Call | Open Positions
General information
Calls for positions in the PhD programs will be internationally published and advertised at the EURAXESS website (https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/) and online job markets of the scientific societies representing the respective underlying research fields. The calls will also be published here at the website of the Karl Landsteiner Private University of Health Sciences as well as at the FWF job market (www.fwf.ac.at/en/service/fwf-job-market/).
Are you considering a PhD in Mental Health and Neuroscience? The first calls for PhD positions took place in August 2024 and August 2025, and the PhD students started their project work.
The following PhD projects are currently available (click here):
Students with a keen interest in mental health and neuroscience are invited to apply for vacant doctoral studentships within the newly established PhD programme
Mental Health and Neuroscience: Disease mechanisms – Diagnostics and Therapy – Clinical Neuroscience.
The PhD programme, which is run by the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, follows international recommendations to support the integration of global mental health and neuroscience into research on psychiatric diagnosis, pathogenesis, nervous system disorders and their treatment. Students accepted into the program will receive a specialized training in:
- I. neurobiological and neurophysiological basics of brain diseases (Disease mechanisms),
- II. examination, diagnostics and therapy of mental health (Diagnostics and Therapy),
- III. clinical and applied neuroscience (Clinical Neuroscience).
For the general admission requirements please refer to
Excellent command of English is indispensable.
For the enrollement in a PhD programme at the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences the tuition fee is € 3.500,- per semester for a total of 6 semesters. Depending on the employment status of the PhD student (e.g., university or third-party funding, clinical specialist in training) a partial or full tuition fee waiver can be granted.
The top candidates will be interviewed in Krems.
Supervisor: Prim. Assoc. Prof. PD Dr. Martin Aigner
Interdisciplinary collaboration between child and adolescent psychiatry and adult psychiatry can make a significant contribution to overcoming existing challenges and improving care and treatment outcomes for patients of all ages. The optimal solution could be a combination of both approaches: the establishment of specialized transition psychiatry teams within an interdisciplinary framework. Transferring the success of adult psychiatry to child and adolescent psychiatry requires careful adaption and further development of existing approaches. By combining preventive measures, individualized therapies, interdisciplinary collaboration and the use of modern technologies, the effectiveness and accessibility of treatment for children and adolescents can be significantly improved. A holistic approach that takes into account the specific developmental needs of this age group is crucial. The same applies to the second transition from adulthood to Palliative medicine.
This PhD project will be conducted independently of a working assignment with the KL or a University clinic.
Methods: Interdisciplinary collaboration research to bridge the gap between basic science and clinical implementation, between subjective and objective knowledge, including validated questionnaires, advanced statistical analysis, implementation of new therapy modules, public and patient involvement.
References:
- Fischer-Grote L, Fössing V, Aigner M, Fehrmann E, Boeckle M. Effectiveness of Online and Remote Interventions for Mental Health in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults After the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JMIR Ment Health. 2024;11:e46637.
- Himmerich H, Lewis YD, Conti C, Mutwalli H, Karwautz A, Sjögren JM, Uribe Isaza MM, Tyszkiewicz-Nwafor M, Aigner M, McElroy SL, Treasure J, Kasper S; WFSBP Task Force on Eating Disorders. World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) guidelines update 2023 on the pharmacological treatment of eating disorders. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2023;24:1-64.
- Fellinger M, Knasmüller P, Kocsis-Bogar K, Wippel A, Fragner L, Mairhofer D, Hochgatterer P, Aigner M. Adverse childhood experiences as risk factors for recurrent admissions in young psychiatric inpatients. Front Psychiatry. 2022;13:988695
This dissertation project focuses on the development, implementation, and use of AI in long term care settings. It examines how caregivers and older individuals in care institutions form care relationships with and through AI; explores how technology developers steer and govern these relationships through AI technologies; and investigates which uses of AI in long-term care caregivers and older individuals wish for— with the strong intent of reimagining these AI-enhanced caring relationships from the perspectives of older users and their caregivers.
The project uses mixed qualitative methods, including expert interviews, multi-perspective qualitative interviews, participant observation in technology development and long-term care institutions, and participatory co-design.
Applicants are encouraged to further refine the project’s scope to align it with their research interests and the current state of the art in their research field as part of the essay they submit during the application.
- Host institution: Karl Landsteiner University (KL), Krems, Austria
- Preferred start date: October 2026
- Contract duration: 36 months full-time
- Supervisors: Assist.Prof. Vera Gallistl (KL), Prof. Giovanni Rubeis (Universitätsmedizin Greifswald)
- Secondments: Open University of the Netherlands (Netherlands), Technical University of Vienna (Austria), VTT Technical Research Center (Finland)
Ethical challenges of AI-based predictive diagnostics in dementia care This dissertation project focusses on imaginaries of AI uses and applications in dementia care, with a particular focus on the predictive aspects of AI. It maps the ethical dimension of using AI-based predictive analytics in dementia care; debates the valuations and the diverse notions of ‘good’ in AI use for dementia prediction; and develops a model of ageing well for the era of predictive AI for dementia care.
It uses mixed qualitative methods: discourse analysis of policy documents, expert interviews, and participant observations at public events.
Applicants are encouraged to further refine the project’s scope to align it with their research interests and the current state of the art in their research field as part of the essay they submit during the application.
- Host institution: Karl Landsteiner University (KL), Austria
- Preferred start date: October 2026
- Contract duration: 36 months full-time
- Supervisors: Assist.Prof. Vera Gallistl (KL), Prof. Giovanni Rubeis (Universitätsmedizin Greifswald)
- Secondments: Open University of the Netherlands (Netherlands), Technical University of Vienna (Austria), VTT Technical Research Center (Finland)
Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Lucia Zeilinger
The planned project is intended to explore key health indicators in long-term care patients, integrating psychological, medical, and social dimensions to broadly examine health trajectories over time. Patient-reported outcomes may be combined with selected clinical and biological parameters to capture multidimensional determinants of health and functioning.
With a preventive perspective, the project aims to explore potential early risk constellations and modifiable factors that could inform the development of supportive interventions to maintain well-being and functional capacity. The overarching objective is to contribute to the extension of healthy and “happy” life years through evidence-informed, individualized care approaches in institutional settings.
The project is conducted in cooperation with Haus der Barmherzigkeit, SBG, Vienna
The methodological approach is expected to be primarily quantitative, with the option to incorporate mixed-method elements where appropriate. Psychometric evaluation on assessment instruments may also be part of this study. Data collection may include questionnaires assessing quality of life and psychological domains such as cognitive functioning and mental health status. These assessments could be complemented by validated frailty measures as well as selected clinical and biological parameters, including laboratory biomarkers, indicators of nutritional status, and potentially microbiome profiles
References:
- Zeilinger, E. L., Sturtzel, B., Meyer, A. L., Pietschnig, J., Sturtzel, C., Lehner, J., Popinger, C., Ohrenberger, G., Elmadfa, I., & Unseld, M. (2025). Anemia and malnutrition in geriatric hospitalized patients: A cross-sectional retrospective study. BMC Geriatrics, 25(1), 643. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-025-06287-9
- Zeilinger, E. L., Nader, I. W., Fuchs, A., Pietschnig, J., Knefel, M., Oberleiter, S., Unseld, M., Valent, P., & Gaiger, A. (2025). Latent structure and measurement invariance of the post-traumatic stress Scale-10 in cancer patients. Acta Psychologica, 260, 105653. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.105653
- Zeilinger, E. L., Simeoni, L., Wagner, T., Vielgrader, T.-L., Fuchs, A., Fragner, T., Grabovac, I., Masel, E. K., & Unseld, M. (2025). Barriers and facilitators to advance care planning for people with intellectual disabilities: A cross-sectional survey study of professional caregiver perspectives. International Journal for Equity in Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-025-02747-1
- Lehner, J., Schmidt, P., Capatu, M., Steiner, L., Komenda-Schned, S., Grabner, C., Simon, M., Kauba, A., Dorner, T., Unseld, M., & Zeilinger, E. L. (2025). Lebensqualität bei Menschen mit schweren intellektuellen Beeinträchtigungen: Entwicklung und Anwendung eines Fragebogens. Prävention und Gesundheitsförderung. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11553-025-01257-w
- Zeilinger, E. L., Zrnic-Novakovic, I., Oppenauer, C., Fellinger, M., Knefel, M., Unseld, M., Wagner, T., Lubowitzki, S., Bartsch, R., Zöchbauer-Müller, S., Raderer, M., Staber, P. B., Valent, P., & Gaiger, A. (2024). Prevalence and biopsychosocial indicators of fatigue in cancer patients. Cancer Medicine, 13(11), e7293. https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.7293
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Application
PhD candidates need to fill out the application online in “Open Campus” and upload the associated attachment to the application.
For further information please contact:
Mag. Margit Mittermair
Assistenz
PhD Programm Mental Health and Neuroscience
