Postdoctoral Fellow in Bioinformatics and the Human Intestinal Microbiome

16th November 2022
Languages
English

• Norsk Bokmål
• English

English
Postdoctoral Fellow in Bioinformatics and the Human Intestinal Microbiome
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Job description

The University of Stavanger invites applicants for a position as Postdoctoral Fellow in Bioinformatics and the Human Intestinal Microbiome at the Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry, Bioscience and Environmental Engineering. The position is vacant from January 2023.

The objective of the position is to strengthen research, and to give researchers/scholars holding a doctoral degree the opportunity for further qualification toward top academic positions.

Postdoctoral Fellow is employed for a period of two years.

The Postdoctoral Fellow will be affiliated with the following project: “The role of Blastocystis in inflammatory bowel disease”, financed by The Research Council of Norway. This is a large interdisciplinary project with collaborators at the Stavanger University Hospital, the Staten Serum Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the Institute of Parasitology in České Budějovice, Czech Republic. See more information about the project here .

The Postdoctoral Fellow will be part of a team including four PhD students and a study nurse.

The project will be carried out at the University of Stavanger, by the research group of Professor van der Giezen.  Currently, there are three postdocs and one PhD student working in this research group on a related Research Council funded project.

The qualifying project will be carried out at the University of Stavanger. It is assumed that the appointee will work full time on the project and that she/he will participate in the academic community.

About the research project

In the clinic, microbial eukaryotes are usually treated as parasites. However, recent data suggest a possible beneficial and/or commensal role for intestinal eukaryotes such as Blastocystis. Given the widespread distribution of Blastocystis in the general population and our preliminary data, we hypothesise that this intestinal microbe plays a beneficial role in human intestinal health and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in particular.

The current literature on IBD and the gut microbiome has mainly focused on the bacterial microbiome while ignoring microbial eukaryotes. Therefore, it remains unknown whether gut microbial eukaryotes such as Blastocystis are associated with clinical outcomes such as disease activity, gut inflammation, treatment response, or quality of life and fatigue in patients with IBD.

This project will thoroughly address our current lack of understanding of the role of the intestinal protist Blastocystis in intestinal health and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in particular.

Qualification requirements

You must have a ph.d. in bioinformatics, computational biology, datamining, biostatics, population and/or statistical genetics, human microbiota, numerical/microbial ecology or equivalent. The ph.d. thesis must have been submitted for evaluation within the application deadline for the position and approved before accession.

In addition, you must have experience working with next-generation sequencing, ideally Oxford Nanopore technology, and experience analysing (human) microbiome data.

The following will be an advantage:

• good programming skills (perl/python/ruby/java/C++ etc, SQL, R), proficiency in Unix/Linux and cluster experience.
• relevant publications of own research in internationally recognized peer-reviewed scientific journals

You must have good command of both oral and written English.

In the assessment the following criteria will be emphasised:

• relevance of previous work to intestinal microbiome work
• submitted scientific work and your personal skills for completing the project within the timeframe
• international experience and network
• qualifications within the areas of creativity, innovation and commercialisation of research
• good teamwork, communication skills and ability to participate in research communities across organisational units
• ability to work independently in a structured manner
• motivation, sense of responsibility and accountability, work capacity and enthusiasm for research

The application must be accompanied by a cover letter explaining your interest in the project and the relevance of your background and experience.

We offer

• varied duties in a large, exciting and socially important organisation
• an ambitious work community which is developing rapidly. We strive to include employees at all levels in strategic decisions and promote an informal atmosphere with a flat organisational structure
• salary in accordance with the State Salary Scale, l.pl 17.510, code 1352, NOK 530.000 – 590.000 gross per year. A higher salary may be considered in special cases. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
• automatic membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund , which provides favourable insurance- and retirement benefits
• favourable membership terms at a gym and at the university sports club, SiS sports club  at campus
• employment with an Inclusive Workplace organisation which is committed to reducing sick leave, increasing the proportion of employees with reduced working capacity, and increasing the number of professionally active seniors
• Hjem-jobb-hjem , discounted public transport to and from work
• as an employee in Norway, you will have access to an optimal health service, as well as good pensions, generous maternity/paternity leave, and a competitive salary. Nursery places are guaranteed and reasonably priced.
• relocation programme
• language courses : On this page you can see which language courses you may be entitled to (look up “language courses” under employment conditions)

Diversity

University of Stavanger values independence, involvement and innovation. Diversity is respected and considered a resource in our work and learning environment. Universal design characterises physical and digital learning environments, and we strive to provide reasonable adjustments for employees with disabilities.

You are encouraged to apply regardless of gender, disability or cultural background.

Contact information

More information on the position (and project description) can be obtained from Head of Department Ingunn W. Jolma, e-mail: [email protected]  or Professor Mark van der Giezen, tel: +47 51 83 44 93, e-mail: [email protected] .

Information about the appointment procedure can be obtained from HR advisor Rosa Andrade, tel: +47 51 83 11 91, e-mail: [email protected] .

UiS
Application

To apply for this position please follow the link “Apply for this job”. Your application letter, relevant education and work experience as well as language skills must be registered here.

The following documents must be uploaded as attachments to your application:

• cover letter explaining your interest in the project and the relevance of your background and experience
• CV with a full summary of your education and experience
• documentation of approved ph.d. If you have not completed the ph.d., you may enclose a confirmation from the institution on the expected date of obtaining the doctoral degree. 
• complete list of academic publications with information on where they are published. You may also upload up to 5 publications, including your ph.d. thesis or published monograph based upon the thesis.
• transcripts and certificates, and other documentation that you consider relevant

Applications are evaluated based on the information available in Jobbnorge on the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above.

The documentation must be available in either a Scandinavian language or in English. If the total size of the attachments exceeds 30 MB, they must be compressed before upload. 

Please note that information on applicants may be published even if the applicant has requested not to be included in the official list of applicants – see Section 25 of the Freedom of Information Act . If your request is not granted, you will be notified.

UiS only considers applications and attachments registered in Jobbnorge.

General information

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. If your application is considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter legislation, it will be rejected without further assessment.

Employment as Postdoctoral Fellow is regulated in “Regulations concerning terms and conditions of employment for the posts of post-doctoral research fellow and research fellow, research assistant and resident”.

Your qualifications for the position, based on documentation registered in Jobbnorge, will be assessed by an internal expert committee. Based on the committee’s statement, relevant applicants will be invited to an interview before any recommendations are made. References will also be obtained for relevant candidates. More about the hiring process on our website.

UiS has an Acquisition of Rights Agreement for the purpose of securing rights to intellectual property created by its employees, including research results.

It is a prerequisite that you have a residence which enables you to be present at/available to the academic community during ordinary working hours.

The position has been announced in both Norwegian and English. In the case of differences of meaning between the texts, the English text takes precedence.

Morten Berentsen
UiS – challenge the well-known and explore the unknown

The University of Stavanger (UiS) has about 12,000 students and 2,200 employees. The university has high ambitions. We strive to have an innovative and international profile, and be a driving force in knowledge development and in the process of societal change. Our common direction is driven by consideration for green and sustainable change and equitable social development, through new ways of managing natural resources and facilitating better cities and local communities. Energy, health and welfare, learning for life are our focus areas.
In constant collaboration and dialogue with our surroundings, regionally, nationally and internationally, we enjoy an open and creative climate for education, research, innovation, dissemination and museum activities. Academic life at the University of Stavanger is organised into six faculties comprising various departments/schools and National Research Centres, as well as the Museum of Archaeology. We are a member of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities. The university is located in the most attractive region in the country with more than 300,000 inhabitants. The Stavanger region has a dynamic labour market and exciting cultural and leisure activities.
Together with our staff and students we will challenge the well-known and explore the unknown.

The Faculty of Science and Technology offers study programs at bachelor, master and doctoral level. The faculty has established close cooperation on research with NORCE (Norwegian Research Centre AS) and the regional industry. A number of master’s and doctoral theses are made in collaboration with the industry. The faculty has established research collaborations with universities in the US and Europe, and has developed several academic environments that are at the forefront internationally.The faculty has about 2,800 students and approximately 500 employees at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Structural Engineering and Materials Science, Department of Mathematics and Physics, Department of Energy and Petroleum Engineering, Department of Energy Resources and the Department of Safety, Economics and Planning.

The Department of Chemistry, Bioscience and Environmental Technology offers study programs at all levels within the areas Biological Chemistry, Chemistry and Environment. The department is responsible for basic tuition in chemistry at the faculty. There are currently about 60 employees including doctoral and postdoctoral fellows, and 230 students at the department.

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Deadline

16th November 2022

Employer

University of Stavanger

Municipality

Stavanger

Scope

Fulltime (1 jobs)
Fulltime

(%)

Duration

Fixed Term

Place of service

Ullandhaug

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