UiT The Arctic University of Norway is a multi-campus comprehensive university at the international forefront. Our vision is to be a driving force for developing the High North. The Northern Sami notion eallju, which means eagerness to work, sets the tone for this motive power at UiT. Along with students, staff and the wider community, we aim to utilise our location in Northern Norway and Sápmi, our broad and diverse research and study portfolio and interdisciplinary advantage to shape the future.

Our social mission is to provide research-based education of high quality, perform artistic development and carry out research of the highest international quality standards in the entire range from basic to applied. We will convey knowledge about disciplines and contribute to innovation. Our social mission unites UiT across various studies, research fields and large geographical distances. This demands good cooperation with trade and industry and civil society as well as with international partners. We will strengthen knowledge-based and sustainable development at a regional, national and international level.

Academic freedom and scientific and ethical principles form the basis for all UiT’s activities. Participation, co-determination, transparency and good processes will provide the decision-making basis we need to make wise and far-sighted priorities. Our students and staff will have the opportunity to develop their abilities and potential. Founded on academic integrity, we will be courageous, committed and generous in close contact with disciplines, people and contemporary developments.

We will demonstrate adaptability and seek good and purposeful utilisation of resources, so we are ready to meet the expectations and opportunities of the future. We will strengthen the quality and impact of our disciplines and core tasks through the following three strategic priority areas.

The position

Department of Physics and Technology, Faculty of Science and TechnologyUiT The Arctic University of Norway, TromsøDuration: 3 years (full-time)Funding: UiT High Score FundingUiT The Arctic University of Norway invites applications for a three-year Postdoctoral Research Fellow position in Optical Diffraction Tomography (ODT) within the Photonics Research Group at the Department of Physics and Technology. The position will be hosted in the Phi_Lab, led by Dr. Azeem Ahmad, and will focus on the development of advanced reconstruction algorithms and next-generation quantitative optical microscopy and tomography systems for imaging thick and strongly scattering biological samples.The successful candidate will work in an interdisciplinary and international research environment, closely collaborating with doctoral researchers, engineers, and partners from clinical medicine and fisheries research.The position is a fixed term position for a duration of 3 years. It is a prerequisite that the applicant can carry out the project over the full course of the employment period. No person may hold more than one fixed term position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same institution.

As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, you will have the opportunity to advance your scientific career and further qualify for academic positions. If you do not already have the educational competence that meets the requirements for an Associate Professor position in Norway, UiT will arrange such competence during the employment period.The workplace is Tromsø, Norway. You must be able to start in the position in Tromsø within a reasonable time after receiving the offer.

Field of Research

The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will be part of the Phi_Lab research team, which specializes in advanced quantitative phase microscopy, optical diffraction tomography, and computational imaging.The project aims to develop a novel optical phase and refractive-index tomography platform and computational algorithms capable of overcoming the challenges of multiple scattering in thick biological specimens, including:• Engineered Heart Tissues (EHTs)• Brain organoids• Live biological cell cultures• Fish and aquatic biological samplesMultiple scattering severely limits image contrast and resolution in conventional optical tomography. This project seeks to address these limitations through innovative optical system design and advanced computational reconstruction algorithms, enabling high-resolution, high-speed, and deep 3D quantitative imaging.

In collaboration with the Department of Clinical Medicine (UiT), the system will be evaluated for dynamic imaging of cardiac activity in engineered heart tissues. In collaboration with the Systems Virology Lab, Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, the system and associated algorithms will be assessed for neurodegeneration mapping in Alzheimer’s disease brain organoids. In parallel, the technology and algorithms will be applied to fish health research, supporting studies on ulcer disease prognosis.This position offers a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of optical imaging technology, combining experimental optics with advanced computational and data-driven methods.

Roles and Responsibilites

This is a full-time research position. The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will play a central role in the development of computational inverse multiple-scattering algorithms and in the design, implementation, and validation of a novel refractive index tomography system.

Key responsibilities include:

• Develop advanced computational methods for optical diffraction tomography, with a focus on inverse multiple-scattering algorithms.
• Implement and evaluate both linear approximation models and nonlinear high-order scattering approaches for accurate imaging of thick and strongly scattering samples.
• Optimize reconstruction algorithms for efficient large-scale 3D imaging, including high-performance and GPU-accelerated computing where appropriate.
• Design, optimize, and validate a refractive-index tomography experimental setup, including optical alignment, calibration, and performance evaluation.
• Conduct quantitative performance analysis of the system, including spatial resolution, phase sensitivity, temporal stability, and reconstruction accuracy.
• Integrate experimental measurements with computational reconstruction pipelines to enable robust and accurate 3D refractive-index imaging of complex samples.
• Apply machine learning and deep learning techniques to automate segmentation and quantitative analysis of tomographic refractive-index data from cells and tissue samples.
• Apply the developed methods to biologically and medically relevant samples, such as engineered heart tissues, brain organoids, and fish tissue models.
• Work closely with experimental researchers and interdisciplinary collaborators in physics, engineering, biology, and medicine at UiT and with international partners.
• Contribute to scientific publications, present results at international conferences, and actively participate in the scientific environment of the Photonics research group and Phi Lab.
• Assist in the mentoring of PhD and Master’s students involved in related research activities.

Contact

For further information about the position, please contact Dr. Azeem Ahmad:

• phone: +47 77 64 51 40
• email: azeem.ahmad@uit.no

Jon T.H.Hansen, Ingun A.Mæhlum, Kystvakt

Qualifications

Required qualifications

• PhD in Physics, Optical Engineering, Photonics, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field, completed before the start of the position. If you’re at the final stages of your PhD, you may still apply if you have submitted your PhD thesis for doctoral degree evaluation within the application deadline. 
• Demonstrated research experience in optical imaging, quantitative phase microscopy, optical diffraction tomography, or related computational imaging methods.
• Strong background in wave optics, Fourier optics, and inverse problems, including experience with linear and nonlinear reconstruction methods (e.g., Born/Rytov approximations, multislice or multiple-scattering models).
• Proven experience in scientific programming and numerical computing (MATLAB, Python, or C/C++), including implementation of reconstruction algorithms and image processing pipelines.
• Experience with experimental optical systems, including optical alignment, calibration, and performance evaluation.
• Experience in quantitative analysis of imaging performance, such as spatial resolution, phase sensitivity, and system stability.
• Documented ability to publish research in peer-reviewed international journals and present results at scientific conferences.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in interdisciplinary research environments.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

Desirable qualifications

• Experience with high-order or nonlinear scattering reconstruction methods for imaging thick and strongly scattering samples.
• Experience in high-performance computing, parallel programming, or GPU-accelerated computation for large-scale 3D reconstruction.
• Experience applying machine learning or deep learning to microscopy or tomographic imaging, including segmentation and quantitative analysis.
• Hands-on experience with refractive-index tomography, optical diffraction tomography, or related label-free imaging techniques.
• Experience working with biological or biomedical samples, such as tissue models, organoids, or cell cultures.
• Familiarity with experimental design and validation of optical instrumentation.
• Experience mentoring students or supervising research projects.
• Experience in interdisciplinary or international research collaborations. 

In the assessment the main emphasis will be attached to the submitted works for the qualifying work. Emphasis shall also be attached to experience from popularization/dissemination and academic policy and administrative activity.

At UiT we put emphasis on the quality, relevance and significance of the research work and not on where the work is published, in accordance with the principles of The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA).

Personal Qualities

During the assessment emphasis will be put on the candidate’s motivation, potential for research, and personal suitability for the position. The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Independence and strong self-motivation.
• Creativity and innovative thinking.
• Excellent work ethic and commitment to high-quality research.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team.
• Strong communication skills.

Inclusion and diversity

UiT The Arctic University i Norway is working actively to promote equality, gender balance and diversity among employees and students, and to create an inclusive and safe working environment. We believe that inclusion and diversity is a strength, and we want employees with different competencies, professional experience, life experience and perspectives.

If you have a disability, a gap in your CV or immigrant background, we encourage you to tick the box for this in your application. If there are qualified applicants, we invite least one in each group for an interview. If you get the job, we will adapt the working conditions if you need it. Apart from selecting the right candidates, we will only use the information for anonymous statistics. 

We offer

• Involvement in an interesting research project 
• Good career opportunities 
• A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues
• Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement
• Pension scheme through the state pension fund 
• If you have to relocate to Tromsø, the Faculty of Science and Technology may reimburse your moving costs. Further details regarding this matter will be made available if you receive an offer from us.

Norwegian health policy aims to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their personal finances and where they live, has access to good health and care services of equal standard. As an employee you will become member of the National Insurance Scheme which also include health care services.

More practical information for working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility 

Application

Please note that the application will only be assessed based on the information submitted by the application deadline via Jobbnorge. It is therefore important that you include all necessary documents demonstrating your qualifications for the position.

Your application must include:

• Application letter
• CV
• Diplomas and transcripts (all degrees)
• Contact information to 2-3 references
• Description of your academic production, stating which works you consider most important
• Academic works, up to ten. The doctoral thesis is regarded as one work.

If you’re at the final stages of your PhD, you may still apply if you have submitted your PhD thesis for doctoral degree evaluation within the application deadline. You must submit the thesis with your application. Documentation of your completed PhD degree must be submitted before commencement.

All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. 

Assessment

The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee's mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants' qualifications based on the written material presented by the applicants, and the detailed description draw up for the position. A copy of the assessment report will be sent to all applicants. 

The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview should among other things, aim to clarify the applicant’s motivation and personal suitability for the position. A trial lecture may also be held.

General information

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants. The appointment is to be made in accordance with the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

The remuneration for Postdoctoral Research Fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1352, with an annual salary of minimum 595 000,- in a 100 % position. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted. You will become a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, which gives you many benefits in addition to a lifelong pension: You may be entitled to financial support if you become ill or disabled, your family may be entitled to financial support when you die, you become insured against occupational injury or occupational disease, and you can get good terms on a mortgage. Read more about your employee benefits at: spk.no.

The successful candidate must be willing to get involved in the ongoing development of their department and the university as a whole.According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure. 

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