PhD Candidate in Cell Stress and Cancer

Job description

Applications are invited for a 3-year position in a Research Fellowship as PhD Candidate in Molecular Medicine in the group Cell Stress and Cancer headed by Associate Professor Helene Knævelsrud at the Division of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo.

The research fellow will work with fruit fly models to understand how autophagy termination is influenced by metabolic pathways in a multicellular organism. The research fellow will work on one or a few potential regulators of autophagy termination with relation to metabolism in the context of the organism and employ a range of methods (metabolomics, immunofluorescence, immunoblotting, autophagy assays, drosophila genetics, molecular cloning) to obtain mechanistic understanding.

The candidate will work in close collaboration with PhD and postdoc research fellows from the project entitled Final act of the autophagy symphony: whole-organism orchestration of autophagy termination (FINALphagy) funded by the European Research Council. 

More about the position

The fellowship period is 3 years and devoted to carrying out a project entitled “Metabolic control of autophagy termination”.

It may be possible to extend the fellowship period up to 4 years, with 3 years devoted to research education. In that case, the position entails a compulsory work load of 25% that consists of teaching and supervision duties and research assistance.

The research fellow must take part in the Faculty’s 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.

The applicant must, in collaboration with her/his supervisor, within 2 months after employment, have worked out a complete project description to be attached to the application for admission to the doctoral program. For more information, please see our web site.

Qualification requirements

• Applicants must hold a Master’s degree in Biosciences, Molecular Medicine, Molecular Biology or similar of 120 ECTS, minimum grade B (ECTS grading scale) or equivalent. The Master’s degree must include a thesis of at least 30 ECTS. For candidates who do not yet have the Master’s degree, the master thesis must be submitted for evaluation by the application closing date. The position must be started by September 1st 2024 at the latest.
• Practical experience from relevant laboratory work within molecular cell biology and ability to plan, perform and analyze experiments.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English. For the teaching component, fluent oral and written communication skill in a Scandinavian language is required. Candidates that fulfill this requirement will be preferred.

In addition, the following qualifications are a strong advantage:

• Experience with spinning disc confocal microscopy
• Practical experience with autophagy assays and interpretation of those
• Practical experience with and knowledge of Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism

Personal skills

• Scientifically curious and proactive, with drive and commitment to work at the frontier of basic science
• Ability to work independently as well as a part of a team
• Good presentation skills
• High working capacity and productivity
• Motivated and solution-oriented
• Flexible and effective

We offer

• Salary NOK 532 200 – 575 400 per annum depending on qualifications in a position as PhD Research fellow, (position code 1017)
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include

• cover letter statement of motivation and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work)
• copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only)
• a complete list of publications and academic works
• list of reference persons: 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “Apply for this job”. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

When evaluating the application, emphasis will be given to the applicant’s academic and personal prerequisites to carry out the project. Applicants may be called in for an interview.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom of 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.

The appointment may be shortened/given a more limited scope within the framework of the applicable guidelines on account of any previous employment in academic positions.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

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.

Contact information

• Associate professor Helene Knævelsrud, phone 41427591, e-mail: helene.knavelsrud@medisin.uio.no

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