Hormone sensing between biophysics and biotechnology
Help build a home-based hormone lab: light, fibre optics and a smartphone, measuring six hormones in urine, every day.
Why this project
Hormones shape metabolism, fertility, mood and sleep, yet we measure them only a few times a year, in a clinic, from blood. What happens between those measurements is largely unknown. Most diagnostic technology has also been developed with male physiology as the default, which is one reason conditions such as endometriosis and PCOS often take years to diagnose.
The Hormones Project, funded by KTH InspireLab, is building an affordable, reusable optical system that measures hormones in urine at home. A compact light source and a phone's flash illuminate a urine container, and a KTH-made detection system together with a smartphone and AI turns it into hormone levels. The targets are LH, FSH, estrogen, progesterone, cortisol and serotonin, or their metabolites.
Daily, quantitative data can lead to earlier diagnosis and help close the gender gap in biomedical research. We are looking for a PhD student to contribute to building the measurement at the heart of the project.
What you will do
You will work where biophysics meets biotechnology. Depending on your background, your work will lean towards the physical measurement or towards the biomedicine side. It will include:
- Preparing and characterising urine samples, and validating results against established laboratory assays
- Designing and testing the detection system
You will work closely with all three research groups, at AlbaNova and SciLifeLab, publish your results, present them at international conferences and take part in the project's outreach.
Supervision and environment
The project is jointly led by three PIs, and all three will supervise you:
- Carlota Canalias, Professor, Department of Applied Physics: photonics, materials and integration
- Michael Fokine, Professor, Department of Applied Physics: fibre optics and optical engineering
- Cecilia Williams, Professor, Department of Protein Science and SciLifeLab: hormone biology and bioanalytics
Depending on your background, you will be admitted to third-cycle studies in Applied Physics or in Biotechnology. Whichever programme you join, we make sure you gain the complementary skills the project needs. Clinical input comes from an obstetrician–gynaecologist at Karolinska Institutet.
For us, inclusion and shared leadership are our starting point, not our goal. Decisions, supervision, credit and opportunities are shared openly, and you can expect a safe environment with close, regular follow-up from all three supervisors.
Who we are looking for
A curious, highly motivated person who wants to do a PhD across disciplines and enjoys working with people whose training differs from their own.
Eligibility
- A master's degree in biophysics, biotechnology, biomedicine, physics or a closely related field
- English equivalent to English B/6, as required by KTH
Selection
In the selection, we assess your ability to:
- independently pursue your work
- collaborate with others
- have a professional approach
- analyse and work with complex issues
- demonstrate knowledge of gender equality (jämställdhet) from an intersectional perspective, and an understanding of why gender aspects are important when conducting research and developing technology
- demonstrate good written and spoken English
You should also have a genuine interest in learning new disciplines.
Merits
- Experience of laboratory work with optical, spectroscopic, biophysical or bioanalytical methods
- Experience of working in multidisciplinary teams
In a project that crosses disciplines, no one knows everything. You should be comfortable saying "I don't know, can you explain more?"
What we offer
- A fully funded four-year doctoral position at KTH, with salary according to KTH's agreement for doctoral students
- Supervision from three PIs in three disciplines
- A project that links fundamental photonics with a real gap in women's health
- An international, collaborative research environment in Stockholm
The position may include up to 20% departmental duties, such as teaching, which extends the employment to at most five years.
How to apply
All applications must be submitted through KTH's recruitment system, Varbi. Applications sent in any other way, for example by email, cannot be considered.
Your application must include the following, and must reach KTH by midnight (CET) on the last application date:
- Copies of diplomas and grades from previous university studies, and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (certified copies; translated into English or Swedish if needed)
- CV including your relevant professional experience and knowledge
- Application letter (maximum 1 page) on why you want to pursue research studies, your academic interests, and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals
- Representative publications or technical reports, if any (for longer documents, an abstract and a web link to the full text)
- A copy of your master's thesis or similar
- A statement (maximum 1 page) on your view of and vision for gender equality and technology
For questions about the project, contact any of the three PIs: Carlota Canalias (ccg@kth.se), Cecilia Williams (cwil@kth.se) or Michael Fokine (fokine@kth.se).