Projekt 1: The role of the angular gyrus in delay discounting of monetary rewards
This project is part of an ongoing randomized placebo-controlled experimental study in healthy human volunteers, in which we are using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) – a non-invasive brain stimulation technique – to test whether silencing of the left angular gyrus augments the tendency to choose smaller, immediate rewards at the expense of larger, more temporally distant rewards. This trait-like pattern of behavior – commonly referred to as delay discounting – characterizes many psychiatric disorders, most pertinently patients with drug and alcohol addiction.
The project is suitable for students with a clinical and/or technical interest in TMS as a method, and/or clinical questions related to impulsivity, risk-taking and decision-making. (2025-11-03)
Kontaktperson:
Markus Heilig, markus.heilig@liu.se
Adam Yngve, adam.yngve@liu.se
Heiligs labb för translationell psykiatri: klinisk forskargrupp - Linköpings universitet
Projekt 2: Non-invasive stimulation of the human amygdala.
The amygdala is a deep brain region involved in key emotional and social processes which are often disrupted in psychiatric and neurological disorders. In our current study, we test whether a new brain stimulation technique that offers the possibility to selectively target deep structures without surgery can influence amygdala function in humans. Students will 1) assist in setting up and delivering the stimulation procedure; 2) administer computerized measures of socio-affective processes such as fear conditioning and emotion recognition; 3) gather and analyse physiological indices of emotional reactions (pupil size, skin conductance, facial expressions). This project is ideal for students interested in the intersection of neuroscience and mental health. (2025-11-03)
Kontaktperson:
Markus Heilig, markus.heilig@liu.se
Arthur Pabst, arthur.pabst@liu.se
Heiligs labb för translationell psykiatri: klinisk forskargrupp - Linköpings universitet
Project 3: Ärftlighet, ADHD och risk för alkoholberoende efter obesitaskirurgi
Tidigare forskning visar att risken för alkoholberoende ökar efter obesitaskirurgi, särskilt efter gastric bypass. Genom data från kvalitetsregistret för obesitaskirurgi (SOReg) som innehåller data om över 90000 individer som vi med hjälp av det svenska personnumret samkör med flertalet nationella hälso- och sociala register studerar vi hur genetiska och miljömässiga faktorer påverkar beroendeutveckling efter obesitaskirurgi. Vi undersöker också hur ADHD och ärftlighet för ADHD påverkar risken för beroendeutveckling. (2025-11-03)
Kontaktperson:
Andrea Johansson Capusan
andrea.johansson.capusan@liu.se
Johansson Capusans forskargrupps projekt - Linköpings universitet
Projekt 4: Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) – ett verktyg för tidig upptäckt av skadligt alkoholbruk i primärvården?
Alkoholberoende är vanligt, men få får vård i tid. Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) ett tillförlitligt, kvantitativt mått på alkoholkonsumtion som kan användas för att tidigt identifiera riskbruk och följa interventioner. Med hjälp av regionala register och laboratoriedata studerar vi hur PEth används i primärvården vid utredning och uppföljning av personer psykiatrisk samsjuklighet och hur riktlinjer och undervisning påverkar användning av PEth i primärvården. Målet är att förbättra vården för personer med skadligt bruk och beroende. (2025-11-03)
Kontaktperson:
Andrea Johansson Capusan
andrea.johansson.capusan@liu.se
Johansson Capusans forskargrupps projekt - Linköpings universitet
Projekt 5: Nya behandlingsalternativ vid opioidberoende
Opioidberoende orsakar flest narkotikarelaterade dödsfall i världen. Läkemedelsassisterad behandling vid opioidberoende (LARO) med buprenorfin eller metadon är effektiv, men tillgången i Sverige är fortfarande begränsad. De nya långtidsverkande buprenorfininjektionerna kan öka tillgången till vård. Med hjälp av regionala och nationella registerdata studerar vi hur dessa behandlingar påverkar sjukvårdskonsumtion, vårdkostnader och rehabilitering. Syftet är att stärka vårdens möjligheter att ge effektiv och tillgänglig behandling vid opioidberoende. (2025-11-03)
Kontaktperson:
Andrea Johansson Capusan
andrea.johansson.capusan@liu.se
Johansson Capusans forskargrupps projekt - Linköpings universitet
Project 6: Brain and Body in Prolonged Grief Disorder
Losing someone can feel like losing a part of oneself. Do we need others to be ourselves? What happens to the self when we lose a loved one? This study investigates what happens in people with prolonged or complicated grief with regard to neural processing, behavioral and physiological measures: you could evaluate brain activity, inflammatory and stress markers in blood, behavior, or questionnaires. (2025-11-03)
Kontaktperson:
Rebecca Böhme
rebecca.böhme@liu.se
Böhmes forskargrupp - Linköpings universitet
Projekt 7: Self-other-distinction and the sense of self
In this study, we evaluate how the brain differentiates between self and other. This is an important mechanism that is affected in many psychiatric conditions, like autism and schizophrenia. You can evaluate brain data and relate them to different questionnaires about the participant’s behavior or emotional states or to demographic variables like age. (2025-11-03)
Kontaktperson:
Rebecca Böhme
rebecca.böhme@liu.se
Böhmes forskargrupp - Linköpings universitet
Projekt 8: Inside out – the lateral septum in alcohol and drug use disorder
What does an onion have in common with one of our favourite brain structures? The lateral septum is, much like an onion, assembled in an inside-out, layer-like fashion. This brain region is a hub that integrates sensory and contextual information, to control affective behaviour. In this project, we are using rat models to study the role of the lateral septum in alcohol and drug use disorder. As a prospective internship student, you would be involved in behavioural testing of rats, brain sectioning, immunohistochemistry and microscopy. Prior lab experience is nice, but the most important thing is that you are a curious and motivated team player, and eager to learn. If this sparks your interest, please contact esther.visser@liu.se (2025-11-03)
Kontaktperson:
Markus Heilig, markus.heilig@liu.se
Esther Visser, esther.visser@liu.se
Heiligs labb för translationell psykiatri: preklinisk forskargrupp - Linköpings universitet
Projekt 9: From circuits to behavior: the role of the amygdala on drug abuse
Drug addiction is a worldwide leading cause of burden, leading individuals to uncontrolled use of addictive drugs, choice of addictive drugs over natural rewards, and continued use despite adverse consequences (thereby referred as compulsivity). Preclinic research models have generally not incorporated these key features of the clinical condition to discover novel therapeutic targets. In a typical drug self-administration experiment, virtually all rats rapidly and consistently learn to press a lever to receive a reinforcer; however, in human conditions only a minority of the individuals exposed to drug of abuse will eventually transit from occasional use to addiction. Early stages of drug use are mainly mediated by positive reinforcement, which is known to be dependent on the function of the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system. However, long-term hyperactivation of this system generates plastic changes in several neural circuits. Thus, in later stages of addiction, seek and consume of drug of abuse become primarily driven by the attempt of the individual of relieving from the aversive-like affective state (negative reinforcement) that emerge in the absence of the drug of abuse. Converging line of evidence point out the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) as a major regulator of negative reinforcement in the context of drug abuse. Combining behavioral studies (self-administration rat models) with new advanced tools, such as optogenetic methods, we will dissect specific amygdala neuronal circuits, and we will investigate their role in modulating negative reinforcement. (2025-11-03)
Kontaktperson:
Markus Heilig, markus.heilig@liu.se
Michele Petrella, michele.petrella@liu.se
Heiligs labb för translationell psykiatri: preklinisk forskargrupp - Linköpings universitet
Projekt 10: Operant alcohol self-administration in rat models of alcohol dependence and withdrawal with the focus on the alcohol vapor model.
The combination of models of alcohol withdrawal and dependence with operant self-administration constitutes an excellent tool to investigate the neurobiology of alcohol addiction. In this study, the student will get familiar with models of alcohol addiction-like behavior in rats, involving chronic exposure to vaporized alcohol and protocols of operant self-administration. The student may perform immune-enzymatic assays for blood alcohol concentration in plasma samples. The project is suitable for students who are interested in investigating the functional roles of various systems implicated in stress and reward in the context of alcohol dependence. (2025-11-03)
Kontaktperson:
Markus Heilig, markus.heilig@liu.se
Tanya Kardash, Tetiana.kardash@liu.se
Heiligs labb för translationell psykiatri: preklinisk forskargrupp - Linköpings universitet
Project 11: Investigating the Brain Circuitry Associated with Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol addiction is a major contributor to the global disease burden. Continued drug use despite negative consequences—referred to as compulsive use—is a key hallmark of alcohol use disorder (AUD). This behavior can be modeled in rats using paradigms such as foot-shock–punished self-administration, which assess aversion-resistant drug intake.
In a recent study from our lab, we identified a neuronal ensemble within the central amygdala that promotes compulsive alcohol consumption. We now aim to further characterize the brain circuits through which this neuronal population drives such behavior. The student will participate in behavioral experiments (e.g., alcohol self-administration) and conduct molecular analyses, including immunohistochemistry. This project is well suited for students interested in understanding how the brain influences—and is influenced by—behavior. (2025-11-03)
Kontaktperson:
Estelle Barbier
estelle.barbier@liu.se
Barbiers forskargrupp - Linköpings universitet
Project 12: Investigating the Molecular Mechanisms Associated with Observational Fear
Observing others in fear or pain is a form of psychosocial stress which in humans can lead to psychiatric disorders such as anxiety disorders. Here, using an animal model of observational fear, we aim to identify the molecular mechanisms and brain circuits involved in fear learning through peer observation. Here the student will participate in behavioral testing (observational fear and anxiety like behavior testing). The student will also perform molecular analysis using for example real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. This project is suitable for students who want to learn more about how the brain is affected and/or affects behavior. (2025-11-03)
Kontaktperson:
Estelle Barbier
estelle.barbier@liu.se
Barbiers forskargrupp - Linköpings universitet
Project 13: Investigating the neurocircuitry of opioid relapse
The main challenge in opioid addiction treatment is high relapse rates. To date, most preclinical studies of opioid relapse are limited and have used animal models in which the abstinence period prior to relapse testing is forced. In contrast, abstinence in humans is often self-imposed because the adverse effects of using the drug outweigh the drug’s rewarding effects. Here, we will use an animal model of relapse after voluntary abstinence due to adverse consequences of drug seeking to identify the molecular mechanisms and brain circuits involved in opioid relapse. The student will participate in behavioral testing as well as learn to perform other techniques such as brain imaging, immunohistochemistry, or in situ hybridization. This project is ideal for students interested in exploring the relationship between the brain and behavior. (2025-11-03)
Kontaktperson:
Ida Fredriksson
ida.fredriksson@liu.se
Fredrikssons forskargrupp - Linköpings universitet
Project 14: Brain Circuits of Emotional States
How do brain circuits shape emotions? Why do some individuals thrive under stress while others develop vulnerability to psychiatric disorders? How do previous experiences or hormonal states influence this balance?
In this project, you will investigate how genetically defined brain networks encode emotional states and adapt to stress and neuromodulators (including hormenes, such as estradiol). Using intersectional viral strategies, optogenetics, and fiber photometry, you will label, image, and manipulate neurons in freely moving mice. You will also learn computational tools for behavioral analysis (DeepLabCut) and whole-brain registration for anatomical mapping. This hands-on project explores causal circuit mechanisms underlying emotion and mental health. (2 positions available) (2025-11-03)
Daniela Calvigioni
daniela.calvigioni@liu.se
More about Calvigioni lab: https://www.calvigionilab.org/