We are looking for an experienced scientist for a position as Principal Researcher and group leader at the Department of Neuroscience. The research will have a particular focus on understanding the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying human somatosensory perception, with special emphasis on how motor actions influence sensory processing and perception. Research topics include the predictive mechanisms supporting self-touch, the integration of motor and sensory signals during voluntary behaviour, and the neural basis of ticklishness and related somatosensory experiences. The work should be based on integrated behavioural and neuroimaging approaches, including psychophysics, robotically controlled haptic stimulation paradigms, electrophysiology, functional neuroimaging, brain stimulation, and computational approaches. The Department of Neuroscience at KI offers a multidisciplinary and diverse research environment with a strong community and several leading laboratories in cognitive neuroscience.
Neural mechanisms of self-touch, sensory attenuation, and somatosensory perception in humans.
The position as Principal Researcher in cognitive neuroscience has a focus on understanding the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying human somatosensory perception, with particular emphasis on how voluntary actions influence sensory processing and perception. This involves independent and leading responsibility for research projects investigating self-touch, sensory attenuation, sensorimotor integration, and the neural mechanisms underlying ticklishness and related somatosensory experiences in humans.
You should be able to handle and develop projects involving several techniques used in the research, including psychophysical and behavioural methods, robotic and motorized platforms for controlled force and tactile stimulation, electrophysiological recordings, neuroimaging methods, brain stimulation techniques, and computational approaches. You will conduct teaching in the field of neuroscience and supervision of students, doctoral students, and postdoctoral fellows within the research group.
You will be responsible for research in cognitive neuroscience, which requires substantial knowledge of human somatosensory processing and sensorimotor integration. The research questions include predictive mechanisms in motor control, sensory attenuation, tactile perception, self-generated actions, and the neural basis of ticklishness. You will be responsible for managing a laboratory consisting of postdoctoral researchers, PhD students, and Master's students.
For employment as Principal Researcher at Karolinska Institutet, the eligibility requirements stated in the Guidelines for non-teaching positions at Karolinska Institutet are applied in relation to the established profile of employment.
To be eligible for employment as a Principal Researcher, in addition to holding a Degree of Doctor, PhD, or having a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a Swedish doctoral degree, the applicant must have demonstrated research skills. The applicant must also be a research leader and have established their own line of research. The applicant should furthermore have shown documented, high-quality scientific production, particularly in the last six years and have the potential to resolutely drive their research forward as well as be recognised nationally and internationally. The applicant should also have obtained robust, long-term and preferably external funding and have the potential to obtain further external funding. The applicant should have shown teaching and supervision experience and demonstrated good leadership qualities.
It is particularly meritorious that the applicant has shown
- Experience in studying human somatosensory perception and sensorimotor integration, particularly the influence of voluntary actions on sensory processing and perception.
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Experience in leading cognitive neuroscience research using multiple methodologies, including psychophysics, robotic and motorized platforms for controlled force and tactile stimulation, electrophysiology, neuroimaging, brain stimulation, and computational approaches.
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Extensive experience in investigating self-touch, sensory attenuation, motor prediction, and related mechanisms of sensorimotor processing in humans.
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Experience with supervision and mentorship of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in experimental design, data analysis, and cognitive neuroscience research.
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A track record of internationally recognized, high-impact research in cognitive neuroscience, particularly in human somatosensory perception, sensorimotor integration, and predictive mechanisms underlying self-generated actions and sensory processing.
It is meritorious that the applicant has shown
- Experience with financial management, project and experimental planning, and strategic leadership of independent research programs.
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Experience with human neuroimaging and brain stimulation methods, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG).
After an overall assessment of the expertise and merits of the applicants in relation to the subject area, Karolinska Institutet will determine which of them has the best potential to contribute to a positive development of the activities at KI.
A creative and inspiring environment with wide-ranging expertise and interests. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. Here, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. At KI, you get to meet researchers working with a wide range of specialisms and methods, giving you ample opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience with the various scientific fields within medicine and health. It is the crossover collaborations, which have pushed KI to where it is today, at the forefront of global research. Several of the people you meet in healthcare are educated at KI. A close relationship with the health care providers is important for creating groundbreaking top quality education and research. Karolinska Institutet is also a state university, which entitles you to several benefits through our collective agreement.
Location: Solna
Your career continues here
We prefer that Your application is written in English, but You can also apply in Swedish. An application must contain the following documents: PhD certificate, resumé, qualifications and description of planned research, presented in accordance with Karolinska Institutet's qualifications portfolio.
The applications will be reviewed by external reviewers.
KI applies individual and differentiated salary setting in accordance with our collective agreements RALS and RALS-T.
The application must be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system.
Anställningsform: tillsvidareanställning | Anställningens omfattning: heltid | Antal lediga befattningar: 1 | Sysselsättningsgrad: 100 % | Ort: Stockholm | Län: Stockholms län | Land: Sweden | Referensnummer: STÖD 2-2854/2026 | Facklig företrädare: Björn Meister, SACO , Björn Meister, SACO , Yongtao Xue, ST , Yongtao Xue, ST , | Publicerat: 2026-07-03 | Sista ansökningsdag: 2026-07-24
