Ledig stilling på Universitetet i Oslo

Blindern og Urbygningen (Foto: Wikimedia og Colourbox)

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Pharmacomicrobiomics

Deadline: 24.02.2022

Universitetet i Oslo

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest rated institution of research and education with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. Its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally esteemed research communities make UiO an important contributor to society.


The Department of Pharmacy has 130 employees. We have an active research and innovation environment based on independent research in pharmaceutical topics. The Department of Pharmacy is responsible for the popular master's degree program in pharmacy and has 350 competent and committed students.


Pharmaceutical related research and education forms the base of all activities at the Department of Pharmacy. The science of pharmacy lies in the interface between the natural sciences, pharmaceutical technology, health related topics and social sciences. This interdisciplinarity is reflected both in our study programmes and in our research.

About the position

Position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow available at Section for Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Department of Pharmacy.

The appointment is a fulltime position and is for a period of 3 years.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Oslo. Starting date no later than July 1 2022.

Job/ project description

The Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in pharmacomicrobiomics is a part of the project: “Optimization of drug therapy based on considerations of host-microbiome interplay” funded by the Research Council of Norway. The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will be a part of the “Pharmacokinetics Research Group” which consists of 2 fulltime academic positions, 3 PhD students, 1 engineer and master students.

Drug treatment is the most common therapeutic intervention. However, there is large interindividual variability in drug response, affecting both efficacy and toxicity. As drug metabolism and transport are important determinants of drug disposition and response, extensive knowledge of factors contributing to the variability in these processes are required in order to individualize drug therapy.

Emerging evidence implies an extensive role of gut microbiota in determining the systemic exposure of drugs. However, despite their important consequences for human biology, the gut microbes' involvement in drug metabolism and transport is poorly understood and data from human subjects are lacking. In the project, the postdoctoral research fellow will utilize samples and data from a previously conducted clinical trial designed to shed light on the impact of gut microbiota composition on key drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters.

The main objectives in the project are to investigate the impact of gut microbiota on drug disposition and key drug metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters, and to our ability to predict the effect of the host-microbiome interplay on an individual’s drug response using an integrated approach combining in vitro and clinical data with mechanistic modeling.

The postdoctoral research fellow will be included in all aspects of the project, including development of a novel in vitro fecal incubation method to study the extent of metabolism of different probe drugs by gut microbiota. The project will be performed in collaboration with University of Manchester and University of Gothenburg.

The main purpose of a postdoctoral fellowship is to provide the candidates with enhanced skills to pursue a scientific top position within or beyond academia. To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are required to submit a professional development plan no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period.

Qualification requirements

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

Required qualifications:

  • Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in pharmacy/medicine/biology. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis and public defence are eligible for appointment.
  • Fluent oral and written communication skills in English

The following qualifications will count in the assessment of the applicants:

  • General laboratory skills and experience
  • Experience related to microbiome research
  • Experience related to omics biostatistics
  • Knowledge in programming language such as R
  • Experience with any of the following methods: liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and physiology-based pharmacokinetic modeling (PBPK)
  • Experience related to drug metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters

Personal skills

  • Strong collaboration skills
  • Motivation and dedication
  • Well organized and independent

Personal suitability and motivation for the position will be emphasized.

We offer

  • Salary NOK 534 400 – 615 800 per year, depending on qualifications in position as Research Fellowship (position code 1352)
  • A professionally stimulating working environment
  • Postdoctoral development programmes
  • Vibrant international academic environment
  • Attractive 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 (summarizing previous scientific work and research interests for the future)
  • CV (summarizing education, positions, teaching experience, administrative experience and other professional activities)
  • Copies of educational certificates, academic transcript of records and letters of recommendation
  • A complete list of publications and up to 5 academic works that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
  • Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system. 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).

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented, academic qualifications, as well as the candidate’s motivation and personal suitability. suitability. Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

It is expected that the successful candidate will be able to complete the project in the course of the period of employment.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Fellow period at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed twice as a Postdoctoral fellow financed with funds from The Research Council of Norway (NFR).

If an applicant has applied for and been granted funding for a research stay abroad while being employed as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, the employment will prolonged with the equivalent time as the research stay, but for no longer than of twelve months ( thus extending the employment to a maximum of four years).

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.

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. We also want to have employees with diverse expertise, combinations of subjects, life experience and perspectives. We will make adjustments for employees who require this.

If there are qualified applicants with special needs, gaps in their CVs or immigrant backgrounds, we will invite at least one applicant in each of these groups to an interview.

Contact information

For further information please contact: Associate Professor Ida Robertsen, phone: +47 22857519/+47 99227569, e-mail: ida.robertsen@farmasi.uio.no

For questions regarding the recruitment system please contact HR Adviser Torunn Standal Guttormsen, , e-mail: t.s.guttormsen@mn.uio.no.

Apply for position

Powered by Labrador CMS