PhD Research Fellowship in Cancer Chromatin, Epigenetics, and Computational Epigenomics
Deadline: 19.05.2026
Publisert
The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest ranked educational and research institution, with 26 500 students and 7 200 employees. With its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally recognised research communities, UiO is an important contributor to society.
The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences overall objective is to promote basic medical knowledge in order to understand normal processes, provide insight into mechanisms that cause illness, and promote good health. The Institute is responsible for teaching in basic medical sciences for the programmes of professional study in medicine and the Master's programme in clinical nutrition. The Institute has more than 300 employees and is located in Domus Medica.
About the position
Applications are invited for a 3 year position (or 4 years, with 25% compulsory work at the Institute) in a Research Fellowship as PhD candidate in cancer chromatin and epigenetics to be based at the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Norway. The research fellow must take part in the Faculty of Medicine approved PhD program and is expected to complete the project within the set fellowship period. The main purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.
More about the position
The PhD candidate will be part of the Chromatin Biology group at the Division of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Medicine at Institute of Basic Medical Sciences and the Norwegian Centre of Excellence, Centre for Cancer Cell Reprogramming (CanCell) at the University of Oslo, Norway.
This is a primarily computational position. The successful candidate will develop and apply advanced bioinformatic and statistical methods to large-scale multi-omics data to uncover the epigenetic mechanisms driving sarcoma. The project is embedded in a multidisciplinary team spanning wet-lab biology, bioinformatics, and biostatistics, and will be co-supervised by leading computational researchers: co-supervisor Anthony Mathelier is a leading computational biologist with expertise in gene regulation in cancer, and co-supervisor Valeria Vitelli is a renowned biostatistician with expertise in Bayesian methods and machine learning.
Epigenetic driver genes and modifiers have strong effects on development and progression of several types of cancers. Sarcomas are a heterogenous group of mesenchymal soft tissue and bone cancers comprising about 1% of adult malignancies. Emerging research suggests that a combination of genetic and epigenetic events can drive the onset and progression of tumours. However, the understanding of the specific epigenetic events responsible for driving and sustaining sarcomas remains incomplete. We aim to identify sarcoma weaknesses by combining knowledge about genetic alterations and epigenetic aberrations to enable the identification of novel cancer targets.
To elucidate these mechanisms, we use genetic, pharmacological, biochemical, single-cell, and genome-wide approaches. The computational core of this project will rely on high throughput and long-read sequencing of genomic DNA and RNA, single-cell multiomics, proteomics, and transcription factor and epigenetic datasets generated by ChIP-seq, Cut&Run, ATAC-seq, DNA methylation and Hi-C. We also perform chemical drug and genome-wide CRISPR screens to identify novel sarcoma targets. The goal of this PhD project is to elucidate the mechanisms underlying chromatin interactions and gene regulation during tumour formation with a specific focus on rare sarcomas.
The PhD candidate will perform computational and statistical analysis to better understand biological features in sarcomas and utilize in house and public datasets. Data integration combined with algorithm development is a potent strategy to create novel models that can be tested experimentally, improving our understanding of complex mechanisms promoting tumorigenesis in different subtypes of sarcomas. After graduation, the selected candidate will be equipped to lead independent multi-omics analyses, contribute to high-impact publications, and develop open-source computational tools in the field of cancer epigenomics.
The candidate will be supervised in strong research environments that will provide a unique opportunity to learn and develop leading solutions in a highly competitive field. The epigenetic environment at the Division of Biochemistry has focus on transcription factors and epigenetic modifiers with cutting-edge research into chromatin organization in health and disease.
The applicant must, in collaboration with their supervisors, within three months after employment, have developed a complete project description to be attached to the application for admission to the doctoral program. For more Information, please visit our web site.
Starting date no later than 01.09.2026.
Qualifications
Required qualification
Candidates for these fellowships are expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.
Applicants must hold a master’s degree or equivalent in molecular biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics or biostatistics or related fields. A master’s degree (120 ECTS) or an equivalent qualification, minimum grade B (ECTS grading scale) or higher. The master’s degree must include a thesis of at least 30 ECTS. Foreign applicants are encouraged to include an explanation of their university's grading system.
Fluent oral and excellent written communication skills in English
Working knowledge in programming (e.g., in Python, R, or bash)
Experience with high-throughput sequencing data analysis (e.g. RNA-seq)
Desired Qualifications
Experience with computational (epi)genomics data analysis.
Experience with RNA-seq and/or single-cell RNA-seq.
Experience with analysis of CRISPR screen or drug screens datasets.
Experience with workflow management tools (Nextflow or Snakemake).
Experience with version control (Git, Github).
Experience with high performance computing.
Experience with workload manager (Slurm).
Experience with machine learning or statistical modelling for biological data.
Experience with protein structure prediction (Alphafold)
Experience with generation of samples/library preparation for RNA-seq or ChIP-seq or ATAC-seq.
Personal skills
We are seeking a highly motivated, creative, and skilled candidate with a strong work ethic and background in molecular biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, biostatistics or related field. The candidate must be able to work independently but also have good interpersonal skills and desire to contribute to strengthening the research environment.
Ability to communicate science.
Ability to collaborate with researchers from different fields and at different career stages.
Willingness to be part of a team to share knowledge and skills.
Enthusiasm for interdisciplinary collaboration.
Strong organizational skills.
Strong analytical skills and be motivated by new challenges.
We need different perspectives in our work
UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no.
We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues—could you be the next one?
We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.
If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps, we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian).
The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports.More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.
We hope you will apply for the position with us.
We can offer you
Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development.
Professionally stimulating working environment.
Opportunity to gain experience in teaching and supervision of master students.
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 NOK from 550 800 to 595 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.
Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities
Read more about the benefits of working in the public sector at Employer Portal.
Application
Your application should include:
Cover letter with statement of motivation (the applicant's research interests, summary of scientific background, research interests and motivation for applying for this position)
CV (summarizing education, positions, academic work, and other qualifying activity)
Copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only, translated to English if applicable)
Documentation of English proficiency (if applicable)
A complete list of publications and academic works
List of reference persons: 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail, and phone number)
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.
