Ledig stilling ved UiT Norges arktiske universitet
PhD Candidate with the project “The tumor microenvironment as a regulator of oral cancer progression”
Deadline 07.04.2019
The position
At the Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medical Biology a position has become available for the role of PhD Candidate, for applicants wishing to take a Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) degree. The position is available for commencement from August 2019 and for a period of four years.
The successful candidate will work on the “The tumor microenvironment as a regulator of oral cancer progression” project. The tumour microenvironment (TME) and heterotypic signalling between the different cell types in the TME plays an important role in regulating the tumour progression. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) can stimulate angiogenesis, produce immune-modulatory factors and negatively influence prognosis for OSCC patients. The project aims to understand the communication between OSCC cells, CAFs and immune cells in the TME.
The candidate will collaborate with other PhD- and master students in on-going projects on the role of CAFs and inflammation in OSCC. Relevant techniques include work with cell cultures, basic molecular biological techniques, RT-qPCR, immunohistochemistry, FACS and experimental oral cancer models. The position includes 25% teaching which will be appointed depending on the need at the time.
The positions affiliation
The Tumor Biology Research Group consists of medical doctors, dentists, cell biologists as well as biochemists, and conducts basic, paraclinical, and clinical cancer research. The group's main focus is oral cancer, but some group members also study other types of cancer. In addition, research into the significance of certain proteolytic enzymes for normal homoeostasis and for certain non-neoplastic diseases is conducted.
More than 200 staff members from all over the world have their workplace at the Department of Medical Biology (IMB). The department consists of 13 research groups concentrated on fundamental biomedical research problems, including research on various cancer forms, cardiovascular diseases, the body's immune system and anti-biotic resistance. The Department is also involved in marine bio-prospecting and testing of new drugs. IMB provides education for students studying programs in medicine, dentistry, biomedical laboratory sciences, biomedicine and pharmacy.
Contacts
For further information about the position and UiT contact Synnøve Norvoll Magnussen:
- phone: +47 77 64 47 22
- email: synnove.magnussen@uit.no
Qualifications
A requirement of the position is the completion of a Norwegian Candidate of Medicine or Odontology degree, or equivalent, or another relevant Master’s degree. Master/medical students in the final stages are also qualified to apply, but have to document completed degree before employment.
Applicants must have a documented knowledge of English which meets the requirements as stated in the Norwegian general university and college admission requirements. It is an advantage if applicants are fluent in Norwegian in both spoken and written form.
It is beneficial if the candidate has FELASA - approval, and can document experience with gene expression analysis (RT-qPCR), cell culture and antibody-based techniques (e.g. Western blotting, Flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry). Experience with research into tumour biology and/or immunology is also of advantage.
Importance shall be attached to personal suitability and motivation for the position. We search for a candidate who is structured, analytical, collaborates and communicates well and has good work ethic.
Acceptance onto the doctorate degree programme is a prerequisite for appointment to this position, and the study period will begin upon commencement of the employment. The PhD Candidate will participate in the faculty’s research training, and the doctorate degree project will be carried out over the course of the period of employment. Information about requirements and the PhD programme is available here: https://uit.no/helsefak/phd
Application
Your application must include:
- cover letter including a short description of interests and reasons for applying for the position
- project description, where relevant
- CV containing a complete overview of education, experience, professional work, pedagogical qualifications and references
- diploma and transcript of Bachelor’s and Master’s degree or equivalent (in original language and translated)
- documentation of proficiency in English
- any academic works, including the Master’s thesis
- form for documentation of teaching qualifications, which can be found on the website with information for applicants for positions at UiT
Proficiency in the English language can be documented in the following ways:
- Diploma from a Norwegian upper secondary school with both spoken and written English (140 hours)
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
- IELTS (International English Testing Service)
- Completed university degree in the field of English language or literature
- One year’s completed university studies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or USA, for which English was the language of instruction.
Applications will only be considered if all requested application documents are received before the application deadline. Applications sent to us via e-mail or by any other means will not be considered.
All documentation to be assessed must be translated into English or a Scandinavian language.
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 application documents and the text of the announcement.
The Assessment Committee will give emphasis to the potential for research, as presented in the Master’s thesis or equivalent, or in any other academic works.
In the assessment, consideration may also be given to professional experience and any other activity which may be significant for the completion of the doctoral degree, as well as to any pedagogical qualifications. This includes pedagogical training, teaching experience, experience of public education and experience/training of other kinds.
The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview shall, among other things, aim to clarify the applicant’s personal suitability for the position and motivations.
We offer
- Interesting work tasks
- A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues
- A state collective agreement
- Pension scheme through the state pension fund
Working and payment conditions
The normal period of employment is four years. The PhD studies normally equate to three years. The fourth year, apportioned as 25% of each year, shall be put towards teaching or other work tasks undertaken for the university.
The remuneration for Research Fellows is in accordance with the State salary scale codes 1017 and 1378, depending on the qualifications of the former. A compulsory contribution of 2% to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted.
Shorter periods of employment may be offered if the Research Fellow has already completed parts of the research training programme, or in the event that the employment builds upon a previous appointment in an educational position (Research Fellow, Research Assistant or similar), so that the total time of research training comes to three years.
The successful candidate is obliged to make a contribution to the teaching of all students at the Faculty of Health Sciences as and where necessary.
General
At UiT diversity is valued, and we therefore encourage all qualified applicants to apply regardless of their age, gender, functional ability or national or ethnic background. UiT will emphasize making the necessary adaptations to the working conditions for employees with reduced functional ability.
As many as possible should have the opportunity to undertake organized research training. If you already hold a PhD or have equivalent competence, we will not appoint you to this position.
The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants.
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.