Postdoc in Genomics and Machine Learning

The University of Copenhagen is seeking a highly motivated and talented postdoctoral fellow to commence September 15 or after agreement, 2022, at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen.

The postdoctoral fellowship is offered within the group of Tune H Pers as part of the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research and the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease.

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.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease focuses on understanding gene regulatory programs underlying common complex disease. The new Center seeks to build comprehensive maps of gene regulation in the human genome as a resource for uncovering biological mechanisms on common genetic diseases, with an initial focus on cell types relevant to cardiometabolic diseases including obesity and type 2 diabetes. Being part of the Center, the Pers Group aims to combine recent advances in genomics, molecular biology, single-cell analysis, and stem cell models with approaches in computational biology and machine learning to identify fundamental rules of gene regulation. You can read more about the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease Center here: https://www.broadinstitute.org/nnfc.

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 the mechanisms determining how the brain regulates body weight and blood glucose levels. In our research we routinely apply single-cell transcriptomics and chromatin accessibility assays, spatial transcriptomics, transgenic mouse studies, human genetics, 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 research alliances with strong with leading international research groups in the fields of metabolic and genomics research. For more information and links to recent publications please visit www.cbmr.ku.dk/research/human-genomics-and-metagenomics-in-metabolism/pers-group.

Job Description
The main task will be to investigate how obesity-associated genetic variants impact neuronal function across hypothalamic and other brain cell populations. Towards this aim, the successful candidate will apply advanced single-cell sequencing, data science and machine learning techniques on cells from stem cell and transgenic animal models. A key focus will be on identifying gene regulatory networks, which, when dysregulated, predispose individuals to metabolic disease. The successful candidate will closely collaborate with the other groups in the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease and have the chance for recurring research visits at the Broad Institute (Cambridge, USA).

Profile
The fellowship is aimed at highly ambitious early career researchers who love to work with quantitative and biology aspire to a career in academic medicine.

Required qualifications:

• PhD in Computational Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Molecular Biomedicine, or related sciences
• Profound experiences 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 combining hypothesis-generating with hypotheses-testing approaches
• Experience in working with human genetic association data
• Excellent scientific track record in relation to career stage
• Excellent English communication skills, both written and oral

Terms of Employment
The employment as postdoc is a full-time position for 3 years. Starting date is September 15, 2022, or after agreement.

Salary, pension and other conditions of employment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or other relevant organisation. Currently, the monthly salary starts at 35,600 DKK/approx. 4,700 EUR (April 2022 level). Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated. The employer will pay an additional 17.1 % to your pension fund.

Foreign and Danish applicants may be eligible for tax reductions, if they hold a PhD degree and have not lived in Denmark the last 10 years.

The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2020.

Questions
For further information about the position, please contact Associate Professor Tune H. Pers at [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 must 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 the PhD degree certificate and the Master degree certificate. 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: 14 June 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