Pursuant to § 7 sections 1 and 3 of Resolution No. 61/X/2022 of the Senate of the Jagiellonian University of 26 September 2022 on: the rules of recruitment for the Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences at the Jagiellonian University in the academic year 2023/2024, the Director of the Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences announces a competition for 1 doctoral student with a scholarship financed from the research project funds as part of the PhD Programme in Biology education programme.

Within the NCN Opus 24 project entitled “Effect of light pollution on visual system aging - research based on Drosophila melanogaster model”, the project manager, dr hab. Milena Damulewicz., offers an opportunity to complete the doctorates in the following area (title):

Effect of light pollution on visual system aging - research based on Drosophila melanogaster model

After the interviews and the evaluation of the candidates, the Chairman of the committee presents a report to the Director containing a list of candidates recommended for admission to the school as part of the research project.

Project description:

One of the aging symptoms is visual dysfunction, caused by retina degeneration. The retina of elder people shows many neurodegenerative changes, such as accumulation of protein aggregates, loss of synaptic contacts, chronic inflammation, retina-brain barrier leaking. Circadian disfunction is proven to accelerate the neurodegenerative processes. However, the cellular mechanisms linking the circadian clock to neurodegeneration is still poorly understood. Biological clock is self-sustained but entrainable by environmental conditions, like light. Visual system has its own peripheral clock, which regulates rhythms in the eye. Retina clock disruption may cause several symptoms and enhance aging processes. One of the main civilization threats of the modern world is artificial light and light pollutions. Additional exposure to light during the night causes clock disruption. Moreover, computers and tablets, which are used mostly during the late evenings, emit blue light which is the wavelength most affecting clock mechanism. These factors may affect biological clock mechanism and in effect cause sleep disorders and enhance neurodegeneration. In this project we plan to use a Drosophila model to explore the molecular mechanisms by which circadian light input can influence the etiology and progression of the retina neurodegeneration. We will focus on the effect of light and circadian entrainment on cell metabolism, with particular attention on mitochondrial dysfunction. The aim of this project is to show that clock disruption due to light pollutions affects cell metabolism in the eye of older people, and in effect causes retina degeneration.

Candidate’s profile:

• master's degree in biology or neurobiology or biotechnology;
• experience in the biochemistry laboratory;
• experience in conducting scientific research in the field of neurobiology or biology, best documented by internships, participation in projects, publications, conference presentations, etc.;
• experience in working with Drosophila and a microscope laboratory is welcome;
• good written and oral communication skills in English (analysis of literature and preparation of scientific publications)
• motivation to conduct research, laboratory work and analysis of results, independence
• availability and readiness for international training
• good work time organization

Schedule of the competition:

1. Announcement on the School's website (the latest): 21.07.2023
2. Opening of the competition (means: opening admission in the Online Application System):  04.08.2023
3. Application submission deadline: (means: closing the Online Application System):
   1. original deadline: 07.09.2023
   2. new (extended) deadline: 14.09.2023
4. Entrance exams: 15-18.09.2023
5. Announcement of results: 21.09.2023
6. Enrolment: 25-26.09.2023 
7. Expected start date of education: 01.10.2023

Detailed terms and procedures of admission - tailored to the PhD Programme in Biology study programme according to the current Recruitment rules for the 2023/2024 academic year.

Application documents for PhD study programme Phd Programme in Biology

Additional application documents and  resulting from the specificity of the research project:

• transcript of records (B.Sc. and M.Sc. studies)
• average of grades obtained by the candidate (calculated in accordance with the regulations of the university that issued the diploma)

Please upload your application documents into the Online Application System (irk.uj.edu.pl).

Documents required for entry within PhD Programme in Biology.

In particularly justified cases, at the request of the Co-ordinator of the Education Programme, on the basis of a written justification submitted by the Candidate to Doctoral School, the Director of the Doctoral School may waive the requirement to submit an apostille or legalize university diplomas or other documents.

In the event of exposure to harmful, noxious or hazardous factors, the applicant will, at the time of registration, be referred for a medical examination by an occupational medicine physician. The candidate shall be obliged to deliver, within the time limit set by the programme manager, a medical certificate confirming the absence of contraindications to take up education (applies only to some PhD study programmes).

Higher education diplomas awarded abroad should:

1. bear an apostille clause if the issuing country is covered by the Convention abolishing the requirement legalisation for foreign public documents, done at The Hague on 5 October 1961 (Journal of Laws of 2005, No. 112, item 938) or
2. be subjected to legalisation, in other cases.

Any document submitted in a language other than Polish or English must be accompanied by a certified translation into Polish or English.

IMPORTANT:

A person admitted to the doctoral school begin education and acquire doctoral student rights upon taking the oath.