PhD Candidate in advanced immune competent liver models

About the position

The Hybrid Technology Hub CoE (https://www.med.uio.no/hth/english/) is inviting applications for a three‑year PhD position.

The recruited candidate will take part in UiO Emerging Technologies Initiative Project FTI-NAM. NAM technologies (New Approach Methodologies), in particular organoids and microphysiological systems (MPS), are rapidly emerging as transformative and strategic technologies with the potential to redefine the future of health and life sciences. By integrating stem cell biology, patient-derived material, tissue engineering, microfluidics, advanced analytics, and digital technologies, NAM platforms enable the development of highly predictive and human-relevant biomedical models that overcome major limitations of conventional animal models.  The recruited candidate will focus on the development of an advanced human liver model for investigation of liver-immune cross-talk and the capacity of the liver to resolve inflammation and restore tissue homeostasis.

The successful applicant will work under the supervision of Professor Stefan Krauss and Dr. Aleksandra Aizenshtadt and will be embedded in an interdisciplinary team.

The duration of appointment is 3 years.

Key tasks

The PhD will focus on developing a robust, microfluidic platform for in‑depth analysis of liver – immune cell interactions

 Qualifications 

• Master’s degree in Biology, Biotechnology, or a closely related field.
• Minimum of two years of relevant post-graduate, hands-on laboratory experience.
• Documented experience with advanced human cell culture, including 3D models and organ-on-chip systems.
• Hands-on experience with pluripotent stem cell culture.
• Proficiency in standard molecular and cell biology techniques, including RT-qPCR, ELISA, immunocytochemistry, and Western blotting.
• Experience with sample preparation, imaging, and image analysis using confocal and high-resolution microscopy.
• Hands-on experience working with primary human tissues and cells, particularly liver tissue, is an advantage.
• Experience with library preparation for single-cell and/or single-nucleus RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq/snRNA-seq) is an advantage.
• Knowledge of data analysis methods, including statistical software and transcriptomic analysis pipelines is an advantage. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills in English.

The application must include

• A motivation letter.
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work).
• A recommendation letter from the previous relevant work.
• Documents, certificates, contracts confirming education and relevant working experience.

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click “Apply for this job”.

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language

We need different perspectives in our work 

UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no.

We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues—could you be the next one?

We will provide appropriate accommodations should you need them. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.

If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps, we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian).

The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports.

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.

We hope you will apply for the position with us. 

We offer 

• A positive and stimulating working environment.
• Salary according to agreement.
• Competitive conditions.
• Good welfare schemes.
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours.
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities. 
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway’s best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Salary in position as Doctoral Research Fellow, position code 1017 in salary range NOK from 550 800 – 595 000 – to, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.

Read more about the benefits of working in the public sector at Employer Portal.

General information

Please note that we are unable to add documentation after the application deadline. As the deadline applies equally to all applicants, this policy ensures equal treatment throughout the recruitment process. If you experience difficulties uploading documents in Jobbnorge, please contact their customer service: Phone: +47 75 54 22 20 or Email: support@grade.com 

The primary method of communication throughout the process will be e-mails and messages through the recruitment system Jobbnorge. When you receive a notification of a message in Jobbnorge, please log in to read it, as it may be important.

The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews. 

Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we cannot, you will hear from us.

Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian), Guidelines concerning appointment to recruitment positions at UiO and Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo.

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees to secure the rights to all research results and related intellectual property.