PhD Research Fellow in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

About the position

We invite applications for a position as PhD Research Fellow in bioinformatics and computational biology available at the Department of Clinical Molecular Biology (EpiGen), Campus Ahus, University of Oslo.

The preferred starting date is as soon as possible.

The fellowship period is three years and is free of any teaching obligations. No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

The position is based at the Department of Clinical Molecular Biology (EpiGen; https://epigenahuscom.wordpress.com/) at the University of Oslo, Ahus Campus, Lørenskog. EpiGen is a joint research unit established by the University of Oslo (UiO) and Akershus University Hospital (Ahus). It is actively involved in several major national research initiatives and provides an outstanding research environment with state-of-the-art laboratories and dedicated research facilities. The position is funded by the Research Council of Norway.

The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary team of molecular biologists, bioinformaticians, physicists, and pathologists to develop a biophysically interpretable machine learning model that integrates diverse biological data—including transcription factor (TF)–DNA interactions, epigenetic features, and three-dimensional (3D) genome organization—to identify functional long-range gene regulatory interactions in cancer. The candidate will work with researchers at UiO, Ahus, and Oslo University Hospital (OUS), as well as by international collaborators in the United States. The research conducted during the appointment is expected to culminate in a PhD thesis submitted to the University of Oslo.

We seek a highly motivated candidate with a strong background in molecular biology, human genetics/genomics, data mining, machine learning, and computational programming. The ideal candidate will hold a Master's degree in bioinformatics or computational biology. Applicants with an MSc in physics, computer science, applied mathematics, or statistics are also encouraged to apply, provided they can demonstrate a strong interest and aptitude for learning molecular biology and human genetics.

More about the position

The project aims to develop novel computational methods and tools for predicting functional non-coding mutations in the cancer genome. These methods will integrate diverse sources of information, including the biophysical principles of protein–DNA interactions, the genetic and epigenetic features of DNA sequences, and the three-dimensional (3D) organization of the genome and its regulatory landscape. A particular focus will be on integrating multi-omics data generated from single-cell experiments to improve both predictive accuracy and biological interpretability.

The PhD research fellow will primarily focus on developing data mining methods such as network analysis in 3D genome regulation that integrate diverse biological information, including transcription factor (TF)–DNA interactions, epigenetic features, and 3D genome organization, to identify functional non-coding mutations and their targets in long-distance regions. Subsequently, the predictions will be validated in cancer by using both in vivo and in vitro experimental data.

Depending on the candidate's qualifications and the progress of the project, there may be an opportunity to undertake a 3–6-month research visit to the laboratory of one of our international collaborators in the United States. This visit will provide advanced training in computational approaches for studying single-cell 3D genome regulation and further strengthen the international collaboration.

What skills are important in this role?

Candidates for the PhD fellowships will be expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

Required qualifications:

• To be admitted to the PhDprogramme at the University ofOslo, an applicant musthave a five-year master'sdegree or equivalent studiesthat the faculty have recognised as forminga sufficient basisfor admission.
• The facultiesmay stipulate additional admission requirements.
• To be employed as aPhD ResearchFellow, admission toa doctoral program is required,or a binding agreementfor admission must be in place. Normally, one must apply foradmission to a Ph.D. program within3 months after thestart of the research project leading tothe Ph.D. degree.
• Good written and oral Englishproficiency.
• Master's degree in bioinformatics or computational biology. Applicants with an MSc in physics, computer science, applied mathematics, or statistics are also encouraged to apply, provided they can demonstrate a strong interest and aptitude for learning molecular biology and the human genome.
• Documented knowledge of statistical theory and methods, data mining, and machine learning methods.
• Documented shell script, R, Python, and C programming skills. 
• Documented experience in big data analysis.
• Documented experience in high-throughput sequencing data analysis.

Language requirement:

• Good written and oral English proficiency.
• English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/ EEA countries and exemptions from the requirements:
• https://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/regulations/regulations.html#toc8

Grade requirements:

• The average grade point for the course in the Bachelor's degree must be C or better (Norwegian educational system)
• The average grade point for the course in the Master's degree must be B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• The Master's thesis must have the grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system

Personal qualities 

• Academic and personal ability to finish tasks on time
• Ability to work either independently or collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team
• Self-motivated to learn, easily adapted to new tasks, and interested in solving challenging scientific problems.
• Good communication skills and openness to new perspectives

Desired qualifications

• Experience with ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq/scATAC-seq, RNA-seq/scRNA-seq, WGS, WGBS, or Hi-C data analysis.
• Experience in computational genome studies (e.g., TF-DNA interactions, gene networks, DNA mutations, and histone modifications). 
• Experience with integrated multi-omics data analysis.aaa

Employment in the position is basedon a comprehensive assessment of allqualification requirements applicable tothe position, including 

personal qualifications.

We need different perspectives in our work 

UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no.

We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues—could you be the next one?

We will provide appropriate accommodations should you need them. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.

If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps, we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian).

The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports.

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.

We hope you will apply for the position with us. 

We offer

• Exciting and meaningfultasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing toknowledge development, education, andenlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, andknowledge-based societal development.
• Committed colleagues in a good working environment. A pleasantand stimulatingwork environment.
• Good welfare schemes.
• Opportunity of up to 1.5hours a week of exercise during working hours. A workplace with good development and careeropportunities.
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes,with beneficialmortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Salary in the position as DoctoralResearch Fellow, position code1017 in the salary range of NOK 550 800 -600 000, depending oncompetence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent isdeducted in statutory contributions to theState Pension Fund.
• Read more about the benefitsof working in thepublic sector at Employer Portal.

Application

Your application should include:

• Application cover letter (statement of motivation and research interests) 
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• A copy of the Master's thesis, a list of publications and academic works (maximum 5) that you wish to be considered by the committee
• Certified copies of the original Bachelor and Master's degree diploma and the transcripts of records
• Documentation of English proficiency if applicable
• Contact information for at least 3 references (name, relation to the candidate, institutional email address and telephone number)

Your CV must be entered in Jobbnorge’s CV form and cannot be submitted only as an attachment. This requirement is intended to ensure correct documentation and record-keeping in accordance with the Public Administration Act, Section 15.

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for this job".

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Contact information 

For further information, please contact:

• Junbai Wang, junbai.wang@medisin.uio.no

For questions regarding Jobbnorge, please

• Maren Retterstøl Olaisen, HR advisor, m.r.olaisen@medisin.uio.no

Place of service:

Department of Clinical Molecular Biology (EpiGen)

University of Oslo, Ahus campus

1748 Lørenskog

General information

Please note that we are unable to add documentation after the application deadline. As the deadline applies equally to all applicants, this policy ensures equal treatment throughout the recruitment process. If you experience difficulties uploading documents in Jobbnorge, please contact their customer service: Phone: +47 75 54 22 20 or Email: support@grade.com 

The primary method of communication throughout the process will be e-mails and messages through the recruitment system Jobbnorge. When you receive a notification of a message in Jobbnorge, please log in to read it, as it may be important.

The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews. 

Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we cannot, you will hear from us.

Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian), Guidelines concerning appointment to recruitment positions at UiO and Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo.

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees to secure the rights to all research results and related intellectual property.