University Assistant (Praedoc) / PhD position

University Assistant (Praedoc) / PhD position

University Assistant (Praedoc) Division of Psychiatry I (Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology) 30 hours/week, externally funded, from 01.03.2026 for 4 years.

Area of Responsibility

This FWF funded research project entitled "Socio-cognitive and biological responses to maltreatment" aims to investigate how a history of emotional childhood maltreatment (CM; emotional abuse and neglect) is associated with different aspects of psychological (social behaviour, empathy) and biological (brain function and structure, immune function and inflammation) health in bipolar disorder compared to healthy control participants. This multidisciplinary study will assess the history of CM and psychological functioning (social behaviour, empathy) at two points in time at the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology at the Medical University of Innsbruck (MUI). Additionally, as we want to understand how emotional CM affects biomolecular distress markers (telomere length in immune cells together with inflammatory signaling). To this end, we will collect blood samples in collaboration with the Department of Psychology (Leopold-Franzens University of Innsbruck) for the investigation of biomolecular stress signatures associated with CM.

Your Tasks

• Assessments of sociodemographic and psychometric data via questionnaires from control participants and individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder
• Organizing appointments for blood sampling
• Laboratory analysis of DNA damage and telomere length together with mitochondrial functioning in immune cells.
• Data management, preparation and processing of behavioral and biomolecular data
• Data analysis and publication of the study results
• Presentation of the results to scientific and non-scientific audiences

Requirements

• A Master’s or diploma degree in Molecular Medicine, Medicine, Biology, Biochemistry or Psychology, or other related fields
• A high level of motivation and a special interest in the intersection between brain and immune functioning in stress-related conditions
• Flexibility to work and to learn from both interrelated, interdisciplinary fields
• Very good language skills (written and spoken) for both German and English
• Interest in investigating the effect of CM on social cognition and biomolecular markers and mental health outcomes

What You Can Expect

Located in the center of Tyrol, we offer the best conditions at an attractive location, a value-oriented working environment, exciting and varied activities, the opportunity for professional and personal development and numerous (voluntary) additional company benefits.

• Integration into two innovative and interdisciplinary working groups
• Direct collaboration between Medical University of Innsbruck and Leopold-Franzens University of Innsbruck
• International collaboration with European partners
• Independent work in exciting, clinically relevant research areas
• Participation in national and international congresses
• Completion of a PhD programme with relevant publications is expected.

For the intended job group B1, GH 1, the minimum salary according to the collective agreement is currently €39,005.40 gross per year for a 30-hour week and may possibly increase on the basis of the collective agreement regulations through the recognition of job specific previous experience and other salary components associated with the special features of the job.

Your Application

Please send your detailed application (incl. CV with language [German, English] and technical skills [e.g. portfolio of methods in biomolecular assessment of stress], letter of motivation, list of publications) digitally (as pdf files) to Dr. Noora Tuovinen: noora.tuovinen@i-med.ac.at and Prof. Alexander Karabatsiakis alexander.karabatsiakis@uibk.ac.at