Postdoctoral Researcher in psychology/cognitive science with focus on social learning and cultural evolution

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

The Mechanisms of Social Behavior lab at the Karolinska Institutet (PI: Björn Lindström) in Stockholm, Sweden is seeking a highly qualified postdoctoral researcher to join our team. Funded by the Swedish Research Council, we are developing a new framework for understanding social learning, social transmission, and cultural evolution of interdependent traits. Our interdisciplinary, multi-methods approach combines behavioral experiments, computational (RL/cognitive) modelling and multi-agent simulations.

We offer a dynamic, international research environment where you can contribute to cutting-edge research at the highest international level. The position is for a limited period of two years, with the possibility of a one-year extension.

Your mission

As a postdoctoral fellow, you will lead a project aimed at uncovering how interdependencies between skills influence human social learning and contribute to collective outcomes, such as the dynamics of cultural evolution.

In this role, you will:

• Work at the forefront of research in social learning and cultural evolution, developing novel computational and experimental models to understand these phenomena.
• Have the opportunity to develop your own research ideas within the lab’s focus areas.
• (Depending on your interests) Be responsible for the development and analysis of computational and mathematical models.
• (Depending on your interests) Conduct experimental tests (in-person or online) to evaluate the assumptions and predictions of these models.
• Be responsible for the dissemination of results through publications and presentations.

You will join a successful and well-funded research group at the Karolinska Institute, collaborating with senior and junior researchers in a supportive and stimulating environment. The project involves collaboration with two other research groups: those of Lucas Molleman at the University of Amsterdam (where a PhD student is working on the same project) and Pieter van den Berg at KU Leuven. Research visits to Amsterdam and/or Leuven are possible.

Your profile

We are seeking an ambitious, innovative, and enthusiastic researcher with:

• A PhD in a relevant field (e.g., psychology, cognitive science, biology, computational social science, or a related area).
• Strong programming skills (e.g., R, Python, Matlab, or C++).
• Proficiency in statistics/data analysis.
• Experience with computational modeling (e.g., cognitive or agent-based modeling) and/or conducting behavioural experiments.
• Prior research experience in social learning, cultural evolution, or reinforcement learning is a plus but not required.

Strong academic credentials, including publications in high-quality international journals, are required. Fluency in English (both written and spoken) is a requirement. Personal skills and suitability will be considered when filling the position. We encourage talented researchers with a passion for social learning and cultural evolution to apply.

To be eligible for employment as a postdoctor, a PhD or a foreign degree deemed to be equivalent to a Swedish PhD is required. This eligibility requirement must be fulfilled at the latest at the time of the employment decision. Completion of your doctoral degree within the last three years is considered an advantage. If there are special reasons, your degree may have been completed earlier.

What do we offer?

A creative and inspiring environment with wide-ranging expertise and interests. Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. At Karolinska Institutet, we conduct successful medical research and hold the largest range of medical education in Sweden. At KI, you get to meet researchers working with a wide range of specialisms and methods, giving you ample opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience with the various scientific fields within medicine and health. It is the crossover collaborations, which have pushed KI to where it is today, at the forefront of global research. Several of the people you meet in healthcare are educated at KI. A close relationship with the health care providers is important for creating groundbreaking top quality education and research. Karolinska Institutet is also a state university, which entitles you to several benefits through our collective agreement.

Location: Solna

Read more about PI and team leader Björn Lindström
Read more about the Research Group you will be part of

Application

An employment application must contain the following documents in English or Swedish:

• PhD certificate
• A complete resumé, including date of the thesis defence, title of the thesis, previous academic positions, academic title, current position, academic distinctions, and committee work
• A complete list of publications
• A summary of current work (no more than one page)

Welcome to apply at the latest 2025-04-27.

The application is to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system.

Want to make a difference? Join us and contribute to better health for all!

1. Björn Lindström, Principal Researcher, [email protected]
2. Vendela Breeze, HR partner, +46852487906,[email protected]

1. Arsalan Amir, SACO, +46704831165
2. Henry Wölling, SEKO, [email protected]
3. Bodil Moberg , ST-OFR, +46852483601