating, and informal work culture. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland and collaborates with the best universities around the world.