Postdoc position in Neuroendocrinology

Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research
University of Copenhagen

The University of Copenhagen is seeking a highly motivated and talented postdoctoral fellow to commence October 1, 2022, at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen.

The postdoctoral fellowship is part of the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research International Postdoctoral Program www.cbmr.ku.dk/postdocprogram.

About Us
The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research’s vision is to strengthen interdisciplinary research that transforms our basic understanding of the mechanisms that underlie metabolic health and disease, and to accelerate this knowledge toward new prevention and treatment strategies. We were established in 2010, and in 2017 we moved into new laboratories, offices and meeting rooms in the Maersk Tower www.maersktower.ku.dk.

The Center has around 260 employees who work in an international, highly collaborative research environment across a range of biomedical disciplines. You can read more about us here: www.cbmr.ku.dk.

Our Research
In the Pers Group, we study molecular processes in the brain driving susceptibility to obesity and type 2 diabetes. Our vision is to accelerate translation of genetic discoveries into mechanistic understanding and therapeutic options for individuals living with obesity and/or type 2 diabetes. Our goal is to understand how the brain regulates body weight and blood glucose levels and in particular to identify specific genes, biological processes pathways and cell types regulating metabolic homeostasis. To address this goal, we leverage combinations of single-cell transcriptomics and chromatin accessibility assays, in vivo mouse studies, large-scale human genetics datasets, machine learning and computational data integration techniques. Our team is interdisciplinary (molecular biologists, mathematicians, computational biologists and neurobiologists), international (five nationalities), and gender-balanced and maintains a research group with strong international alliances (Michael W. Schwartz, University of Seattle, USA; Martin Myers Jr., University of Michigan, USA; Cecilia Lindgren, University of Oxford, UK). For more information and links to recent publications please visit www.cbmr.ku.dk/research/human-genomics-and-metagenomics-in-metabolism/pers-group.

The project will be performed in close collaboration with Professor Oluf Pedersen, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, who is among the pioneers in human microbiome research co-conceiving the first human gut microbiome atlas, and who has led or co-authored of more than 1.000 original and peer-reviewed articles throughout his career.

Job Description
The neuroendocrinology project is focused on the newly discovered gut bacterial polypeptide hormone, which was discovered by Professor Oluf Pedersen and his team in 2019. The peptide is the first hormone known to be produced by the human gut microbiome and has effects on various brain functions and metabolism. The main task will be to systematically map brain cell populations, cellular states and molecular signaling processes through which the bacterial hormone exerts its beneficial effects on body weight, glucose metabolism and cognitive health. Your primary supervisor will be Associate Professor Tune H. Pers and you will be co-supervised by Professor Oluf Pedersen. In the research project, you will work with data generated from cutting-edge neuroscience and molecular biology techniques, including immunolabeling-enabled 3D imaging of solvent cleared organs (iDISCO), multimodal single-nucleus RNA and ATAC-seq profiling and large-scale in situ sequencing at the single-cell level. All data will be exclusively generated for the present project, and you will apply state-of-the-art computational techniques and machine learning approaches to process, analyze and interpret the data/results.

Profile
The fellowship is aimed at early career researchers with a basic science background or clinicians who aspire to a career in academic medicine. We are particularly interested in candidates who are familiar with integrative research approaches within the broad area of basic metabolic research with an application towards human pathophysiology.

Required qualifications:

• PhD in Neuroscience, Computational Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Molecular Biomedicine, or related sciences
• Profound experience in scripting languages R and/or Python and modern data science techniques
• Experience in working with transcriptomics or epigenetics data, preferably at the single-cell level
• Experience in working with metabolic and/or neurodegenerative disease research
• Excellent scientific track record in relation to career stage
• Excellent English communication skills, both written and oral

Eligibility
The CBMR International Postdoctoral Program is open for applicants that hold a PhD degree awarded from a university outside of Denmark. The PhD degree must be obtained before October 1, 2022. The program is also open for applicants with a Danish PhD degree who can document at least 12 months full-time research experience from outside Denmark. You are not eligible to apply for the program if you have been employed in a postdoctoral position for more than one year at the University of Copenhagen prior to the commencement of the fellowship.

Terms of Employment
The employment as a postdoc is a full-time (37 working hours per week) position for 3 years. Starting date is October 1, 2022.

Salary, pension, and terms of employment will be in accordance with the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations). Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated.
Non-Danish and Danish applicants may be eligible for tax reductions if they hold a PhD degree and have not been tax liable to Denmark within the last 10 years.

The position is covered by the “Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at the Universities of December 11, 2019”.

Questions
For further information about the position, please contact Associate Professor Tune H. Pers at [email protected].
Questions regarding the CBMR International Postdoctoral Program must be directed to [email protected].
For questions regarding the recruitment procedure, please contact HR at [email protected].

The University of Copenhagen, International Staff Mobility office, offers support and assistance to all international researchers on all issues related to moving to and settling in Denmark. Read more at www.ism.ku.dk.

Application Procedure
Your online application may be submitted in English via the ‘Apply now’ link below. Furthermore, your application must include the following documents/attachments – all in PDF format:

• Cover letter expressing the motivation and previous research experience of the applicant (max 1 page)
• Curriculum vitae
• Copy of PhD degree and Master’s degree certificate or equivalent. In case the PhD has not yet been completed, a written statement from the supervisor confirming it will be obtained before October 1, 2022, is acceptable.
• List of publications
• References (name and contact details of at least two references)

Application Deadline: April 11, 2022, 23.59pm CET

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The Further Process
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor. Once the assessment work has been completed, each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

You can read about the recruitment process at www.employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process.

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of March 13, 2012, on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their personal background.

Kilde: Jobnet.dk