PhD fellowship in Reproductive Epigenetics

Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen

We are offering a PhD fellowship in Reproductive Epigenetics commencing  December 1, 2022, or after agreement.

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 Group
The Barrès Group investigates how diet and physical activity, by influencing somatic and gametic cells, influence long-term metabolic health in present and future generations. More information about the group can be found here .

Project description
We seek an enthusiastic, passionate candidate to carry out a PhD project in the field of epigenetics of reproductive biology. The project will focus on characterizing specific epigenetic traits of spermatozoa that are associated with the risk of developing metabolic disease by applying a range of epigenetic analytical methods and bioinformatic tools. The PhD student will carry out the project as part of an international and interdisciplinary team comprising bioinformaticians, epidemiologists and molecular biologists.

Principal supervisor is Professor Romain Barrès, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, E-mail: barres@sund.ku.dk

Start:                 December 1, 2022, or after agreement

Duration:          3 years as a PhD student

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

• Carry through an independent research project under supervision
• Complete PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS points
• Participate in active research environments including a stay at another research team
• Obtain experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project
• Teach and disseminate your knowledge
• Write a PhD thesis on the grounds of your project

Essential criteria for the assessment of applicants

• A Master’s degree in Reproductive Biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or related disciplines
• Basic understanding of the biology of reproduction
• Experience with laboratory methods related to DNA methylation analysis in spermatozoa, including whole genome or reduced representation bisulfited sequencing
• A FELASA certificate and practical experience in handling laboratory animals
• Experience working with sterile cell culture and cell-sorting using flow cytometry
• Technical proficiency in histological methods including cryostat sectioning, immunofluorescence, and microscopy
• Excellent written and spoken English language skills

Desirable criteria

• Demonstrated scientific productivity, such as previous research publications
• Experience with recruitment and conduction of interventions in humans

Place of employment
The place of employment is at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include modern laboratories, bioinformatics and statistic guidance, and access to big data from multiple cohorts.

Terms of employment
The employment as PhD fellow is full time and for 3 years. The starting date is December 1, 2022, or after agreement.

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 are in accordance with the agree­ment between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary begins around 28,365 DKK / approx. 3,800 EUR (April 2022 level) plus pension.

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

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

Motivated letter of application addressing each of the essential and desirable criteria (max. two pages)

CV incl. education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position

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

Publication list (if relevant)

Application deadline: September 25, 2022, at 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 can comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

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

The applicant 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 wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.