About the position / About the job

Applicants are invited for a PhD fellowship at the Research Institute of Internal Medicine and the Norwegian PSC Research center (NoPSC) at Oslo University Hospital. The project is funded by the Research council of Norway project DUCTchip and will be a collaborative project with the Norwegian Centre of Excellence Hybrid-technology-hub (HTH).

NoPSC is dedicated to research on the chronic liver disease primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). This is a debilitating disease primarily affecting the bile ducts, with unclear causes and limited treatment options. Immune functions play a clear role in the disease pathogenesis but still a lot is unknown regarding inflammatory mechanisms in the bile ducts. The NoPSC center comprises three research groups covering all aspects of research related to primary sclerosing cholangitis, from basic genomic and experimental studies to clinical research and clinical trials. The research environment is world-leading for PSC and counts 30-35 engaged researchers from several countries and specialties.

More about the position 

We are now seeking a skilled and ambitious PhD fellow to take on a challenging project funded by the Research Council of Norway. The project will be a collaborative effort with a Norwegian Centre of Excellence headed by Professor Stefan Krauss. The project is led by Professor Espen Melum who combines expertise on bile duct inflammation and bile duct diseases with technological advances. The PhD student will utilize a newly established bile-duct-on a chip system to modulate pathological processes in the bile ducts. This system allows us to study cellular processes and mechanisms in a microenvironment which more closely resembles in vivo human biology than mouse models or traditional cell cultures. The project will assess bile duct function, immune response and the effect of known and novel compounds on these processes. The experiments will be conducted using both murine and patient derived human material in the form of organoids with a high relevance for translation into clinical medicine. 

Qualifications 

• Applicant must hold an MD/cand.med. or a master’s degree in molecular biology, immunology or related discipline
• Interest in understanding how basic molecular mechanisms are involved in disease development
• Basic knowledge regarding cell culture (organoids in particular) and transcriptomic analysis would be an asset 
• Excellent English proficiency, both written and verbal 
• Basic skills in Norwegian are preferable. 

Personal skills

• Well organized with high working capacity and productivity
• Motivated, independent and strong attention to detail
• Ability to interact and cooperate in a diverse academic environment
• Able to work well both individually and as part of a team.

We offer 

• Salary NOK 550.000-580.000 per annum depending on qualifications in position as PhD student (position code 1017). Higher salary may be offered to particularly qualified applicants
• A challenging and friendly working environment located at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet

• Pension arrangement and other welfare benefits

Read more about the benefits of working in the public sector at Employer Portal.

Inclusive worklife and diversity at UiO

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

We hope that you will apply for the position. 

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.

Application

Your application should include:

• Application letter
• CV
• A complete list of publications
• Transcripts and certificates
• Contact information for 2-3 references

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for the position".

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

General information

The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews. 

Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we can't, you will hear from us.

Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian), Guidelines concerning appointment to post doctoral and research posts at UiO (Norwegian) and Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo.

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc.

Questions about the position

• Espen Melum (Professor), +4791780732, espen.melum@medisin.uio.no