PhD Fellowship at Clinical Translational Metabolism Group at the Department of Biomedical Sciences

The University of Copenhagen is seeking a highly motivated and talented PhD fellow to commence on 1 February 2024 or as soon as possible after that, at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.

Our group and research
The position is available in the Clinical Translational Metabolism Group headed by Professor Signe Torekov. In our group, we aim to bridge biomedical research, clinical practice, and the prevention of obesity. By conducting clinical experimental interventions that characterize and integrate the complex pathophysiology behind obesity and securing synergistic and fruitful collaborations, we strive to identify prevention, causalities, and optimal treatment options for individuals living with obesity.

You will be part of an interdisciplinary research team comprising medical doctors, human biologists/physiologists, anthropologists, etc. We conduct large clinical trials within investigations of the prevention and treatment of obesity published in impactful medical journals (e.g., New England Journal of Medicine and Nature Communication. Furthermore, you will be part of a research group with extensive cross-sector and interdisciplinary collaborations, including collaboration with experts at the neuroimaging research unit at Rigshospitalet, with Harvard Medical School, Holbæk Sygehus, Steno Diabetes Center, and an international consortium within immuno-metabolism established between the University of Copenhagen, Oxford University, UK, and Karolinska Institute, Sweden. Our group also hosts several pre-graduate students at all academic levels. You can read more about the Torekov Group and our current projects here: Clinical Translational Metabolism Group

Project description
Disruption of the neurobiological body-weight defense system in chronic childhood-onset obesity

Children with obesity at age two only have a 20% chance of escaping obesity. Since weight regain after weight loss is almost inevitable, due to our instant neurobiological defense against weight loss, focus on treatment and prevention of childhood-onset obesity is crucial. Interestingly, we have shown that a combination of exercise and an analog of the appetite-inhibiting neuroendocrine hormone GLP-1 can sustain healthy weight loss in adults with obesity.

Therefore, this PhD project aims to reverse childhood-onset obesity by disrupting the neurobiological defense system against maintained weight loss in chronic obesity. By combining a clinical cohort of young adults with childhood-onset obesity and a randomized controlled trial of treatment with the GLP-1 analog semaglutide for childhood-onset obesity, we wish to disrupt the neurobiological defense system that, until now, has contributed to both the increased prevalence of childhood-onset obesity, and the low success rate of maintained weight loss in obesity. We will do this by applying state-of-the-art functional magnetic resonance techniques and state-of-the-art methodologies. The results from this PhD project will create a deeper understanding of the development of obesity and redirect focus from the stigmatization of the individual to our defense system against maintained weight loss and how to disrupt this defense system in obesity. As a PhD student in our group, you will, together with the rest of the team, be responsible for recruiting and conducting clinical trials on a daily basis, along with data analysis and scientific manuscript writing.

Principal supervisor isProfessor Signe Torekov

You will take an important part in all the scientific aspects of our studies. Thus, you will be deeply engaged in scientific research development, generating new scientific questions, performing statistical analysis, interpreting results, writing manuscripts for publication and scientific applications, communicating our scientific results, and engaging with collaborators.

Profile

• We seek an open-minded, enthusiastic candidate who synergistically enjoys clinical research.
• Master's degree in health science (e.g., medical doctor, human biology or physiology, medical technology, biostatistics, or similar). Please note that your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (two years)
• Basic understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of obesity-related disorders
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral; proficient in English and preferably in Danish as well
• Strong scientific, analytical, and technical skills
• Experience with comprehensive data sets and analyses. Skills in statistical computational environments, such as R and SAS, are an advantage but not a requirement
• Experience with clinical research is a distinct advantage but not a requirement
• Team player with both an independent and collaborative mindset
• Preferable experience with research conduction and writing scientific manuscripts

Place of employment
The place of employment is at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment with local and international collaborators. Our research facilities include modern human, animal, and cell laboratories and a microscopy core facility.

Terms of employment
The PhD employment is full-time (37 working hours per week in average) and a fixed-term position for three years. The starting date is 1 February 2024 or later if agreed.

It 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 will be in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations). Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated. The employer will pay an additional 17.1 % to your pension fund.

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

Questions
For further questions about the job description and qualifications, please contact Professor Signe Torekov, E-mail: [email protected], TEL: +45 22983827.

For questions regarding the recruitment procedure, please contact [email protected].

General information about PhD study 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 online application must be submitted in English by clicking 'Apply now' below. Furthermore, your application must include the following documents/attachments – all in PDF format:

1. Motivated letter of application (max. two pages).

2. CV, including education, work/research experience, language skills, publications, abstracts, conferences, contact details for at least two references, and other relevant skills.

3. A certified/signed copy of the Master of Science diploma and transcript of records. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor will do. 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. Research ideas within the context of the activities of the research group (see webpage) (max three pages)

Application deadline: 14 November 2023, 23.59pm CET

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

The process
After the expiry of the application deadline, 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 is complete, each applicant can comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant themselves.

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

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

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect society's diversity and welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, gender, nationality, race, religion, or sexual orientation. Appointment will be based on merit alone.

Kilde: Jobnet.dk