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.Your area of responsibilityThis 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 includeAssessments of sociodemographic and psychometric data via questionnaires from control participants and individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorderOrganizing appointments for blood samplingLaboratory analysis of DNA damage and telomere length together with mitochondrial functioning in immune cells.Data management, preparation and processing of behavioral and biomolecular dataData analysis and publication of the study resultsPresentation of the results to scientific and non-scientific audiencesWe are looking forward toA Master's or diploma degree in Molecular Medicine, Medicine, Biology, Biochemistry or Psychology, or other related fieldsA high level of motivation and a special interest in the intersection between brain and immune functioning in stress-related conditionsFlexibility to work and to learn from both interrelated, interdisciplinary fieldsVery good language skills (written and spoken) for both German and EnglishInterest in investigating the effect of CM on social cognition and biomolecular markers and mental health outcomesWhat you can expectLocated 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 groupsDirect collaboration between Medical University of Innsbruck and Leopold-Franzens University of InnsbruckInternational collaboration with European partnersIndependent work in exciting, clinically relevant research areasParticipation in national and international congressesCompletion 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 applicationPlease 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