Job description

Applications are invited for a 3-year position in a Research Fellowship as a PhD Candidate in biostatistics and nutrigenomics at the Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo.

The position is part of LongITools, a European research project studying the interactions among the environment, lifestyle and health in determining the risks of chronic cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (https://longitools.org/). Lifestyle and living environments are constantly changing. Air and noise pollution, as well as the urban environment and an individual’s psychological, social and lifestyle determinants, all interplay with genetic factors leading to an increased risk of developing metabolic non-communicable diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart diseases and atherosclerosis. In LongITools, researchers will determine how longitudinal exposure of these factors contribute to the risk of developing such diseases across the life-course. The project will take an exposome or holistic approach, linking individual and societal health to the environment to better define the disease pathways and the best points for intervention to reduce the risks.

More about the position

The University of Oslo is partner in the LongITools project, and is particularly involved in understanding how environmental determinants influence DNA methylation and RNA expression in early childhood and in adults. The fellowship period is 3 years, and the PhD student will be involved in data integration of large-scale DNA methylation and RNA expression data from cohort studies and randomized controlled trials that are included in LongITools, as well as other nutrition studies at the Department of Nutrition. The goal is to provide molecular evidence for the underlying associations of composite environmental exposures with cardiometabolic health outcomes, and understand how these exposures mediate or modify health outcomes.

The research fellow must take part in the Faculty’s approved PhD program and he/she is expected to complete the project within the set fellowship period. The PhD education is organized in a program with a stipulated length of three years' full-time study. The program includes an educational component of at least 30 credits. The main purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.doctoral program. For more information, please see our web site

Qualification requirements and personal skills

• Applicants must hold a Master’s degree or equivalent in data science, computational biology, bioinformatics or biostatistics. A Master’s degree (120 ECTS) must have minimum grade B (ECTS grading scale) or equivalent.
• Experience in molecular epidemiology, molecular nutrition, or toxicology is preferred
• Proven programming skills
• She/he should have an excellent command of written and oral English
• Experience with analysis of high-dimensional data and machine learning techniques
• The candidate should be self-driven, highly motivated, and able to collaborate with others to become an integrated part of the research group

We offer

• Salary NOK 479 600 – 523 200 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)
• Documentation of English proficiency
• 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, with the possibility to give a short presentation on a given topic related to the position.

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

Contact information

• Professor Stine Marie Ulven, Phone: +4722840408, e-mail:smulven@medisin.uio.no
• ProfessorJason Matthews, Phone: +4722851102, e-mail: jason.matthews@medisin.uio.no

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