Functional Imaging Unit invites applications for a clinical research assistant with the possibility to apply for a 3-year co-financed PhD fellowship with the research project “Improving brain health in people with multiple sclerosis – the brain’s physiological adaptation following targeted aerobic exercise (Retrain MS)” from medical doctors that holding a Medical Doctor’s degree in September 2026 at the latest.

The position starts on September 1st 2026. The application deadline is July 1st 2026. Enrolment at the Copenhagen Graduate School of Health Sciences within 6 to 12 months from employment is a prerequisite (referring to the Ministerial Order on the PhD Program at Universities, no. 1039, 27. August 2013).

Functional Imaging Unit
Functional Imaging Unit (FIU) was established at Rigshospitalet Glostrup in 2004 and is headed by Professor Henrik BW Larsson. FIU is part of the Dept. of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET, Rigshospitalet. The general scientific aim is to bring advanced physiological or multi-modal MRI methods into clinical research based on physiological insight. Senior researchers at FIU have for more than 20 years investigated neuroscience and neurological diseases using MRI, with particular focus on cerebrovascular physiology, blood-brain barrier permeability, and brain energy metabolism in multiple sclerosis.

The PhD project
Our group has recently demonstrated that patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a significantly impaired cerebrovascular response to hypoxic stress, with a reduced ability to increase cerebral blood flow (CBF) and maintain normal cerebral oxygen metabolism (CMRO₂) under conditions of reduced oxygen supply – a dysfunction not observed in healthy controls. These findings suggest a critical vulnerability to energy failure in the MS brain. The Retrain MS project now takes the next step by investigating whether this cerebrovascular dysfunction can be reversed through targeted, individualised aerobic exercise. The project is a randomised controlled trial with three aims:

• Determine whether a 12-week supervised aerobic training programme can normalise the impaired CBF and CMRO₂ response to hypoxic stress in MS patients, assessed by advanced MRI methods including phase-contrast mapping, susceptibility-based oximetry, and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) for blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability.
• Evaluate whether improvements in cerebrovascular physiology are correlated with changes in disease-relevant biomarkers (GFAP, NfL, BDNF, IL-6, IGF-1) and patient-reported outcomes including fatigue (MFIS), quality of life (MSIS-20, EQ-5D-5L), and cognitive function (SDMT).
• Assess the long-term impact of the intervention through a two-year clinical follow-up, including repeated MRI, physiological tests, and patient interviews, contributing to the development of evidence-based exercise strategies for MS patients.

• invented the DCE-MRI method in 1990, supervisor for 26 PhD and Master Students since 1995)

Co-supervisor: Stig P. Cramer, MD, PhD, Senior Researcher

Co-supervisor: Mark B. Vestergaard, MSc, PhD, Senior Researcher

Co-supervisor: Ylva Hellsten, Professor, Dr. Med. Sci., August Krogh Section for Human Physiology, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen. Professor Hellsten leads a highly productive cardiovascular exercise physiology group with extensive expertise in the regulation of skeletal muscle blood flow, vascular adaptations to physical training, and the mechanisms by which exercise influences cardiovascular health. Her group has a long track record of conducting clinical exercise intervention studies and provides key expertise in exercise physiology, training methodology, and the practical logistics of exercise research projects in patient populations.

Further information: [email protected]

PhD qualifications, conditions and procedure
The successful applicant must hold a Medical Doctor’s degree, approved before employment. Previous experience or coursework in exercise physiology is considered an advantage. Relevant coursework, previous research experience, and clinical or scientific interest in physical exercise, neurology, multiple sclerosis, or MRI-based methods should be described. The applicant should have a high level of academic interest in the field and should possess the ability to work in a multidisciplinary team spanning clinical medicine, neuroimaging, and exercise physiology.

Funding is currently secured for a 1-year clinical assistant position starting September 1ˢᵗ 2026. It is the clear intention to extend this into a full 3-year PhD fellowship, for which additional funding will be applied for in parallel with employment. Extension is contingent upon successful funding and acceptance of the project by the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen.

Applications (in English or Danish) should include a short description of motivation (max. 2 pages), academic achievements, copies of degrees, and a CV.

Deadline and Submission
Deadline is July 1st 2026. Material received after this deadline will not be considered.

Applications should be submitted through the application system.

Professor Henrik BW Larsson, MD, DMSc

Functional Imaging Unit
Dept. of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET
Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital
Valdemar Hansens Vej 13

2600 Glostrup

[email protected]

All interested parties are encouraged to apply for the position, regardless of age, sex, race, religion or ethnicity.

University of Copenhagen (UC) is Denmark’s oldest university, founded in 1479. With approximately 40,000 students and 9,000 employees as well as a annual turnover of 5.3 billion, UC is the largest university in the Nordic countries. UC ranks as number 30 in the world and is the only Nordic university among the world’s top 100.

www.ku.dk

Application deadline: Apply no later than 1. July 2026

Lokation: Rigshospitalet