Open Positions
2 PhD Positions in Pain Neuroscience, publ 13.10.2026
Description: Pain can be amplified along the whole neuraxis, as signals ascend from the spinal cord to the brain and as the brain modulates spinal processing from the top down. Which of these routes drives sensitization, and how they interact, is still poorly understood. The answer matters for many of people with chronic pain.
In this SNSF-funded project, you will use combined corticospinal fMRI, which images the brain and cervical spinal cord at the same time, to study pain sensitization in two populations: healthy volunteers undergoing experimental pain models, and patients with clinical neck pain. The aim is to differentiate augmentation starting in the spinal cord vs. the brain
Education/Requirements:
- An MSc in neuroscience, psychology, engineering or another relevant discipline
- Curiosity about how the nervous system generates and amplifies pain
- Good communication skills in English and the ability to work both independently and in a team
- Experience with functional MRI, thorough knowledge of experimental design and statistics, and German language skills are a plus
Keywords: Pain neuroscience, chronic pain, fMRI, neurophysiology, psychophysics
Start Date: April 2027 (negotiable)
Work Location: Integrative Spinal Research, Department of Chiropractic Medicine, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Contact: Send one PDF containing a motivation letter (max. 1 page), your CV, your MSc and BSc transcripts, and the contact details of two referees to:
Prof. Dr. med. Petra Schweinhardt, PhD M Chiro Med, Integrative Spinal Research, Department of Chiropractic Medicine, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, petra.schweinhardt@balgrist.ch
Application deadline December 1 st, 2026. Informal enquiries beforehand are welcome.