PhD fellowship

About the position 

A 100% 3-year PhD fellowship in chromatin and computational biology is available in the project group of Dr. Julia Madsen-Østerbye, research group of Prof. Philippe Collas, at the Division of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo (Collas Lab). The position is part of an interdisciplinary project investigating epigenomic mechanisms by which mutations in nuclear lamins cause lipodystrophies and associated metabolic diseases.

More about the position 

You will be expected to carry out wet-lab 3D genomics experiments and analyze data in the context of additional datasets (RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, protein interactome, etc.) to investigate the impact of lamin mutations on spatial genome organization in lipodystrophy patient-derived cells. You will be expected to carry out advanced computational analyses. Our underlying model system is the in vitro differentiation of adipose tissue stem cells into adipocytes.

The project is in collaboration with the Danish Cancer Institute in Copenhagen, and you will have the opportunity to undertake a research stay in Copenhagen.

You will be part of a cross-disciplinary team of cell biologists and bioinformaticians in the Division of Biochemistry at the Department of Molecular Medicine. The Division hosts an active community of cell biologists working on, among other areas, chromatin and nuclear architecture using various model systems (BIO). 

You will take part in the Medical Faculty’s PhD program and be expected to complete the project and PhD within three years.

Responsibilities

• Carry out wet-lab genomics work
• Carry out computational analyses and interpret data
• Maintain an accurate electronic laboratory journal
• Present research findings at group meetings, seminars and conferences
• Contribute to manuscript preparation
• Complete the required medical faculty’s doctoral coursework
• Write, submit and defend your PhD thesis

 Qualifications requirements

• Applicants must hold a Master’s degree or equivalent in chromatin/genome biology, minimum grade B (ECTS grading scale) or equivalent. The Master’s degree must include a thesis of at least 30 ECTS. 
• Programming skills in Python, R or equivalent scientific computing languages.
• Experience in bioinformatic analysis of genomic data. 
• Excellent English written and oral communication skills.
• Experience with 3D chromatin conformation capture methods (practical and/or computational) is a plus.
• Experience with electronic laboratory notebook systems is a plus.

Personal skills

• A positive and systematic mindset.
• Strong problem-solving skills and willingness to learn new skills.
• Collaborative and enjoys working as part of a team.
• Good communication skills with molecular biology researchers, technicians, and bioinformaticians.
• Contributes to a collegial and inclusive working environment. 

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 offer 

• Committed colleagues in an active, international and interdisciplinary research environment.
• Good welfare schemes.
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours.
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities. 
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Salary in position as Doctoral Research Fellow, position code 1017 in salary range NOK 550 800 - 595 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.

Read more about the benefits of working in the public sector at Employer Portal.

Application

Your application should include: 

• A cover letter including a statement of motivation and interests for this PhD position. 
• A CV summarizing education, positions and relevant work experience 
• Copies of educational certificates and transcript records. Foreign applicants must attach an explanation of the grading system in their university.
• A list of publications and academic works; do not include the publications or your dissertation.
• List of 3 reference persons: name, relation to you and contact information (e-mail and phone number). 

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click “Apply for the position”. 

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no, if educated in Norway. If not, you must upload copies of your University transcripts or grades. All documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

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.
 

  When evaluating the application, emphasis will be placed on your motivation, academic and personal prerequisites to carry out the project. The best qualified applicants will be called in for an interview. 

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.