Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen

We are offering a PhD fellowship in brown adipose tissue cross talk with brain commencing on 15 October 2023 or after agreement.

The workplace
The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research’s vision is to pioneer groundbreaking research towards better cardiometabolic health. We wish to lead collaborative interdisciplinary research from single-cell genomics to whole-body systems, transforming the basic understanding of cardiometabolic health, and accelerating its translation into 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 group and research
The Schéele Group investigates the hypothesis that BAT is a regulatory organ in adult human metabolism, which communicates with central and peripheral metabolic units by secreted factors known as batokines. The group investigates the role of these batokines in organ crosstalk, but also as part of a communication network controlling browning by affecting other cells types present in the adipose tissue. You can read more about the Group here

Project Description
The position available is in the Translational Cell Metabolism Group headed by Associate Professor Camilla Schéele. The research group studies human adipose tissue. Major focus areas include human adipose tissue heterogeneity, brown fat recruitment, and how secreted factors from brown adipocytes affect metabolism by mediating crosstalk at cellular or tissue level. The position is part of the ERC-funded project “BALDER”, with which we aim to identify novel peptides secreted from brown adipocytes and investigate their effect on neuronal plasticity and activity. The candidate will create neuronal model systems to be integrated in high content screening systems for identification of novel molecules that mediate cross talk between brown fat and brain. The group has invested in new technology for the project, including the MEA system to assess neuronal activity and a Leica THUNDER Imager Live Cell & 3D Cell Culture & 3D Assay.

The Schéele group can offer a multidisciplinary and collaborative group with a strong international network within brown fat biology and metabolism. The group currently consists of 6 post-docs, 1 lab technician, 1 research assistant, 1 master student, and group leader Associate Professor Camille Schéele. You can read more about the research of the Scheele group at https://cbmr.ku.dk/research/integrative-metabolism-and-environmental-influences/scheele-group/

Principal supervisor isAssociate Professor, Camilla Schéele, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, e-mail: [email protected]

Start date: 15 October 2023, or after agreement.

Duration: 3 years as a PhD student

Job description
Your key tasks as a PhD student at SUND are:

• Carrying through an independent research project under supervision.
• Completing PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approximately 30 ECTS points.
• Participating in active research environments including a stay at another research team.
• Obtaining experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project
• Teaching and disseminating your knowledge.
• Writing a PhD thesis on the grounds of your project

Key criteria for the assessment of applicants
Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to a master’s degree related to the subject area of the project, e.g. Master in Human Biology. Please note that your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (two years).

Other important criteria are:

• The grade point average achieved
• Experience in differentiating human IPS/stem cells into hypothalamic neurons
• Experience in FISH staining using RNAscope
• Experience in handling mice with focus on brain research
• Experience in peptide research
• Other professional activities
• A curious mind-set with a strong interest in brown fat and its effect on neurometabolism
• Excellent skills in written and spoken English

Place of employment
The place of employment is at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Maersk Tower, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen. We offer a creative and stimulating work environment in a dynamic, international research setting.

Terms of employment
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 3 years. The start date is 15 October 2023, or after agreement.

The employment is conditioned upon the applicant’s success­ful enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the Faculty’s rules on achieving the degree.

Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agree­ment between the Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary starts at approximately 28,890 DKK/Roughly 3,870 EUR (April 2023 level) plus pension.

Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.

General information about PhD studies at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences is available at the Graduate School’s website: https://healthsciences.ku.dk/phd/guidelines/

Application procedure
Your application must be submitted electronically by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. The application must include the following documents in PDF format:

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
2. CV incl. education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
3. Certified copy of original Master of Science diploma and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in other language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted. As a prerequisite for a PhD fellowship employment, your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree. We encourage you to read more in the assessment database: https://ufm.dk/en/education/recognition-and-transparency/find-assessments/assessment-database. Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science
4. Publication list (if possible)

Application deadline: 11 July 2023, 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.

The assessor makes a non-prioritized assessment of the academic qualifications and experience with respect to the above-mentioned area of research, techniques, skills and other requirements listed in the advertisement.

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 find information about the recruitment process at: http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

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

The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.

Kilde: Jobnet.dk