Join our team to lay the scientific foundation for a new NK-cell based cancer therapy!

About the position

A full-time phd position (SKO 1017) is available for 3 years in the “Innate Lymphocyte Group” led by professor Marit Inngjerdingen at Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo. The position is funded through the Research Council of Norway (FRIPRO). 

The Inngjerdingen lab focuses on NK cells, and how extracellular vesicles from NK cells can be exploited for cancer therapy against solid tumors. The group runs both basic science projects to uncover new mechanistic and biological insights, as well as innovation and commercialization projects. 

More about the position

The candidate will work on a project to develop extracellular vesicles (EVs) from NK cells as nanovehicles for cancer therapy. NK cells are exploited in immunotherapies against cancers. As NK cells have poor ability to infiltrate solid tumors, we are exploiting the possibility to utilize NK-cell derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) as a therapeutic product. The PhD project is centered on understanding the biological mechanisms of selective interaction with cancer cells, uptake of NK-EVs into cancer cells, potential endosomal escape, and how they release their toxic cargo to kill the cancer cells. Methods include, but are not limited to, in vitro culture of primary human cells and cell lines, organ-on-chip models, molecular biology, diverse immunological assays, advanced flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy, and CRISPR editing/screens.

The candidate is expected to collaborate with national/international partners and be prepared to travel.

Requirements

To be admitted to the PhD programmes at the University of Oslo, an applicant must have a five year master's degree or equivalent studies that have been recognised by the faculty as forming a sufficient basis for admission. The faculties may stipulate additional admission requirements. Please visit the Faculty of Medicine's webpages: Doctoral degree: PhD in medicine and health sciences - Faculty of Medicine

The candidate should have a MSc degree within the fields of immunology, cell biology or molecular biology.

Experience in extracellular vesicles, fluorescence microscopy, and/or CRISPR editing is an advantage.

The candidate must have excellent written and oral communication skills in English

To be employed as a PhD Research Fellow, admission to a doctoral program is required. Normally, one must apply for admission to a Ph.D. program within 3 months after the start of the research project leading to the Ph.D. degree.

MSc candidates with their MSc examinations until end of June 2025 are eligible to apply.

Personal skills 

• We are looking for highly motivated and structured candidates with excellent laboratory skills and excellent collaborative qualities.
• The successful candidate is positive-minded, well organized, looking forward to learning and developing new techniques and has good communication skills.

Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including personal qualifications.

We offer

• An exciting research environment with opportunities for academic development, with possibility of supervision experience.
• Good welfare schemes.
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours.
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities. 
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Salary in position as Doctoral Research Fellow, position code 1017 in salary range from NOK 551 000 - NOK 594 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.

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 cannot, 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.

Apply for the position

Questions about the position

• Marit Inngjerdingen (Professor), mariti@medisin.uio.no
• Thoril Kristiansen (Senior HR Adviser), thoril.kristiansen@medisin.uio.no