Associate Professor of Neurovascular Barriers in Skin Disorders and Infectious Diseases (fixed-term 3 years)

Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen

The University seeks to appoint an associate professor to the Department of Immunology and Microbiology to commence as soon as possible.

Information on the Department can be found at: https://isim.ku.dk/.

Job description
Emerging evidence highlights the profound impact of peripheral inflammation on the integrity and function of neural barriers, particularly the blood-brain barrier. Inflammatory signals originating from not only malignant, but benign conditions, have been shown to disrupt the critical homeostatic role of these barriers. This is also evident amongst infectious diseases. This disruption can facilitate the entry of inflammatory mediators and potentially harmful substances into the brain, contributing to a cascade of neurological complications.

Many patients suffering from these illnesses report increased incidences of depression, cognitive dysfunction, and other neuropsychiatric symptoms. In contrast, infectious diseases can contribute to life-long neurological sequelae that profoundly affect the patients quality of life. These outcomes suggest a complex interplay between systemic inflammation and central nervous system vulnerability, mediated either in part, or wholly by the compromised function of the blood-brain barrier.

The position will provide the successful candidate with good possibilities both for developing their own research, and to be supported by the existing expertise.

Teaching will be mainly at the master level covering topics related to immune responses to infection. Additionally, the candidate will serve as the course coordinator for the MSc in Human Biology and Immunology and Inflammation.

The associate professor’s responsibilities will primarily consist of:

• Research, including publication/academic dissemination
• Research-based teaching, including associated examination
• Research leadership, including guidance and supervision of researchers
• Obligation to share knowledge with the rest of society, including participation in public debate
• Academic assessments

Required qualifications for the associate professor
Six overall criteria apply for associate professor appointments at the University of Copenhagen. The six criteria (research, teaching, societal impact, organisational contribution, external funding and leadership) are considered a framework for the overall assessment of candidates. Find information about each criterion here: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/criteria-for-recognising-merit.

Furthermore, each applicant must be able to document:

• Research qualifications at the level that can be achieved by satisfactorily completing a period of employment as an assistant professor/postdoc, but may also be obtained in other ways
• Teaching qualifications and pedagogical competencies
• Research-based teaching

The associate professor is also required to possess good interpersonal and communicative skills.

In addition to the above-requested qualifications, the position requires the following qualifications:

• PhD degree in infectious diseases, parasitology, cell biology, immunology or similar
• Expertise in cellular models in the field
• Upholding the principles of ethical scientific conduct.
• A publication record that includes corresponding author and first author publications of relevance to the position and demonstrates an impact on the scientific field.
• Good collaborative skills and a record of collaborative projects with academic or external stakeholders.
• Documented ability to obtain independent research grants and lead research projects.
• Documented commitment to both teaching and supervising students, as well as interest in developing teaching methods.
• Commitment to and interest in the continued development of existing and new courses

Terms of employment
The position is temporary for a period of maximal 3 years.

The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

Salary and other terms and conditions of appointment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or other relevant professional organisations.

The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2020.

Questions
For further information, please contact the head of The LEO Foundation Skin Immunology Research Center, professor Niels Ødum: [email protected], Phone (0045)35327879.
Foreign applicants may find this link useful: https://www.ism.ku.dk/(International Staff Mobility).

Application for the associate professor position
The application must be submitted in English and must include the following documents:

• Application, including motivations for applying for the position (Maximum 2 pages)
• Curriculum vitae, including information about external funding
• Diplomas (Master’s, PhD, and other relevant certificates)
• A complete list of publications
• Research plan (3‐5 pages)
• Uploads of maximum 5 publications to be considered in the assessment
• Teaching plan
• Teaching portfolio (Guidelines: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/job-application-portfolio)

Please note: It is mandatory to upload a teaching plan in the online application form. Should you not have a teaching plan, please upload a blank document in this box instead.

Application procedure
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Appointments Committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment. The Dean then appoints an expert assessment committee in order to make an assessment of the selected applicants for the specific post. Selected applicants are notified of the composition of the committee and each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself. You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/.

Please note that the applicant will be contacted if the assessment committee requires further documentation.

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

The University of Copenhagen encourages all interested applicants to apply for this position.

Please submit the application with the required attachments. The closing date for applications is 3 March 2025 at 23.59 p.m. CET